Key Takeaways from the PMPA 2025 Annual Meeting
Discover how the PMPA 2025 Annual Meeting elevated the industry through high-impact networking and expert insights.
by David Wynn
Director of Technical Services & Industry Affairs, PMPA
Published December 1, 2025
The 92nd PMPA 2025 Annual Meeting brought together leaders and innovators from the precision machining industry for a dynamic weekend of connection, learning and inspiration. From high-impact networking events to expert-led sessions on business strategy, contract law, government affairs and the future of AI, attendees gained actionable insights and forged relationships that will help their businesses thrive. This year’s meeting truly elevated the industry, setting the stage for continued growth and collaboration among PMPA members.
Avish Parashar — who wrote the book “Say ‘Yes, And!’: 2 Little Words That Will Transform Your Career, Organization and Life” — kicked off the business sessions. Avish was an improvisational comic who learned that techniques in the fast-paced world of unscripted comedy are useful in business and life. Avish kept us on our toes and illustrated using “Yes, And!” in a practical way to improve our businesses.
Jonathan Jorissen enlightened attendees with key items to review in business contracts. He provided insights about UCC superseding certain contract language to understand how duration can affect your contracts. Even understanding how jurisdictions can affect negotiations because contract case law can change from state-to-state. Jonathan had an open discussion during his session and was also available for questions helping members solving real world problems.
After Jonathan, Omar Nashashibi from Inside Beltway, our retained lobbyist in Washington D.C., shared fact after fact on current events. Everything from the political climate to regulations to the latest information on tariffs. In case you missed this session, PMPA members have access to a live monthly webinar with updates from Omar. As part of our mission, PMPA is devoted to advocacy for our industry and provides a voice in Washington on key issues facing the precision machining industry.
Gene Marks shared his expertise about strategic moves which was filled with entertainment and a notebook’s worth of takeaways. Gene is an author who wrote six books on business management. He also is a columnist for numerous periodicals including The New York Times, Forbes, Washington Post, Inc. Magazine and more. Gene is also a certified public accountant helping businesses solve problems every day.
On day three, Jim Camp Jr. from Camp Negotiation Systems spoke on leadership. Jim is a retired Major General of the United States Air Force where he put his leadership ideas to the test. Jim helped our members understand negotiations from their unique perspective. His session was packed with ideas and tactics to aid our shops during tough negotiations. Breaking down what the rest of the world thinks and how a negotiation should proceed, Jim brought an understanding to the group to maximize the potential for the best deal.
The final speaker was Geoff Marsh, managing partner at Amend Consulting, who delved into how AI is now and will affect our businesses. Geoff explained AI as a tool and gave realistic expectations as to how AI affects manufacturing.
The meeting ended with our annual awards banquet. The awards banquet is where we recognize members for outstanding achievement in our association and the PMPA Board of Directors welcomes the new president.
One of the biggest advantages of being a PMPA member is networking. The connections you make at PMPA events can turn into friendships that last a lifetime. The annual meeting is a great place for owners and upper management to catch up and talk about high-level issues in their businesses.
PMPA has two other meetings dedicated towards different audiences so that there is something for everyone at PMPA. Management Update is beneficial for managers and the team that manages day-to-day operations. The National Technical Conference (NTC) is designed to upskill shopfloor performers and focuses on the challenges that happen on the shop floor every day. PMPA members have so many benefits to help improve their businesses and the most impactful is that we are truly Better Together.
Author
David Wynn is the PMPA Director of Technical Services & Industry Affairs with over 20 years of experience in the areas of manufacturing, quality, ownership, IT and economics. Email David