RMA 2001 meeting looks at economy.

Wall Street trends, workforce issues, adjustments in the automotive economy and a new White House agenda will be the focus at the 2001 Rubber Manufac-turers Association/General Products Group Annual Meeting, to be held at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton, FL, March 4-6.

Meetings will feature political insiders Vin Weber and Michael K. Deaver. Weber, a former member of Congress and leader among House Republicans, is currently the managing partner in the lobbying firm of Clark & Weinstock in Washington, D.C. He will address current legislative and regulatory issues affecting the tire and rubber industry.

Former Reagan administration chief-of-staff Deaver will discuss the Congressional and White House political agendas, following the recent election.

Providing a Wall Street perspective to the RMA meetings will be analyst and New York Times contributor Laura Pederson. Her focus will be on the "dot-gone" technology sector, as well as providing unique perspectives on the current equities market.

Thomas Winninger, best selling author and prominent market strategist, will address how tight labor markets are affecting the availability of skilled manufacturing workers.

Concluding the three-day program will be Glenn Mercer of McKinsey & Co. to discuss the outlook for the automotive sector and the challenges faced by suppliers to the automotive industry in the coming months.

The RMA 2001 Annual Meetings will include sessions for the RMA Board of Directors, as well as for the leadership of the RMA's General Products Group.

Registration fees are $460 for RMA members and $625 for non-members. Further information is available from the RMA [phone].