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Reflect, Plan and Pivot: VMA's Commitment to You

How VMA empowers members and the industry by informing and educating.
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Happy New Year!  This time of year always brings reflections on the past and planning for the future, and this year is no different.  

I recently attended the National Association of Manufacturers’ Council of Manufacturing Associations conference, which had the theme “agile navigation.” Whether looking back or forward, this theme is relevant.  The conference is comprised of the leaders from other U.S. manufacturing associations and brings us together to discuss key manufacturing industry trends and issues and how to amplify the voice of the greater manufacturing community. Not surprisingly, much of the discussion was on the change of administration, workforce and the economy.  

VMA will continue to work on behalf of all our members and industry to educate, advocate and provide tools and resources on many of the topics discussed at the CMA conference, and we’ll do this through the lens of the industrial valve industry and specifically our member companies.  

I’m excited to work alongside the VMA Board of Directors, announced on page X, to stop a full ban on PFAS and fluoropolymers, to provide best practices and case studies on technical, manufacturing, and management learnings that make our industry stronger, to provide business and market intelligence, and to advocate for tax and regulatory changes that support our company’s ability to grow. VMA will continue to support a strong platform for our members’ businesses, and being agile and responsive as we navigate the year will be paramount to our success.

Looking back on 2024, VMA provided value to our member companies in many ways. Two new conferences were launched, one on the hydrogen market and one to give background on the PFAS ban and tactics to meet regulatory requirements. In what could have a profound positive impact on our industry, VMA submitted justifications on why industrial valves and related products should be designated as a “currently avoidable use” of PFAS substances. This designation would mean that our products may continue to be transported freely between states and continue to be used to create emissions barriers, reduce energy and meet performance requirements in highly corrosive or high-temperature environments. VMA’s 2024 Annual Report will provide further information on 2024 and will also demonstrate how addressing immediate market trends and issues allowed VMA to navigate the continually changing economic, political and business environment to provide member value.

Opportunity continues for the VMA members, our industry and VMA, and as I did last year, I invite our members to get involved in VMA. If you aren’t already, I invite new companies to reach out and learn more about how your company may benefit from VMA membership. I also hope to see Valve readers at the Valve Forum: Conference & Exhibits, April 8-10, 2025, in Orlando, FL, where technical, business, government affairs, energy, manufacturing and other topics will all be discussed, and where networking within the industrial valve industry will take place.   

As always, I wish all our readers a strong and successful 2025!

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