Past Events
Even if you had to miss the event, don't miss out on seeing what happened. We hope to see you at future events!
October 27, 2011: MPMA Annual Meeting - Opportunity for Growth
Over 280 MPMA members and guests gathered at the Doubletree Park Place Minneapolis Hotel on Thursday, October 27 for the 2011 MPMA Annual Meeting.
July 19, 2011: Open Golf Classic
Nearly 180 MPMA members and guests tee’d off at the 27th annual MPMA Open Golf Classic. The Classic was Tuesday, July 19 at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake, Minn. Golfers arrived in stormy weather, but by tee-off the clouds had passed and the sun kept everyone warm.
April 13 - 15, 2011: MPMA Grand View Conference
Nearly 90 individuals representing both industry and technical education attended the 2011 Grand View Conference, “Hang Together or Hang Separately: Collaboration for a Stronger Industry” at Cragun’s Resort in Brainerd, Minnesota. Attendees heard from a variety of speakers and shared personal insights during the conference, which began Wednesday April 13 and concluded Friday, April 15, 2011.
April 6, 2011: Mankato Public Schools Career Expo
On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato, Minn., was buzzing with 1,200 10th grade students from the Region 9 area when they attended the 2011 Career Expo.
January 25, 2011: 35th Annual Golden Gloves
Over 520 MPMA members and guests attended the 35th Annual Golden Gloves Banquet & Boxing Exhibition. Attendees packed the Medina Entertainment Center on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, to network and socialize while taking in eight bouts of boxing.
October 28, 2010: MPMA Annual Meeting
Over 170 manufacturers and manufacturing supporters, both MPMA members and non-members, attended the 2010 Annual Meeting, “Hang Together, or Hang Separately: Coping in a Slow Recovery.”.
August 4, 2010: Motorhead Drive-In Show
July 13, 2010: Open Golf Classic
On Tuesday, July 13, 152 MPMA members and guests hit the greens at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake for the 26th annual MPMA Open Golf Classic. The overcast day kept the heat index down and provided for smooth registration, success on the course and happy golfers at the end of the day.
May 17, 2010: 2010 SUPERMILEAGE Challenge
MPMA staff traveled to Brainerd International Raceway (BIR) to show their support to students interested in manufacturing technology or related careers.
Students from around the state spent the school year building and remodeling cars for this challenge. Cars come in every shape, size, and color and are constructed from all types of materials. Each team is competing to see whose car and design will travel the farthest on one gallon of gas.
January 26, 2010: MPMA Golden Gloves
The 34th annual Golden Gloves Boxing Exhibition was even bigger than last year. Over 550 members and guests turned out at the Medina Ballroom for the event.
October 29, 2009: MPMA Annual Meeting
Over 160 MPMA members and guests attended the 2009 Annual Meeting on October 29, 2009. Attendees participated in a silent auction to benefit the MPMA Educational Opportunities Foundation, raising over $2500. They were also treated to a gracious acceptance speech by 2010 MPMA President Mike Gramse, President of MRG Tool & Die Corp, and entertained by the informative remarks of Keynote speaker, DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy.
August 26, 2009: Motorhead Drive-In Show
Classics, muscles and homemade vehicles filled the parking lot at Hennepin Technical College (HTC) in Brooklyn Park on Wednesday, August 26 for the 2009 Motorhead Drive-In Show.
July 23, 2009: Open Golf Classic
On July 23, 141 MPMA members and guests hit the greens at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake for the 25th annual MPMA Open Golf Classic. The perfect Minnesota summer day provided for smooth registration, success on the course and happy golfers at the end of the day.
May 18, 2009: Supermileage Challenge
The sun shone brightly as nearly 100 student-built Supermileage cars geared up for the 21st annual MTEA Supermileage Challenge on Monday, May 18, 2009. MPMA was proud to be a sponsor of the event, held at Brainerd International Raceway.
April 29 - May 1, 2009: Grand View Conference
Approximately 135 industry professionals, technical educators and MPMA members attended this year’s Grand View Conference. Attendees took the conference theme, “Kick Down the Door: Building Bridges to Connections” to heart by opening themselves up during the conference to get a better understanding of the needs and concerns of everyone involved in the manufacturing industry, and learning what is needed to move the industry into the future.
July 8, 2008: Open Golf
Over 200 golfers participated in the 24th Annual Open Golf Classic held at Majestic Oaks Golf Course. The weather provided a great setting for a perfect day at "the office."
May 19, 2008: Supermileage Challenge
The drizzling rain didn't affect the races at the 20th Annual Supermileage Challenge held on May 19 at Brainerd International Speedway. The purpose of this challenge is to fabricate and test one-person vehicles capable of achieving ultra high miles-per-gallon ratings. Once again, MPMA was proud to be a sponsor of this event. Ninety-two cars from 62 different schools across the state participated for a total of over 800 cars. The starting line was open for a total of 13 hours and seven minutes, with an average of one car crossing the line every 58 seconds!
April 17, 2008: Grand View Summit
MPMA's first-ever Grand View Summit, held on April 17 at the Sports Center in Blaine, is a smaller version of the Grand View conference that is meant to be held on off years to keep the momentum going. The event drew about 85 people and was deemed a success by education and industry alike. Based on the discussions that took place, it's becoming more and more apparent that businesses need to do more than simply place ads in the paper to attract new employees. Here were the top five take-aways:
> It pays to partner
> Reach the generation through new media
> Invest in tuition reimbursement
> Establish credibility
> Think outside the box
Above: Golden Gloves 2010