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Stephen Capone SFNE President
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Dear Members,
It gives me great pleasure to report back to you six months into my term as your President.
As we make the turn to start the third quarter of 2014, the market is flush with work of all types. Yes, prices remain low and margins are tight but at least the availability of work has increased and maybe... just maybe, the worst of the "Great Recession" is behind us?
While I personally think we will never see the type of construction boom experienced prior to the "bubble" bursting, those of us who survived can honestly say we have all learned some valuable lessons and taken our licks but made it through much smarter and leaner.
At SFNE our committees have been hard at work bringing added value to your membership with hopes of building upon newfound membership enthusiasm.
The early May meeting at Gillette Stadium was a huge success. I would personally like to thank all of our sponsors for their time and effort, because without them we couldn't have done it. As I stopped by each showcase exhibit, I was confident that every one of our attendees found something new and of interest that could benefit their companies.
I would also like to thank our speaker Jack Klimp of Cianbro. I am positive that his presentation hit home with all of us, in one-way shape or form. Perhaps we already practice some of what Jack discussed? Needless to say Jack's words were a welcomed reinforcement that we might be doing something right and then again maybe there were some valuable points that we currently don't practice and should consider.
Either way, it's always good to hear from an industry leader and reflect upon how you handle your own business. The overall attendance was a decent show of support from our members as well.
The 33rd Annual Steel Design Conference held at WPI this past June 5th, was another successful event. NESDA, SEAMass and SFNE presented the conference and Bill Pascoli from AISC moderated the conference.
Once again, the contributions, showcase exhibits and presentations from our sponsors made this event possible. The information provided on their products was of great value and I would like to extend my gratitude to them.
Special thanks to our speakers including James D'Aloisio from Klepper Hahn & Hyatt, Jerry Hajjar from Northeastern Universality, Eric Hines from LeMessurier Consultants, Larry Muir from AISC and The Steel Connection LLC, and Ross Wecker from Kenney and Sams.
Thanks are also due the SFNE Education Committee, which served as the conference host and coordinators.
While this conference can have the appearance of being a strictly "engineers" type of event, I am sure that the fabricators in attendance were able to pick up some helpful tips and insights on what we should expect to see in our industry in the near future.
Moving forward I hope to see you all at one of the SFNE summer events including the July 25th Motorcycle Ride to benefit Wounded Warriors and the September 16th Golf Tournament to be held at Red Tail, one of the region's most sought after courses.
Sign up, get your bike and get out on the road! The bike ride is a great opportunity to get out and ride all in the name of a great cause. Even if you don't ride, I urge you to make a contribution and support the many men and women who have sacrificed while serving in the name of our great nation.
The Golf Tournament is another great SFNE event not to be missed. We will be playing at a new course this year and I understand the conditions are great ensuring fun for all. It's an opportunity to play golf and connect with your fellow members, have some fun and have a shot at winning some prizes. Again even if you don't play, send a person or more to represent your firm or just sign up as a sponsor.
In any case your association counts on your support!
We are now also working on the fall dinner meeting to be held on October 28th. The event will feature a great opportunity to network with your colleagues in the steel industry as well as a thought provoking panel discussion between fabricators and engineers. In the meantime, have a wonderful and profitable summer.
This week our nation will celebrate its independence. I'm sure you'll agree that there is no better celebration than the 4th of July. The birth of a great nation! A nation that has afforded us as Americans the freedom and independence unlike any other country in the world and the ability to operate as independent business people.
This very independence has afforded us the right to unite and proudly call ourselves the Steel Fabricators of New England as well, which is why we need to do all we can to preserve this independence by promoting our American built steel products.
Proud to be an American and Proudly Serving as your President.
Regards,
Stephen J. Capone
Capone Iron Corporation
SFNE President
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