We are looking for plasterers and stone haulers for our 2005-2006 program year. If you are interested in serving on the board of directors or volunteering to help in any capacity, please let a board member know. Help us build an even better house of the Wichita Chapter of APICS.

Whether we are ready or not, 2005 has arrived! The start of a new year is a time when people look back at the year that is now history, and forward to the beginning of a new chapter in the history book of their lives. The same thing is true of businesses, organizations, our favorite football teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and KSU Wildcats, and even nations. It also is true of APICS.

Our February PDM will be a combined meeting with NAPM. It will be on February 10 at the Four Points Sheraton. We are honored to have Gary Gossard as our speaker. His topic will be “Inventory Quality Ratio. You do not want to miss this excellent presentation.

The Wichita APICS chapter is going to offer the Inventory Short Courses on February 17, March 10, March 31, April 21, and May 19. The first course on February 17 will be the Inventory Management module. The price for each module will be $ 140 or all 5 for $599. Each course will offered from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Wichita.

Off to New Orleans in 2005!!! – Save the date. Make sure to reserve October 16-18, 2005 for the APICS International Conference and Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana. The APICS conference reflects the educational needs of a continually changing business environment where companies’ experience increasing competition in their efforts to maintain – and increase – market share.

How do businesses benefit from the APICS Conference? Employees leverage supply chain management education to enrich their careers and make significant contributions to the productivity, quality, and financial success of their organizations.

I wish you and your families a healthy and prosperous 2005!!!!