CLEVELAND — The Precision Metalforming Association announced the election of Gregg Boucher as its 2024 chairman of the board.
Boucher is the group chief operating officer of Wallingford, Connecticut-based Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals.
Gene Lambert, vice president of sales for Batesville, Indiana-based Batesville Tool & Die Inc., will serve as vice chairman and treasurer. Both will serve one-year terms.
Boucher succeeds outgoing PMA Board Chair Jeff Aznavorian, president of Plymouth, Michigan-based Clips & Clamps Industries.
“I’m thrilled to be elected chairman and thank Jeff Aznavorian for his exceptional leadership this past year,” said Boucher. “I look forward to continuing his successful efforts to build a stronger metal forming community.”
Boucher offered “Enhancing Value to Achieve Metal Forming Excellence” as his mission as chair.
“Successful metal forming companies must enhance and invest in their IT tools, including Industry 4.0 tenets,” Boucher said. “Managers need immediate access to data and must communicate—at an accelerated pace—both internally and externally. All of this hugely impacts the type of workforce required and their skillsets. Position responsibilities will continue to expand as we all continue to evolve from manufacturers into technology-driven companies.”
“PMA must also continue to evolve with its community, responding not only to the changes within its member companies, and their specific needs, but also to the needs of member-company management and executive teams. Many companies are seeing younger leaders rising through the ranks, and their needs for information and support often differ from the needs of their predecessors. During my term as board chairman—and I hope well beyond—PMA will focus on identifying those needs, and on responding to them. This will allow PMA to remain the premiere trade association within the metal forming industry.”
Boucher has a two-tier approach to meet his mission of enhancing value to achieve metal forming success.
“Right from the start I plan to engage with a strategy consultant and work with PMA president David Klotz to formulate a long-term strategy for PMA. We must truly understand what the membership wants from the association so that we’re putting our time, energy and resources into those areas. We might find that PMA should enhance what we already do, or we may need to look at other opportunities as well.”
Boucher then plans to work with an independent research organization to conduct a member survey.
“We need to conduct in-depth interviews with our members to truly understand their needs. This is important — really important,” Boucher said.