COMING UP! DBJ's 2025 Manufacturing Forum in partnership with DRMA (3/20), Workforce/HR Meet Up (3/25), and Operations Meet Up (4/9)! Be sure to scroll down to the Events section to find out more.

Do you need legal help on anything from labor and employment, OSHA, real estate and more? Take advantage of your legal services plan offered by Bob Dunlevey of Taft Law. Members get one FREE consultation per month. Click here for details.

Manufacturers! Are you looking for sources to get your light assembly or kit building work done? DRMA is excited to partner with SOCHE and TAC to bring you the Bridging Abilities program: You get your work done, and students with developmental disabilities learn about manufacturing occupations! Even better, SOCHE will pay for at least 50% of the students’ wages! Email SOCHE at soche@soche.org to learn more.

Don’t miss these upcoming workshops, exclusively for DRMA member companies. Contact Shay for more information and to register.

• Supervisory Excellence - Unlock your employees’ leadership potential with practical insights that are vital for excelling in a supervisory role. $1,500 for 6 in-person sessions and a talent summit. More information here. 
• Lean Manufacturing - Participants learn how to implement lean concepts and techniques to make systematic, lasting improvements within their operations. Presented by the Workforce Division of Sinclair College. $225 per session. More information here. Workshop #1 is THIS Thursday and space is available! 
• GD&T - Learn how to read and interpret engineering drawings and better understand the ASME Y14.5 GD&T standard. Presented by the Workforce Division of Sinclair College. $250 for two 3-hour sessions 1^st session is 3/28. More information here.
• NEW for 2025! Problem-Solving Skills - Participants will gain skills and knowledge to effectively solve problems by systematically identifying root causes and applying corrective actions (think “Six Sigma lite”). Presented by the Workforce Division of Sinclair College. $1,100 for 5 in-person sessions. More information here.

Bourbon lovers: We are accepting bottle donations! Donate a bottle of your favorite bourbon for our raffle fundraiser at the annual Business & Bourbon event benefiting the DRMA Foundation and DRMA’s workforce initiatives. Contact Amy if you’d like to donate!

Supplier members: Your primary reason for being a member is to connect with manufacturers, and we have a great way for you to do that; become a DRMA Ambassador! You’ll reach out to manufacturer member companies to build relationships and keep them in the loop with DRMA. Contact Shay for more information.

Did we catch you at the Breakfast with DRMA event? Click here to see photos.

Want to increase your brand exposure and support the DRMA? Get your name in front of attendees by sponsoring one of our upcoming events! Contact Susan to learn more.

• Workforce Shoptalk - Join 120+ attendees as we celebrate DRMA’s workforce successes at the next Workforce Shoptalk on 5/6 at United Grinding.
• Summer Golf Outing - Join 100+ attendees for play-your-own-ball golf and happy hour fun on 6/2 at Troy Country Club.
• Economic Update – Join 200+ attendees as Conor Lokar, one of the nation’s most informed economists provides business leaders with economic information, insight, analysis, and strategy on 8/20 at Sinclair.
• Fall Golf Outing - Join 200+ attendees for scramble-format golf and dinner on 9/29 at our new location at Miami Valley Country Club.

THANK YOU Jordan Hancock of Norwood Medical! Jordan serves as a member of our Associate Board, is a regular volunteer at our career events and participates in our Speakers Bureau. DRMA appreciates and thanks Jordan for his commitment to our organization and to the Dayton Region manufacturing industry as a whole.

Member exclusive! WorkAdvance, a proven initiative to supplement your recruitment strategies, will bring you quality candidates to fill your manufacturing entry-level positions. Candidates are ready now to interview! Contact Susan to learn more.

Join us for the Workforce/HR Meet Up on 3/25, 11 - 12 p.m., virtual! Come to this Meet Up to hear an overview from Jobs for the Future on the value of registered apprentice programs. Register here.

Tired of not being able to find talent? Build your pipeline of future workers by hosting student tours. We’re doing MFG Day year-round. . . host tours on any day that works for you and your school partners! Learn more here. If you’ve recently hosted a tour, please let us know so we can promote your outreach to students! Email Amy today.

We rely on our volunteers to keep our career events running! Click here to see who helped us out recently!

Want $$ to offset your training cost for tech credentials? Funding is available thru TechCred, a program that reimburses employers for employee training up to $2,000 per industry-recognized credential and up to $30,000 per company each application round! The next application round is open through 3/31! Contact a DRMA education partner now – they can help you apply! Learn more here.

We know that finding, hiring, and retaining quality employees is a huge task. Industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) can help employers validate the knowledge and skills of potential employees and save time in assessing applicants’ competencies. DRMA is playing an integral role to ensure that students are earning credentials that members need. Learn more here.

