Automotive Parts Suppliers Conference

Schedule

Pre-Conference: Monday, October 27, 2025

6:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

PMA Tennessee District: Fall Golf Outing
Gaylord Springs Golf Links | Nashville, TN

Take part in the Tennessee District Annual Golf Outing before APSC! The golf outing has a morning and afternoon flight and includes a networking dinner.
Learn more about the golf outing
Additional cost and is not included in the APSC registration.

Day 1: Tuesday, October 28, 2025

7:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Sponsor and Exhibitor Setup

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Registration and Exhibits Open

10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Welcoming Remarks

David Klotz President, Precision Metalforming Association

10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Opening Keynote: North American Outlook—Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Matthew Robinet Senior Analyst, North American Light Vehicle Forecast, S&P Global

Things have been all but normal in the automotive supply chain since 2020. We’ll recap and explain the current automotive climate for OEM’s, end consumers, and tier suppliers alike. Topics include the overall tariff assumptions in our forecasts, interest rates and loan conditions impacting consumers, and diving into our short-term and long-term production forecasts. Understanding tariff implications is more important than ever maximize financial health when making strategic decisions.

With the passing of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, we’ll discuss the potential outcomes of the IRA consumer tax incentives going away, and what that means for the future of BEV adoption in North America. Launches of new vehicles are also under pressure, causing the extension of current production models to maintain capacity at the assembly plants. While the future of BEV has downward pressures, there are potential upsides for hybridized and internal combustion propulsion systems in our forecasts.

Lastly, we’ll dive through the product portfolios of each OEM in our forecast. With major impacts to geopolitics and supply chain ‘re-localization’, OEMs are actively reviewing their portfolio strategies as the playing field changes. North American production will see rapid changes to match market dynamics in our forecast horizon, and product planning teams at OEMs should entertain every option to get appealing products in the hands of consumers.

11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

General Motors’ Journey to World-Class Co$t Estimations

Tony Miller Senior Manager, Product Program Co$t Optimization, General Motors

General Motors will share the experience we have had over the last 7 years, highlighting the journey to develop our co$t-estimating system. I will explain the foundational steps we have taken to build a successful co$t-estimating group. Will highlight the importance of standards and data, as it integrates seamlessly into our systems and processes.

I will also outline our vision for a successful co$t-estimating group and where it resides within GM and address future challenges, particularly in sustainability and automation through AI. In North America, sustainability presents unique demands, although we believe our process and software is well-positioned to support our efforts while driving best co$t for sustainable products.

I passionately believe that OEMs and manufacturers across sectors will increasingly rely on advanced software solutions to meet both customer expectations and industry requirements. In a world where co$t transparency, automation, and environmental responsibility converge, the partnership between each other is critically important to staying competitive while driving innovative solutions.

Key takeaways:

Success relies on partnerships built on data and transparency with our supply base, encompassing not only direct material suppliers but also software solution providers.
Software solutions are essential to meeting industry demands and requirements in an ultra-competitive and rapidly evolving global market. Software helps drive process efficiencies as we embark on the future of AI with a shared vision.
Difficult conditions in the world have elevated the importance of co$t control and has now created a need for better transparency and OEM/Supplier alignment more than ever before. This constant pressure to reduce co$t has put an emphasis on the need to have right data at the right time.

12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Buffet Lunch and Exhibits Open

1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Topic TBA

Juan Carlos Babilonia Director of Automative Marketing, Strategy and Performance Improvement, ArcelorMittal

2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Financial Case for Robust Customer Relationships

Mark Barrott Partner, Plante Moran

Austin Biskner Senior Manager, Plante Moran

For 25 years, the Working Relations Index® survey has set the industry standard for evaluating relationship health and the impact on corporate success. Plante Moran continues to explore the value of robust relations.

In this presentation we will

Describe how strong relationships contribute to corporate revenue and operational efficiency
Illustrate the linkage between financial performance and commercial relations through real life case studies
Reveal playbook for building these relationships to boost bottom line value

2:45 p.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Networking Break

3:05 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Moderator

Mike Jackson Executive Director, Strategy and Research, MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers

Panelists

Pat D’Eramo CEO, Martinrea International

Todd Gerlach President, Genesee A&B Inc.

4:20 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Day One Closing Remarks

David Klotz President, Precision Metalforming Association

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Cocktail Reception

6:00 p.m.

Offsite Optional Activity—Whiskey River Saloon

111 Broadway | Nashville, TN
Additional cost will apply.

Day 2: Wednesday, October 29, 2025

7:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Breakfast and Exhibits Open

8:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

A Legal Discussion with Andrew Fromm

Andrew Fromm Partner, Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco PLLC

10:15 a.m. - 10:35 a.m.

Networking Break

10:35 a.m. - 11:05 a.m.

Optimizing Profit in High Inflation Manufacturing Environments

Ganesh Iyer Head of MiNDCAN, MiNDCAN Inc.

Across industries, the cost of doing business has gone up significantly. With rising material costs, soaring cost of labor, logistics and tariffs, businesses around the world are scrambling to find new ways to reduce costs and improve profitability. This presentation will explore strategies of identifying, tracking and managing cost-saving initiatives (Shopfloor, Tactical, Strategic and External Partners (Suppliers, Contractors, etc.)) in order to thrive within an evolving economy. During this session, Ganesh will deep dive into how to develop best practices to institutionalize a systemic, sustainable and scalable cost saving culture in an organization, across all cross-functional groups. He will outline how to increase real-time visibility and transparency to drive accountability within the company, while also engaging the entire organization’s team to identify cost leaks.

11:05 a.m.- 11:50 a.m.

Forging the Future with AI and Automation

Benjamin Saltsman Director, Advanced Manufacturing Innovation, Magna International Inc.

The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation—and AI is at the center of it. In this keynote, Benjamin Saltsman of Magna International explores how AI and automation are reshaping metal forming and manufacturing at scale. From real-time quality control and predictive maintenance to digital twin technology and AI-powered scheduling, Saltsman shares real-world examples of how Magna is driving operational efficiency, precision and sustainability across its global operations. He also addresses the challenges ahead, the importance of workforce readiness, and why Industry 4.0 isn’t just the future—it’s already underway.

11:50 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.