A new Manufacturer and Distributor Innovation Conference has been added to the program of the annual Work Truck Show for 2019.
The new conference joins a Fleet Technical Congress, which made its debut in 2018, and the Green Truck Summit, which has been a fixture of the Work Truck Show for several years. Show organizers the NTEA — the Association for the Work Truck Industry — had previously announced that it would offer registrants the option of attending sessions at both the Green Truck Summit and the Fleet Technical Congress. In 2018, attendees had to choose one or the other.
The 2019 Work Truck Show takes place March 5-8 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, the venue for the show since 2011. The Green Truck Summit, Fleet Technical Congress, and the Manufacturer and Distributor Innovation Conference all happen March 5 along with Work Truck Show general education sessions. Concurrent educational sessions run March 5-7 while the show’s exhibit hall is open March 6-8.
Exposure to innovative tools
“The ability to access and successfully deploy the best manufacturing technology, equipment and
“This conference is designed to expose anyone who builds work trucks to the most innovative tools, processes and resources available and explain how all of these solutions are scalable and customizable to operations of all sizes.”— Doyle Sumrall, managing director, NTEA
practices isn’t limited to just the biggest players in the industry,” Doyle Sumrall, the NTEA’s managing director, said in a news release announcing the new innovation conference. “This conference is designed to expose anyone who builds work trucks to the most innovative tools, processes and resources available and explain how all of these solutions are scalable and customizable to operations of all sizes. Attendees will come away from this event with resources and ideas they can put into practice to accelerate their business success.”
The new innovation conference will kick off with a keynote address followed by general sessions on such topics as welding as a core competency, using government programs to improve productivity, building a mentoring culture, how lean approached can foster innovation, and processes for attracting and training workers.
Presenting the session, “Welding — More than a Piece of Equipment and a Welder,” will be Jason Scales, business manager education with Lincoln Electric, and Matt Schroeder, engineering manager with Stellar Industries Inc. That sessions takes place Tuesday, March 5 from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Registration to the Manufacturer and Distributor Innovation Conference also includes access to concurrent sessions on many other subjects. These include robotics as a productivity tool, shop floor measurements basics, welder training, and hands-on activities in areas of electricity and robotics. The dozens of concurrent sessions at the Work Truck Show also include updates from the major chassis manufacturers.
Dick Wyss of Northland Equipment Co. Inc. of Janesville, Wisc., checks out a new service body at the Palfinger booth during the 2018 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.File photo: Keith Norbury
Every pound counts
Among the other concurrent sessions is “Weight Reduction — Every Pound Counts,” on Thursday, March 7 from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. It will be presented by Stephen Anderson, principal engineer with Altec, Jon LeFaive, sales engineering manager with Dakota Bodies LLC; and Justin Steel, manager of specialty products engineering with The Knapheide Manufacturing Company.
In addition, the show features special sessions on Lean Implementation for Truck Equipment Outfitters, Fleet Management 101, and a Generation Next Leadership Workshop and Networking Reception. Those sessions require separate registration.
Founded in 1964, the NTEA represents more than 2,000 companies, including dozens of manufacturers of service trucks and their accessories.
The 2019 Work Truck Show features about 500 exhibitors in the 500,000 square foot exhibition hall as well as a New Exhibitor Pavilion for first-time exhibitors in rooms 137-139 of the convention center. A record crowd of 13,570 attended the 2018 show.
For more information, including registration and a complete schedule, visit www.worktruckshow.com.