MT Magazine September/October 2022

FEATURE STORY

WORKFORCE ISSUE

14

established, an organization dedicated to what were then the elements of advanced manufacturing technology, including milling machines and lathes, grinders, and presses. A quarter century later, in 1927, the first National Machine Tool Builders’ Exposition was held in Cleveland, Ohio. Although the 20th century saw two world wars, the Great Depression, and a series of social, economic, and political upheavals, the association, like the Rose Bowl, has endured. Milling machines have morphed into machining centers, lathes into turning centers, grinders to an array of types and configurations, and presses to highly precise forming lines, always advancing. Manufacturing technologies have become the means by which industries like automotive can make the transformation from internal combustion to full electrification. NMTBA transformed into AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology in 1996; the National Machine Tool Builders’ Exposition became IMTS in 1972, first as the International Machine Tool Show and now as the International Manufacturing Technology Show. It hasn’t looked back. The Fundamentals Despite profound change, some fundamentals are still upheld by the association after 120 years, like cultivating a community of people who are invested in manufacturing technologies to get together to share knowledge. AMT has established itself as a hub for industry intelligence and industry advocacy, providing information to both industry participants and the political sphere, and it moves that information into educational and training resources to help the community prosper. Regardless of conditions, AMT has always been focused on today and tomorrow to help its members move forward – and

as a consequence of their moving forward, helped the country advance in an increasingly competitive world.

Preparing the Ground

National prosperity is created, not inherited. It does not grow out of a country’s natural endowments, its labor pool, its interest rates, or its currency’s value, as classical economics insists. A nation’s competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. Companies gain advantage against the world’s best competitors because of pressure and challenge. They benefit from having strong domestic rivals, aggressive home-based suppliers, and demanding local customers. – Michael E. Porter “The Competitive Advantage of Nations” Amber Thomas is vice president of advocacy at AMT. As such, she is involved in promoting the importance of manufacturing technology throughout government. While the political class seemingly has greater interest in the metaverse than a tangible world improved by manufacturing, Thomas says that many in Washington understand the ongoing importance of making