SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association has announced its latest event, MRO Expo, scheduled for June 8 -9, 2016 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, just 1.7 miles from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Produced by the same team that puts on NPE, MRO Expo is designed to assist those manufacturing professionals who are responsible for ensuring production lines and facility operations are running efficiently and at full capacity.

Whereas the triennial NPE services a broad spectrum of plastics machinery and services, the annual MRO Expo will service an ongoing need for auxiliary equipment, mold components, replacement parts or upgrades to primary equipment, as well as maintenance supplies and services processors and manufacturers require on a regular basis.

“We consulted our customer base and found there was a need to serve the MRO market on a more frequent basis than the triennial NPE,” says William R. Carteaux, SPI president and CEO. “Our goal is to showcase the many options and services to assist our manufacturing community in keeping a shop floor operating efficiently. It’s a one-stop shop for plastics manufacturers to research, specify, assess, and price annual MRO equipment parts, supplies, software, and services.”

The aftersales market for primary manufacturing equipment will be represented at MRO Expo, from large machinery suppliers with their own internal MRO equipment, supplies and training, to the smaller companies which wholly focus on keeping facilities and production lines running efficiently.

For SPI, hosting it in Chicago was a logical choice and choosing a venue 1.7 miles from O’Hare International Airport allows for easy, daily access from any destination in the U.S. and abroad.

“A significant percentage of the plastics manufacturing community exist within driving distance to Chicago, making it an ideal location for a face-to-face gathering,” says Gene Sanders, SPI’s Senior Vice President of Business Development. “In addition, the proximity to O’Hare will allow many attendees to make a short trip to see every MRO product and service they need to consider.”

SPI is also programming sessions, as well as working with educational partners to develop a conference track specifically for professionals in manufacturing. Educational subjects will include shop floor safety, preventive maintenance, production process and systems, and production floor training. If you have interest in speaking at MRO Expo, please contact Ashley Patton at apatton@plasticsindustry.org.

The expo floor itself will also provide an educational opportunity for any professional looking to learn more about manufacturing maintenance and repair. A list of product categories for the expo floor can be found at www.MROexpo.org. The full website and attendee registration is expected to launch by mid-October 2015.

MRO Expo
www.MROexpo.org