Help grow your future workforce by purchasing a sponsorship for student giveaways! We are preparing for our spring career outreach events, and we need your help. Your sponsorship of $500 will help us cover the costs of things like lanyards, stickers, dog tags, and wood gliders (all items that students love to get!) and will include your organization’s name. Contact Kara for more info.

We have a ton of career events coming up that need volunteers! These events are mission-critical for your company to grow YOUR future workforce. They are also a lot of fun! DRMA staff does all the hard work; your job is to talk one-on-one with students when they come up to our display table. We need help at Weisenborn Junior High School (Huber Heights), Waynesville High School, and Northmont High School (Clayton) – contact Kara to sign up.

Supplement your recruiting strategy by attending the following career fairs and events:

• Reverse Career Fair at The Youth Resource Center (Dayton), 3/26. Contact Sylvie.Stewart@caresource.com for details.
• Hiring Fair at Greene County Career Center, 4/2. Contact rmack@greeneccc.com for details.
• Job Fair at Kettering Fairmont High School, 4/3. Register here.
• Mock Interview Day at Liberty High School (Dayton), 4/9. Contact sean.sims@libertyhigh.org for details.

3/20, 7:30 - 9:30 a.m., DBJ's 2025 Manufacturing Forum in partnership with DRMA, Sinclair College, Dayton. DRMA members are encouraged to attend this new event featuring insightful presentations and a panel discussion of subject matter experts. DRMA members receive a discounted price to attend! Click here to register, and use promo code dbjDRMAflashsale to receive $15 off the ticket price.

4/10, 5 - 7 p.m., Business and Bourbon, Moraine Country Club, Kettering. Presented by Lincoln Electric, this classy networking event benefits the DRMA Foundation. Register here. There are only a few seats left!

5/6, 4 - 6 p.m., Shoptalk: Celebrating Workforce Successes, United Grinding North America, Miamisburg. Registration open! Join us in celebration of DRMA’s workforce initiatives! Networking and drinks will follow a short presentation and member awards. Elevate your support with a sponsorship – contact Susan for more information. Register here!

6/2, 12:30 - 7 p.m., DRMA Summer Golf Outing, Troy Country Club, Troy. Presented by Greenpoint Metals, the format is play your own ball with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. 92 spots available. Proceeds go to the DRMA Foundation and its efforts to develop and retain a skilled workforce for the region’s manufacturing industry. Registration opens soon! Watch your email for registration forms coming on 3/31! More details here.



6/2, 5 - 7 p.m., Happy Hour, Troy Country Club, Troy. Hang out with your DRMA peers and congratulate the winners of the Summer Golf outing held earlier in the day. Register here.

Meet-Ups - FREE and for members only. Join the conversation!

• 3/25, 11 - 12 p.m., Workforce/HR, virtual. Register here.
• 4/9, 8 - 9:30 a.m., Manufacturing Operations, Dayton-Phoenix Group, Dayton. Register here.
• 5/20, 8 - 9:30 a.m., Manufacturing Operations, Libra Industries, Dayton. Register here.

DRMA 101 - Whether you are a new member or a seasoned member, kickstart your membership ROI and learn what DRMA does to help you strengthen your business. Contact Shay to sign up!

• 3/27, 4 - 5 p.m., Back to Business I.T., Beavercreek (drinks/snacks provided).
• 4/23, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Waibel Energy Solutions, Vandalia (lunch provided).

For more information on any of our events, visit our website.

Save the Date - Upcoming DRMA Events

8/20 Economic Update - Sinclair Conference Center

9/29 Fall Golf Outing - Miami Valley Country Club

10/16 Trap Shoot - Wright Patt Rod and Golf Club

12/3 Annual Meeting - NCR Country Club

Community Events

• 3/20, 8 - 9 a.m., Miami Valley Safety Council Breakfast, Dayton. More information/registration here. 
• 4/16-18, Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation, 2025 Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, Columbus. More information/registration here. 
• 6/17-18, Investment Casting Institute, Advanced Manufacturing for Investment Casting Symposium, Dayton. More information/registration here.

Volunteering . . . promotes personal growth and self-esteem; strengthens the community; teaches you a lot; gives you a chance to give back; encourages civic responsibility; and provides you a way to make a difference. Want to find out more about volunteering at DRMA? Contact me.

Looking to upgrade your team’s tech skills in 2025? TechCred might be the answer. All Ohio companies are eligible to apply through the end of the month (3/1) thru 3/31. We’re here to help. Our training partners provide the industry-recognized training and can even help you apply. Learn more here.

Struggling to fill open positions? We have a program that provides you qualified entry-level candidates, and we have candidates ready to interview now! Contact Susan to learn more.

Attention Manufacturer members: Click here to see manufacturing-pertinent resumes I have received.

Welcome new DRMA members:

• Digilube Systems
• Harmony Systems & Service, LLC
• Komline Custom Machining
• Thaler Machine Company, LLC