AFS Foundry Executive Conference delves into achieving Life-Business balance in organizations. (Metalcasting Associations).

With a timely theme of "Finding a Healthy Balance in Life and Business," the 2002 AFS Foundry Executive Conference held in Destin, Florida on October 6-8, drew a total attendance of 90. The meeting featured five speakers, as well as the presentation of the industry's top management awards at the conference banquet.

Receiving the William J. Grede Award was Chuck Didion, Didion International, St. Louis. Having joined the Didion & Sons Foundry in high school as a part-time molder, he and the family business built two greenfield foundries and pioneered several pieces of equipment, including rotary sand and casting separators, which he then launched his business with in 1986. He received his award for "major contributions in the fields of management, marketing and education which has resulted in expanding the use of metal castings."

The recipient of the 2002 Keating Founders' Freedom Award was Joseph H. Robinson, Jr., Robinson Foundry, Alexander City, Alabama. A 40-year veteran of the industry, he has received numerous awards within the industry. He was recognized for "significant contributions to the industry and active participation in the fields of government affairs, human resource management and education."

Opening up the Conference's program was Rebecca Kelly, wellness coordinator, American Cast Iron Pipe Co. (ACIPCO), who presented information on ACIPCO's award-winning health promotion program and the bottom-line benefits available to foundries. Among her reasons for establishing a company health program were: rising healthcare costs, the fact that the worksite is the ideal situation to address health and that health promotion plans produce a return on investment for the company.

She detailed ACIPCO's "Well Body Club," which evaluates body composition, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, blood pressure, exercise, lower back flexibility and tobacco use. She also outlined the results of the program, which incorporate incentives and monitoring. Some of the highlights were 130 employees who quit smoking, 699 who lowered their cholesterol to normal levels, 617 who began exercising regularly and 235 that lowered their blood pressure to normal levels.

At a time when work-life balance has been thrown out of whack, Robert J. Freimuth, manager of organizational effectiveness, GM Powertrain Components Sector, provided attendees with a presentation called "Light the Fire Within. In addition to personal implications of an out-of-balance equation, he noted the business implications for organizations, which include worker's compensation, absenteeism, turnover, safety, productivity and attitudes.

A Franklin Covey facilitator, he walked attendees through a series of personal exercises that included self-measurement, planning and execution, and evaluation. Setting the foundation for some deeper reflection, he shared the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, "One's philosophy is not expressed in words; it's best expressed in the choices one makes...And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility."

Attorney David Gass, Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey, provided a look at "Business Health: Principles for Preventing Lawsuits." After discussing the litigation problems facing businesses of the 2lst century, and describing the costs, deciding factors and motivations of plaintiffs that envelop the backdrop of litigation, Gass presented 12 practical keys to preventing lawsuits. "The key," he said, "is to educate employees and develop a companywide lawsuit consciousness."

Other presentations included an update on trade issues and the AES Trade Commission by Chuck Kurrti, AFS 2nd Vice President, and a look at the November elections by Stephanie Salmon, Waterman & Assoc.