AEC Annual Meeting

April 7 - 9, 2011

Marriott’s Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa

Fort Myers, Florida

Program

Wednesday, April 6

Anodizing Essentials Course (separate registration)

The Anodizing Essentials Workshop is being offered in conjunction with the Annual Meeting and Leadership Conference of the Aluminum Extruders Council and the Spring Meeting of The Aluminum Association (separate registration required) at Marriott’s Sanibel Harbour Resort in Fort Myers, Florida.   Click here for more information.

Thursday, April 7

Registration/Welcome Reception
Gear up for the Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference in a setting that will rejuvenate and recharge your spirit at the Outdoor Registration Event. Then enjoy the company of friends, colleagues, and industry peers at the combined AEC and Aluminum Association Welcome Reception in the evening.

Aluminum Association Supplier Dinner
Greg Schwem, guest speaker

With hilarious observations, clever wordplay, and just the right amount of snark, corporate comedian Greg Schwem proves there’s always a place for comedy in the workplace. As industries navigate their way through the challenging economic landscape, comedy is more important than ever to build a motivated team. Greg’s show provides a hilarious look at today’s corporate environment and the latest tools used to conduct business.

A graduate of Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism, Greg became an award-winning reporter for WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida. But the comedy bug bit Greg hard and he returned to his hometown of Chicago, where he honed his act in clubs.

Friday, April 8

Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast while the Council leadership conducts the AEC Annual Business Meeting, including the announcement of the AEC Board of Directors election results.

General Session

Gridlock or Compromise—Will the 112th Congress Succeed?
Featured speaker: The Honorable Thomas M. Davis

Tom Davis was first elected to office in 1979, winning a hardfought campaign to represent Mason District on the Fairfax County (VA) Board of Supervisors. This would be the first of 14 straight victories, a winning streak spanning three decades. 

Throughout his tenure in Congress, Tom was widely recognized as a skilled legislator, an honest broker and a political mastermind. Tom earned national recognition as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee in 2000 and 2002, when he was instrumental in maintaining his party’s majority in the House of Representatives. After the 2002 election, he was named chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, gaining national prominence once again by chairing hearings on the use of performance enhancing substances in professional sports.

Tom recently accepted a position as the Director of Federal Government Affairs for Deloitte LLP, in which he continues his effort to bring effective, common-sense solutions to government. Listen as former Congressman Tom Davis discusses the Federal legislative agenda for the coming year and how it may impact business and industry.

Vigorous Recovery or Slow Growth Ahead?
Parks A. Dodd, Jr.; Georgia Tech

Dr. Dodd is an economist, speaker, and consultant focused on industrial markets, in particular commodity product and other basic materials industries. In addition to managing his own businesses, he is the senior aluminum consultant in North America for CRU International, a well-known metals industry forecasting and market research firm based in London. He is also an adjunct associate professor in the School of Economics at Georgia Tech, where he teaches courses in basic and applied economics to engineering and other technical students.

Previously, he was director of Strategic Planning and chief economist at Alumax before its merger with Alcoa in 1998. In this position he was responsible for all aluminum industry fundamental analysis and business research supporting corporate management.

Gain a better understanding of the economic and industry indicators from an expert in order to provide your company with the knowledge and foresight needed to excel in the coming year.

The Greening of Aluminum
Industry Panel Discussion
Richard A. Penna, Van Ness Feldman; Charles D. Johnson and Stephen Gardner, The Aluminum Association

For years now, everyone has been jumping on the green bandwagon: every product, every process, every program seems to claim to be environmentally friendly. With its unlimited recyclability, aluminum is well positioned to take advantage of the trend. What can the industry do to convey
the right message (avoiding the trap of so-called greenwashing) and what are the regulatory developments that could constrain—or support—the industry? Moreover, what are our companies doing to become better environmental stewards? A panel of aluminum-industry insiders will assess the environment.

Industry Outlook
Lloyd O’Carroll, Davenport Equity Research

Lloyd O’Carroll is Senior Vice President and Metals Equity Analyst with Davenport & Co. He is author of The O’Carroll Aluminum Bulletin, a subscription-based research service that is distributed to producers, metal traders, end users, distributors, and others. O’Carroll is an experienced corporate economist covering areas including macroeconomic, aluminum industry, and commodity analysis. He will share his views on current aluminum supply and demand conditions, examine the aluminum markets, and share his aluminum forecast for the near future.

Golf Tournament
Join friends and fellow golfers for the AEC Golf Tournament in the afternoon. A box lunch will be included, along with refreshments, prizes and special surprises. Additional fee and registration are required. See the Golf Outing page for more information.

Evening Reception
Enjoy food, refreshments and conversation before heading out for an evening in the picture-perfect waterfront setting of Sanibel Harbour.

Saturday, April 9

General Session

A New Look at Aluminum’s Value Proposition
Matthew Dionne, Hydro Aluminum

In June 2010 Matthew Dionne took over leadership of Hydro Aluminum’s North American extrusion business. The company reorganized its extrusion business, dividing its Extrusion Americas unit into two new sectors, Extrusion North America and Extrusion South America, the latter led by Ivar Venas. Get an insider’s view of the state of the industry as Matt Dionne reviews various aluminum market sectors, application trends, resource availability and what’s on the horizon for aluminum extrusion.

Keynote Speaker
Jeb Bush
The Hard Choices Ahead to Assure America’s Greatness

Jeb Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush, served as Florida’s secretary of commerce under Florida’s 40th governor, Bob Martinez. Bush was elected the 43rd Governor of the state of Florida in 1998, serving two terms. After his election, Bush focused on reforming education. Florida is one of a handful of states that have closed the achievement gap, and today he is chairman of
the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a national organization focused on education reform. In addition, he cut taxes every year of his tenure as governor, making Florida the nation’s leader in job growth. Currently, Bush heads his own successful consulting business, Jeb Bush and Associates, where his clients range from small technology start-ups to well-known Fortune 500 companies. Bush will draw upon his years of public service and political experience to provide insight into the future of America.

Chairman’s Reception
Join fellow AEC members, along with Aluminum Association members, and their respective guests for the Chairman’s Reception, the introductory event to the night’s festivities.

Chairman’s Banquet
An elegant meal, music, and conversation round out the celebratory evening in style. The night includes the Volunteer Recognition Ceremony where AEC will honor and acknowledge dedicated individuals for their service to the Council.