About the Executive Briefing Conference

Since inception in 2002, the Executive Briefing Conference (EBC) has become the premier venue for key manufacturing executives to network and explore visions for the future of our industry. The EBC provides a venue for businesses of all sizes to explore business concepts, learn about new technologies and discover opportunities in a non-commercial environment, with the goal of discovering

"What's Now, What's New & What's Next".

Providing strategic and practical information to help solve manufacturing challenges, the EBC is an opportunity to be introduced to new ways to succeed.

The inaugural EBC was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2002. As the industry recovered from the economic difficulties of 2001, attendees expected us to help them be more competitive in the world market with a global focus. Stiles partnered with Grand Valley State University to present an executive briefing to leaders in the woodworking industry.

The 2003 EBC, also held in Grand Rapids, featured another impressive line-up of industry professionals and briefing topics, culminating with a keynote address by the former CEO of Porsche AG, Mr. Peter Schutz, stressing the importance of utilizing your workforce as a key competitive advantage.

In 2004, EBC moved to Chicago and offered sought-after speakers including a keynote address presented by John Brandt, CEO of the MPI Group, identifying strategies that successful companies are using to respond and thrive in the difficult business environment.

The fourth annual EBC was a testimony to the need and impact of this event with close to 100 participants representing 17 different industry segments. Held at the Pfister Hotel and the Milwaukee Art Museum, the 2005 EBC keynote speaker was Ed Barlow of Creating the Future Inc., who provided the participants with tools to identify and respond to the continuum of change we face daily.

For the 2006 EBC, 135 participants representing 22 different industry segments joined us in Denver. Sales growth strategist, Art Turock, impressed participants with his keynote presentation which challenged the conventional wisdom of “Ask customers what they want and give it to them.” Other highlights of the 2006 EBC include the addition of plant tours showcasing Premier Eurocase & General Casework who embraced advanced technology to stay competitive.

The sixth annual conference in Dallas, Texas for 2007 distinguished itself in the industry with over 150 participants from over 20 different industry segments. The briefings ranged from profitable customer relationships to minimizing waste on the production floor as well as including a plant tour through PIN demonstrating how aggressive growth was maintained in times of industry-wide slowdown. Attendees also had the opportunity to benchmark the implementation of lean techniques in another industry during the tour of American Airlines’ maintenance base.

The 2008 EBC convened in New Jersey, near Princeton University. Consistent with the “What’s Next?” theme, the content of the 7th annual EBC was especially relevant to develop energy & environmental profit strategies. To highlight the practical application of theory provided in the briefings, case studies were added to the conference agenda. These informal interviews between a company executive and an industry representative have become one of the more popular segments of the EBC.

The theme of the 8th Executive Briefing Conference was “DARE TO DISCOVER”. Dare to face the realities of “What’s Now” in Dallas, Texas in 2010. Considering the challenges of the economy, we enjoyed strong interest and good attendance. Art Turock presented a timely keynote address titled “What It Takes to Be Great”. Select briefing topics included pending regulations (i.e., dust, OSHA), social media and its impact on our industry, cost savings through sustainability, automation and software developments. We also presented a new series of customer case studies in the popular on-stage interview format.

The 2010 EBC again featured local plant tours thanks to the cooperation by two of our local area customers. Continental Cabinets showcased their new automated rough mill processing line and demonstrated how they optimized their personnel resources as well as increased overall productivity and yield from the raw material. At Shioleno Industries, attendees toured extensive manufacturing facilities guided by the company owners. Highlights included the high volume laminating press line (the largest and most automated in the country) providing their customers with the option to choose melamine faced panels from a rainbow of colors in limited run quantities.

In 2011 we were fortunate to partner with the 3M Corporation to conduct the program at the one-of-a-kind 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Consistent with our overarching conference theme of “What’s Now? What’s New? What’s Next?” the 9th EBC focused on future oriented subject matters and ideas for innovation for manufacturing and marketing success. Manufacturing is the passion and was the theme for keynote speaker, John Brandt, CEO and Founder of the MPI Group, who delivered, “Next Generation Manufacturing” based on his research and close contact with leading executive teams has provided him unique perspectives of world class manufacturing metrics. Once again, and by popular demand, the closing keynote speaker was Alan Beaulieu of the Institute for Trend Research. Alan presented his most up-to-date outlook for our industry and the global economy under the headline “The Recovery – how long and how fast”.