Matthew Jones, Administration Manager of the Automated Material Handling Systems Association, reports on AMHSA’s recent AGM. Following a social event for members at Market Harborough’s canal-side Waterfront restaurant the night before, AMHSA’s Annual General Meeting was held at its headquarters in the town on 26th April. The meeting reflected the buoyant mood in the automated handling sector, which is currently experiencing high numbers of projects and enquiries, and laid out the association’s plans for the future.

Matthew Jones, Administration Manager of
AMHSA

Activities

The AGM began with a review of the association’s recent busy calendar of activities by Dave Berridge, AMHSA

Secretary. Events have included an industry-specific Training Workshop, the two-day Intralogistex 2017 show at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena in March and a round-table event on Brexit in February.

Strategic review

Dave Berridge then handed over to Martin Elliott, AMHSA President, who outlined the progress of the association’s strategic review. Martin explained that significant steps had been taken in establishing the four ‘pillars’ of AMHSA – training, communication, standards and marketing – and that these key roles would be the foundations of the association going forward. He went on to explain that critical analysis had been undertaken to understand the AMHSA brand and that strategic development would now re-inforce AMHSA’s commitment to quality for both its members and clients.

More apprentices

Members at the AGM also received an update on the AMHSA apprenticeship programme, now in its third successful year and still growing. Operated in association with car manufacturer, Toyota, the scheme enables AMHSA members’ apprentices to take part in a four-year programme under which they spend the first two years learning a range of hands-on, high-tech engineering skills at the Toyota Academy in Burnaston, Derbyshire, and the remaining two years building on this with industryspecific skills and knowledge at the premises of the member company. Members recently had the opportunity to experience for themselves the state-of-the-art facilities and education at the Toyota Academy during AMHSA’s Training Workshop, held at the Burnaston site in April. In addition to presentations by industry specialists on a number of material handling topics – including containers, cranes/shuttle systems, AGVs and picking systems – delegates enjoyed a fascinating tour of the training facilities and of Toyota’s car assembly halls.

AMHSA

www.amhsa.co.uk

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