The 18th annual Ohio Valley Chapter Educational and Sporting event was one for trying something different and it seems to have worked. With the program increasing in popularity, the OVC board decided to flip the sporting event with the educational portion for a smoother program. On top of that, we added an unsanctioned event for those who prefer firing ranges to fairways.

In a first-ever adjustment, while golfers were busy at the Kennsington Golf Club, a troupe led by former enlisted Marine Brennan Mai of Hobart Brothers rode a battlewagon over to On Target Outfitters (OTO) for some target practice. The sharpshooters matched skills with OTO pro and retired police officer Jeff Solic. Using a variety of firearms, they became the first participants of what we hope will someday become a sanctioned OVC event.

While sharpshooters were piercing targets, the players back at the golf course were busy sinking eagles. The winning team stroked in three eagles, coupled with 10 birdies for an OVC course record score of 16 under par. The inadvertently stacked team of Tom Kern of Condat, Paul Douwes of Advaris and Brett Hambleton of Select Arc, dominated what is typically a very difficult course. Perhaps the most impressive eagle of the day was scored by Chad Betris of Glen Carbide who sunk a 50 yarder on the fly. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good as his eagle contributed to his team coming in second place.

That afternoon, the technical presentations began with Jeff Danaher of Abbott Furnaces, who provided an education about the keys of furnace optimization: time, temperature and atmosphere. Jeff was followed by Jim Miller of Scientific Forming Technology, whose presentation on the Deform system of the drawing process simulation crossed several industries. His presentation connected fastener deformation in cold heading, stress points in the tooling, and material flow of laminated and superconductor materials. The final speaker was Paul Douwes of Advaris, who served as a last-minute substitute when a scheduled speaker was unable to make the trip. Paul introduced smart manufacturing concepts that connected administration, manufacturing and logistics for tighter process control and scheduling for on-time deliveries. The triose gentlemen made the event a huge success!

If you are new to the wire industry, OVC events are for you! As two-year member Brennan Mai attested, he was drawn to OVC 2022 by “the blend of fun events with the ability to network with people from other industries without the commercial feeling of a formal plant visit.” Added colleague, Jonathan Will, operations manager, Hobart Brothers, “I attended specifically to learn more about the wire drawing industry and network with other people in the wire industry.” OVC events offer a unique blend of education, networking and fun.

The chapter would also like to thank the event sponsors, which included Bechem Lubes, Blachford Corporation, CONDAT Corp., Die Quip, GEON, George A. Mitchell Company, Premier Wire Die, Rainbow Rubber & Plastics, SIKORA and Wire Tech.

Mark your calendar for OVC 2023 on August 23, 2023!     

Report by Dave Rascati, Premier Wire Die