Global Manufacturing in Arizona: MTD Products at AZIGG Jan 11th

The next AZIGG event is January 11th at ASU-SkySong and will feature the Chandler-based President of MTD Southwest Phil Clouse. MTD Products manufactures well known brands of power equipment like Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt and MTD. Phil will discuss how their manufacturing in Arizona and Nogales beat an alternative plan to manufacture in China.

"Global Manufacturing Can Succeed in Arizona If..."

Phil Clouse - President of MTD Southwest

Arizona International Growth Group

Monday, January 11th, 7:30 - 9:00am

Networking starts at 7:00am

ASU SkySong

Investment: $15 includes coffee and pastries

RSVP Here: www.azigg.com

MTD maintains their global headquarters for handheld products in Chandler, Arizona. The MTD family of brands includes Cub Cadet, Cub Cadet Yanmar, Troy-Bilt, White Outdoor, Yard-Man, Yard Machines, Bolens, Arnold, GardenWay and MTD Pro.

President of MTD Southwest Phil Clouse will be discussing how the Arizona division was able to successfully put together a business case for manufacturing outdoor power equipment in their plant here and in Nogales instead of in China. Many of those success factors can be translated to other manufacturers in Arizona looking to compete and win in the global marketplace. Phil will be joined by Director of Manufacturing Stanton Knight, and he will be sharing his overall perspective on how manufacturing in Arizona can compete.

Phil Clouse has 20 years of diverse manufacturing and management experience with multi-site, multi-functional and P&L oversight in sophisticated, global operations. He has a CPIM certification and MBA from the University of Akron. Before MTD, Phil held senior executive positions at Newell Rubbermaid and The Little Tikes Company

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Dec 7th AZIGG Photos; Next AZIGG Jan 11th

At the December 7th Arizona International Growth Group (AZIGG) event at ASU-SkySong, Haru Yamasaki, CEO of TechBA (Technology Business Accelerators) presented on the new program. Arizona has one of six TechBA locations in the world - joining Madrid, Montreal, Michigan, Silicon Valley and Austin last year.

TechBA is a program supporting top-tier companies based in Mexico so that they can bring their innovative technology, products and services to global markets. TechBA works with companies in Information Technology and Telecommunications, Automotive, Aerospace, Food, Advanced Materials, Alternative Energy, Multimedia, Gaming and Life Sciences.

Picture above: Hector Correa of Orinoco Systems. To his right, Leonardo Hernandez (Grupo Hergo), Haru Yamasaki (TechBA) and Arturo Freydig (ECN Automation). More pictures coming soon to the AZIGG website. All photography at AZIGG is by the best business photographer in Metropolitan Phoenix: Laird Brown of Small Business Photo www.smallbusinessphoto.com

Additional pictures are posted on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=168242&id=699598645&saved#/album.php?aid=168242&id=699598645

The next AZIGG event is January 11th at ASU-SkySong and will feature the President of MTD Products Phil Clouse. MTD Products manufacture high profile power tools like Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt and MTD, and they are based in Chandler. Phil will discuss how their manufacturing in Arizona and Nogales beat an alternative plan to manufacturer in China.

Thank you! All the best, Doug (AZIGG)

AZIGG, Inman, China, Solar and More Dec 2009

This next week is a busy one for internationalists in Arizona. It starts with Admiral Bobby Inman at PCFR with "Inman's View of the World". When he spoke a couple years ago here it was the most extraordinary discussion because he KNOWS the world - the history, the current state and a well-grounded view of the future.

Here is a summary of global info in Arizona courtesy of AZIGG, followed by additional information on Bobby Inman.

Enjoy "Inman's View of the World" December 2nd in PV
Admiral Bobby Inman circles the globe in about an hour. Not to be missed. At Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations www.pcfraz.org

"Hola Arizona: Technology Business Accelerator (TechBA)" at AZIGG 12/7
Haru Yamasaki, CEO of TechBA, is responsible for establishing and growing the Arizona division of TechBA, a program supporting top-tier companies based in Mexico to bring their innovative technology, products and services to global markets. There are 14 companies in the first group based at SkySong. RSVP at www.azigg.com

China Town Hall with Sidney Rittenberg December 8th in Scottsdale
Sidney has known every Chinese leader in the past 50 years. RSVP to Sue (see below) and more info www.wacaz.org

Invest Southwest December 9-11 in Scottsdale
This is the premier capital conference in Arizona, since 1992. Keynote speaker Michael Moe Finding the Next Starbucks and much more. See below.

SRP Announces a New Project, More Solar for the Valley
Salt River Project will build a 20-megawatt photovoltaic facility southeast of Phoenix with Iderdrola Renewables. SRP and Iberdrola have a partnership that extends to the Dry Lake Wind Farm, a 63-megawatt wind farm built on a combination of public and private land. SRP to Build 20-megawatt Solar Facility Near Phoenix


More on the Admiral Inman event December 2nd:

Jules Verne took eighty days to go around the world. Admiral Bobby Inman will make that happen for us in a little less than an hour. His unique encyclopedic eagle's eye view of every hot spot on the planet was sharpened during his domestic and global naval career from 1951 until 1982, and culminated when he served as Director of the National Security Agency, and Deputy Director of Intelligence.

After his retirement from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Admiral, he became Chairman and CEO of the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) in Austin, Texas for four years, and then Chairman, President and CEO of Westmark Systems, Inc, a privately owned electronics industry holding company for three years. In addition Admiral Inman also served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas from 1987 through 1990.

He continues to be influential in strategic advisory roles, notably as Chair of the Commission on Improving Security at the U.S. Foreign Installations, following the bombing of the Marine barracks and the April 1983 U.S. embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon. His commission's report has been influential in setting security design standards for U.S. Embassies worldwide.

Since 1990, one of Admiral Inman's primary activities has been investing in startup technology companies in the role of Managing Director of Definor Ventures and Limestone Ventures. He is a member of the board of Directors of Massey Energy Company, as well as of several privately held companies, and serves as a Trustee of the American Assembly of the California Institute of Technology. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Admiral Inman graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1950 and from the National War College in 1972. In 1987 he returned to Austin as adjunct professor at his alma mater. In 2001 he was appointed as a tenured professor, holding the Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial Chair in National Policy. Subsequently he served as Interim Dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs from January to December in 2005, and again was appointed Interim Dean for a second time in 2009.

The Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations is honored to host Admiral Inman whenever he is here in Phoenix. Please Join Us! Cost: $48 for Members, $58 for Non-Members (by 11/30/09 after add $10) PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE at www.pcfraz.org Or call 602-494-4198.

All the best, Doug Bruhnke