Community Involvement

17th Annual Goombay Bash

When Horton’s Home Lighting of Chicago lost their friend and co-worker, 31-year old Pamela Herts in 2001 to cancer, a determined group of friends started The H Foundation to raise money and find a cure for this terrible disease. Since its start, the organization has raised $7 million. All proceeds benefit Basic Science Cancer Research, which supports the early, novel ideas that in turn lead to additional grants. The money this group has raised together with the Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, so far, has resulted in over $35 million in additional research funding. However, until there is a cure to stop this disease that does horrible things to a person and their family, there is still much work to be done.

This is the 17^th year that The H Foundation will host its annual Goombay Bash – a Caribbean-themed celebration of life to raise funding for cancer research. This year’s event takes place Saturday, July 29, at the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom in Chicago. The event has become one of the largest and liveliest cancer research fundraisers in Chicago. It’s a night of wonderful food and drink, raffles and auctions with amazing prizes, celebrity guests, and a fireworks finale. And, of course, it’s a night that we can all share the memories and celebrate the lives of those we have lost.

In memory of the late Kathleen Ann (Frederick) Reader, a nurturing woman of strong German and Irish heritage who was a wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Precision Plus and the Reader family are proud supporters of the H Foundation. Mike & Patricia Reader have attended Goombay Bash every year since they were first invited in 2003, honored to join others like us who refuse to give up and fight as Kathleen taught us, until a cure is found. If you wish to purchase tickets, get involved, or learn more about The H Foundation and Goombay Bash, visit http://www.goombaybash.com.

The H Foundation and its supporters are united by the common goal of finding a cure. Together, we can make a difference in the fight against cancer.

Catching Up with EAHS Engineering Design & Development Students

A couple of weeks ago, Mike Reader had visited the Engineering Design and Development (EDD) class at Elkhorn Area High School (EAHS). The EDD class is part of the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum, and he had presented the students with a check in support of their trips to Washington, D.C., and Madison, where they planned to showcase their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) projects and inventions.

Celebrating Project Lead the Way Week in Wisconsin

This week, Wisconsin is celebrating the statewide impact of Project Lead the Way (PLTW) on its schools, students, teachers, and economy. Gov. Scott Walker has officially proclaimed this week Project Lead the Way Week. Through PLTW curriculum, students not only learn technical skills, they learn to solve problems, think critically and creatively, communicate, and collaborate.

Changing the World at Lunchtime

Over the years, the Precision Plus team has gotten to work alongside some outstanding high school interns, and we have met a lot of exceptional students while reaching out to our community. A large part of our vision as a company is to help educate our youth. However, it does go both ways, and we tend to learn a lot from the students. And when we come across a story like this, it needs to be shared.

Elkhorn Area High School’s Engineering Design and Development

This week, Mike Reader visited Elkhorn Area High School (EAHS) and a group of students enrolled in the Engineering Design and Development (EDD) course, which is part of the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) curriculum. Precision Plus presented a check to the students who are getting ready to showcase their current projects at competitions, both in Washington, D.C. and in Madison.

Getting Involved: When Educators, Manufacturers, and Community Work Together

It will be one year this April that the new $1.25 million RPM Manufacturing Center at the Elkhorn campus of Gateway Technical College (GTC) opened its doors. This dream had been made possible by public-private partnerships, several key contributors, and dedicated educators. Those involved realized that an investment like this was necessary to provide opportunities for students to receive an exceptional education and valuable hands-on training that can lead to a rewarding career in manufacturing.

Project Lead The Way State Conference

The Wisconsin Project Lead The Way (PLTW) State Conference is a little over four weeks away. The event takes place November 15th and 16th at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center. The mission of PLTW is “Preparing students for the global economy.”

Precision Plus at IMTS 2016

IMTS 2016 has wrapped up, and by all accounts, it was a great success with over 115,000 visitors attending. It was also a great reminder that the workforce of tomorrow has to keep up with the rapid advancements in technology, and our youth needs to be inspired today.

Gearing Up: IMTS 2016

Next week is the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), one of the largest industrial trade shows in the world, featuring more than 2,000 exhibiting companies and well over 100,000 registrants. From September 12^th through 17^th, manufacturing industry professionals from all over the world will be able to see the latest and greatest in machine tools, control, computers, software, systems and processes that can improve their efficiency.

If you plan on attending next week’s show, Gear Technology has created a helpful guide where you can find a listing of all vendors along with a section that points out interesting things to be aware of throughout the week. You’ll also find a booth preview, so you can plan your visit and be ready before you even get there. Click the link below to find your downloadable guide.

http://www.geartechnology.com/newsletter/0816b/2016imtsguide.pdf

Something fun to look out for is the return of Local Motors, who in 2014 3-D printed a functioning car called the Strati, during the course of the show. This year, Local Motors will be setting up a racetrack where attendees can ride in the Strati, along with other cars designed by the company.

IMTS 2016 is a must for those in the industry or for young adults looking to become part of our industry. The equipment and technology is amazing, and you will never see so much in one place. This is also a great place to connect with others, whether that means catching up with friends in other companies or networking with new contacts. It is sure to be a great show, and we hope to see you there.

https://www.imts.com/show/info.html

Looking Forward to IMTS 2016

The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), held every other year at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the largest industrial trade shows in the world, and is attended by more than 100,000 people from over 112 countries. This year’s biennial conference takes place September 12^th through 17^th, and if you have never attended before, you definitely have never seen anything like it.