The MMA Summit is the Metro Manufacturing Alliance’s flagship annual event, bringing together regional manufacturing leaders and community supporters for a day of insight and connection. Hosted at the KFC Yum! Center, the 2026 Summit, “Forge the Future: Innovation in Practice,” featured keynote speaker Tim Vibbert, Executive Director of Manufacturing Operations at GE Appliances, alongside speakers on economic forecasting, workforce trends, and technology adoption. The day ends with a Regional Leadership Panel where local business executives share their stories on how their business got started, what benefits they see operating in our market, and so much more.

Attendees gain valuable insights, connect with key players across the region, discover new solutions, and stay ahead of industry trends — all while joining a thriving community of manufacturing leaders. MMA members receive two free tickets to attend each year.

Manufacturing Week is a signature MMA initiative designed to connect local high school students with career opportunities in manufacturing. The event includes a Kickoff Rally and press conference followed by two days of interactive booths where students can engage directly with manufacturers. In 2025, the event connected participating companies with 15+ schools and 500+ students across the region.

For manufacturers, Manufacturing Week is a chance to identify top talent, reduce recruitment costs, spark local career growth, and boost brand awareness — all by purchasing a booth, showcasing products, sponsoring a student prize, or offering on-site tours.

The Women in MMA brings folks from across the manufacturing industry together to network, learn, and celebrate alongside one another. The group hosts unique, hands-on experiences that build community outside the traditional meeting format — past events have included a distilling tour, candy-making workshop, custom scent creation, earring making, and a day at Churchill Downs.

Sponsored by PNC, the Women in MMA offers a welcoming space for women in manufacturing to build lasting relationships and celebrate their shared industry. Join us for our Annual Celebration in December where we will hear from a panel of local leading ladies as well as crown our Woman of the Year in Manufacturing!

The Technical Resource Council (TRC) is a bench of private-sector, subject-matter experts who provide complimentary guidance and resources to MMA member businesses. The 2026 Council covers six key areas — Human Resources, Sales & Marketing, Operations, Finance & Accounting, Succession Planning & M&A, and Leadership & Organizational Performance — with experts drawn from firms like BIG Solutions, Transformative Sales Systems, CICG, FocusCFO, Harding, Shymanski & Co., and EOS Worldwide.

Members benefit from direct, on-demand access to trusted advisors, a complimentary benchmarking session to review business strategies, and engaging workshops on specialized topics. The TRC also facilitates the MMA Monthly Roundtable, helping foster ongoing dialogue among regional manufacturing leaders and front-line workers.

The MMA Monthly Roundtable, facilitated by the Technical Resource Council, gives manufacturing leaders a recurring space to connect and discuss shared challenges and opportunities. Roundtables meet on the second Thursday of each month from 8–9 a.m., typically at the 1si office, with breakfast provided.

This regular cadence — paired with the TRC’s subject-matter expertise — keeps members plugged into timely conversations year-round, reinforcing MMA’s role as a consistent forum for peer connection and problem-solving.

The MMA Executive Roundtable, facilitated by Lewis Rudy, meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at 333 E. Main St., Ste. 402, Louisville, KY 40202.

Lewis Rudy is the Founder and President of Rudy and Associates where he works with business owners and their teams to build strong, intentional business growth. He identifies, isolates, and eliminates the root causes of margin compression and under performance. He has worked with dozens of regional, national, and international companies to redefine and add real value to the organization.

MMA Workshops offer members in-depth learning opportunities on specialized topics relevant to running and growing a manufacturing business, facilitated by the Technical Resource Council’s private-sector experts. These sessions pair with tailored certification seminars and strategic planning support, developed in partnership with educational and training providers.

Together, these workshops help member companies strengthen internal capabilities, from operations and finance to workforce development, ensuring teams have access to practical, expert-led training throughout the year.

We send bi-monthly e-newsletters to all MMA members as well as quarterly videos. These communications include:

• Updates on recent and upcoming MMA events
• Economic Development Project Announcements
• New MMA programs or initiatives
• Resource Spotlights where we work with local or state partners to showcase the benefits they could bring to our members. Past examples include the Ports of Indiana at Jeffersonville, Prosser Career Education Center, KIPDA, Sourcing Insights, and many more!