I am reminded regularly how grateful and humbled I am for the opportunity to be part of the AME family. This week was no exception. I was honored to join the AME Champions Club at O.C. Tanner, a global leader in lean culture and employee engagement. We experienced a rich learning week featuring front-line tours, leadership insights, hands-on activities, and real-world examples of employee empowerment and continuous improvement. I will share more in next week’s letter. Today, I simply want to genuinely extend my gratitude to our O.C. Tanner hosts: Gary Peterson, Dave Siebert and their entire team.
I’ve been reflecting on the incredible journey we’ve taken so far this year. It is mid-year, a wonderful time to remind ourselves that we have much to celebrate. In the fast-paced world of continuous improvement, it is easy to move quickly from one thing to the next, constantly focused on what's ahead. But one of the most powerful principles we often remind ourselves of is to celebrate the wins.
Celebrating wins is a vital part of the continuous improvement journey. It reinforces that progress is real, every team member’s contribution counts and lasting change is achieved one step at a time. Taking the time to recognize this keeps momentum strong and reminds us to pause and appreciate each success along the way.
This year, we have already made some news-worthy accomplishments. We hosted our AME Hampton Roads 2025 Lean Summit, kicked off our AME Yellow belt lean certification and green belt training, partnered with the Goldratt group to offer Theory of Constraints flow solutions training across the U.S., held an incredible inaugural event for AME Mexico in Monterrey, Mexico, and hosted a wide variety of virtual and in-person events.
This culture of appreciation and reflection is what fuels innovation, engagement and resilience. It strengthens our foundation as we continue preparing for the AME St. Louis 2025 International Conference, where we will join a global community equally committed to sharing, learning and growing.
The conference theme "Gateway to the future" perfectly reflects AME’s journey and aspirations, as we continue to champion people-centric leadership and enterprise excellence to shape the future of manufacturing.
You do not want to miss this signature event and opportunity to hear from world-class keynote speakers, attend best practice sessions from practitioners, participate in workshops and explore trailblazing St. Louis companies through exclusive local tours.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of this journey. Let’s keep sharing, learning and growing together.
I also want to take a moment this week to extend my heartfelt prayers to all those impacted by the recent floods in Texas. My thoughts are with the families, friends and communities facing these unimaginable challenges. To our AME members in the region: please know that your AME family stands with you. In times of crisis, we are reminded of the strength and resilience that define our community. AME is a family committed to lifting one another up, and we are here to support you in any way we can. You are not alone during this incredibly difficult time. We see you, we care and we are walking beside you on the path to recovery.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
