Business View Magazine - July 2023

146 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7 specific equipment categories,” said Thompson. Recently updated, CEMA’s statistics program now offers a progressive electronic reporting system that provides pressure curves, trend lines and statistical analysis, with easily convertible information and accessibility to reports. Michael Hoehn, president of Automatic Systems, Inc., and another past-president of CEMA, elaborated on this. “(The statistics program) is a key tool for members to generate accurate forecasts, which are critical for any business planning,” said Hoehn, “and especially important in these more uncertain economic times.” CEMA’s standards are recognized around the world as key references for conveyor equipment design. Solis pointed out that CEMA’s standardization process simply makes good business sense. “It makes for a healthier industry,” he said. Garry Abraham, president of CEMA in 2016 and CEO of the Screw Conveyor Corporation, one of the association’s founding member to the 1941 Lend-Lease Act, passed to provide war supplies to any nation deemed “vital to the defense of the United States,” CEMA convened a special meeting to discuss how to support the defense program. R. Clem Sollenberger of the Dodge Manufacturing Corporation, a founding member of CEMA, served on the U.S. War Production Board, and he later became CEMA’s executive vice president, serving until 1966. CEMA’s three pillars During its 90-year history, CEMA has grown and developed to respond to the ever-changing environment in which its members do business, while remaining true to its original goals and purposes. Today, CEMA members include not only manufacturers but also material- handling engineers and systems integrators. The organization focuses on serving its members through its three pillars of structure: statistics, standards and networking, according to E.A. “Ned” Thompson, president and CEO of PRAB, Inc. and a former president of CEMA. “Our industry forecasting and statistics program, available only to members, has proven to be incredibly accurate over the years, measuring sales trends for our entire industry as well as for