Knight bows out
Following two years of shining a light on all aspects of the can industry Jack Knight this month writes his final column for CanTech International.
I have been looking over all my old articles and I have actually run out of things to teach on the subject. I have been over every aspect of the process, twice in some cases over the past two years. So, as my term as president of the IMDA draws to a close, I also feel it is time to draw Knight’s Knowledge to a close as well. It has been a pleasure to share with you my knowledge and experiences.
I would like to thank everyone for their support during my term as president of the IMDA. The IMDA is the longest lasting association of professionals serving the can industry. This organisation that first met in 1933 has come a long way in the past 80 years and I am so very proud to have been a part of it. Looking back as I spent my time going through the chairs of the organisation I have seen many changes. The biggest that I was a part of was the introduction of the website. This is truly our portal to the international membership that cannot make it to our annual conference in Chicago held every May.
Our membership, a 60 to 40 mix of suppliers and can makers, in more than 30 countries and it continues to grow. My pledge as president was to increase the membership during my tenure. I am pleased to say that we have accepted over 150 membership applications during my two years. That brings the organisation’s membership close to the 700 member mark for the first time in more than 20 years.
As I am now a past president I plan on continuing my pledge to grow the organisation’s membership through my International outreach. The tremendous breadth of knowledge and experience that exists within our membership enables us to maintain our reputation as a recognised leader in the can industry for its knowledge base. The association is often sought out for input and guidance on issues that affect the can industry worldwide.
The annual membership conference and training event is the meeting point for all our members. This is a member-driven event that is designed to provide opportunities to exchange information and to learn from other experts in our industry.
So if you are not a member please join, if you are a member and have not yet experience the annual event in Chicago we invite you to come and refresh, re-load, and re-energize your professional life, or simply share your best practices and research by becoming part of the International Metal Decorators Associations experience. The IMDA is always looking for good people who would like to be involved in our association. Let me know if I can find an interesting spot for you. Thank you for your voluntarism.
Jack Knight
President IMDA 2011-2013
