Dear members,
Welcome to the new year, and thank you for all your support in 2023.
Last year was a difficult one — some industries in Minnesota thrived, while others ran into more roadblocks. I wish we had a crystal ball for this coming year but we don’t. Most analysts are still very optimistic that we will avoid a hard landing.
On the positive side, it looks like inflation is starting to be more manageable, which will in turn lower material costs, one factor that has a great impact on business in our industry. The labor market will also start to soften, which should help us retain and hire new employees. Hopefully this will allow businesses to start investing in new projects and free up the capital to launch them.
I would like to thank Steve Kalina, our MPMA president, for all the leadership, vision and passion he continues to give to our association. Without his help, a lot of initiatives would not have happened. Steve has been planting seeds within several agencies and we hope to receive more funding in 2024 to speed up several key initiatives.
As we look toward 2024, it’s a very promising year. We have more training programs starting — keep an eye on the MPMA communications to sign up. We are also planning more ways to do outreach in K-12 schools to bring awareness to our trade, via trapshooting, youth sports and job fairs.
If you’re interested in learning how you can help, or in participating in these events, please feel free to reach out. As always, thank you for your continued support of our association.
And lastly, I want to remind everyone that MPMA cannot exist without so many great partnerships. As we wrapped up 2023, I want to personally thank all of our annual partnerships. These are companies that support our industry and our causes. I hope that when business needs arise, that you connect with them!
Best Regards,
Laurent Deconinck, MPMA Board Chair
