The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) Board of Directors has approved a plan to restructure the organization to better serve the interests of its membership.
The restructuring will result in two separate organizations -- one that represents tire manufacturers and one to serve the needs of elastomer products manufacturers. Each organization will be an independent 501(c)(6) trade association with its own board of directors, officers, budget and management.
The tire organization will retain the Rubber Manufacturers Association name and remain in the Washington, D.C., office. The new elastomer products group (EPG) will adopt a new name and will be headquartered in the Midwest.
“The new elastomer products group will have greater opportunity to provide services that meet the needs of small to medium-sized rubber manufacturers and their suppliers, while operating in a lower cost environment,” says Charles Cannon, RMA CEO and president. “The focus will be on communication, member services, networking, and technical support.
“RMA will focus its resources on the U.S. tire manufacturing sector, which continues to face a number of public policy challenges specific to this sector. Meanwhile, EPG executives will be able to focus on re-establishing an entity that will be uniquely designed to focus solely on EPG companies with greater flexibility for growth and a reduced cost model."
A June 9, 2010, meeting has been scheduled in Fairlawn, Ohio, for all interested elastomer product manufacturers. This initial EPG meeting will feature a number of presentations focusing on potential objectives for a new organization and practical business-related topics. It also will provide a networking opportunity for elastomer product manufacturer executives. Veyance Technologies, a current EPG member of RMA, is hosting the conference.
“This initial event will be an opportunity to educate current EPG members and potential new members about the prospects for a new organization that can better focus on the needs of elastomer products manufacturers,” says Cannon. “We are confident that companies will be able to establish a new organization that will deliver improved value and more focused services.”
For more information, visit www.rma.org.
