FMA names VP, market development

The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl.® (FMA), Elgin, Ill., has announced that Andrew Flando has joined the association to lead new market development programs. Flando comes with a wealth of experience within the industry, having spent the last seven years at the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), where he was a key member of the organization's leadership team. He had specific responsibility for leading PMA's publishing and trade show operations, including launching a new publication serving the additive manufacturing market, as well as starting several new events in the U.S. and Mexico.

Flando joins FMA as vice president, market development to lead new product growth. "I am excited to start a new challenge within FMA and I look forward to working with the team to further develop their great portfolio of market-leading products,” he said. “I am fortunate to be joining such a respected association."

Ed Youdell, president/CEO of FMA, said, "Andy's experience, passion, and vision are going to complement our existing great team of people. His ability to anticipate where new opportunities lie for our customers will be a great asset for us. We are very fortunate to find someone of Andy's caliber to lead this new effort for FMA."

FMA is a professional trade association with more than 2,500 individual and company members. Its mission is to advocate for the growth and sustainability of the North American metal processing, forming, and fabricating industries. Founded in 1970, FMA brings metal fabricating job shops and equipment suppliers together through technology councils, educational programs, and networking events and is a founding partner of FABTECH®, the metal fabrication industry's leading trade show. The official publications of FMA include The FABRICATOR®, The Tube & Pipe Journal®, STAMPING Journal®, Practical Welding Today®, The Fabricator® en Espanol, Canadian Metalworking, and Canadian Fabricating & Welding.

FMA's charitable foundation, Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs®, provides grants to community and technical colleges to produce manufacturing summer camps for youth ages 12 to 16 to introduce them to manufacturing career options. The foundation provides scholarships for qualified students in post-secondary educational programs leading to careers in manufacturing as well.

FMA also is a co-founder of Manufacturing Day, a national movement dedicated to addressing common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what modern manufacturing is.