Hello! Welcome to the first Minn-Dak Manufacturers Association (MDMA) newsletter that we’ll be sending in partnership with the Midwest Manufacturers Association (MMA).  This newsletter and the monthly emails you’ll receive on events, programs, and initiatives being offered are all intended to help us more effectively communicate with our members and foster collaboration and networking with our amazing manufacturing organizations both locally and regionally. 
 
As President of MDMA, I first want to again welcome members from the Red River Manufacturers and Engineers Association (RRMEA) to MDMA.  We’ve worked very closely with the former RRMEA board as well as executive leadership from MMA to make this merger as seamless as possible.  The biggest change currently for former RRMEA members is where to register for our tours (going to our website here and registering as a former RRMEA member).  We’ll be looking at our membership structure as we continue with the merger, but for now any RRMEA member that is up for renewal will renew at the MDMA levels, which can be found here.  We want to thank all of you for your input and patience as we bring these two organizations together. 
 
Next, I want to congratulate our two scholarship winners, Ashton and Brittany.  Ashton attends Fargo South High School and will be pursuing Aerospace Engineering at the University of North Dakota.  Brittany attends Moorhead High School and will be pursuing Electrical Engineering at North Dakota State University.  Each will receive a $1,500 scholarship from MDMA.  We had 8 total applicants which is fantastic.  All were strong candidates, and we want to do what we can to help them as well as our winners, so all applicants will receive complementary student memberships to MDMA for the 2025-2026 year.  It’s exciting to get to meet the next generation of manufacturing leaders!
 
Finally, I want to make sure that all of you know that the association and the MDMA board are here to serve you. There is a lot of economic uncertainty right now, and we want to be sure that we are a resource to help you navigate that, both directly and through our partners. Organizations like the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, the GFMF Chamber, the North Dakota Department of Commerce, the North Dakota Trade Office, and Impact Dakota all have resources that can provide assistance and/or ways you can advocate for policy help from legislators.  Also, with our affiliation with MMA, we can now more easily plug into organizations in Minnesota that can help, as well as connect you with other manufacturers to help share best practices, drive partnerships, and create relationships.  We fundamentally believe that networking and connection drives a stronger ecosystem, and we’re excited to facilitate that for all of you.
 
I look forward to seeing you at the next tour at Horsch Industries on April 15 in Mapleton, and stay tuned for more information about our social in June.  We appreciate your partnership with us and your commitment to local manufacturing!
 
Regards,
Patrick Mineer,
MDMA President