Workforce/HR Track

Conference Track Sponsor

WORKFORCE / HR TRACK

Day 1, Tuesday, February 24th

1:30 – 2:30PM

Workers' Compensation 101: Understanding the Financial Impact of Your E-Mod

Your Experience Modification Factor (E-Mod) directly impacts your workers’ compensation insurance costs, and controlling it is key to maintaining a competitive edge. This session provides a clear, practical overview of how your E-Mod is calculated and why it matters. Participants will learn how claims history, payroll, and industry benchmarks influence the E-Mod—and, ultimately, how the E-Mod affects premium costs. The course will also highlight strategies for controlling losses, improving safety outcomes, and reducing long-term financial exposure. This is an ideal introduction to better understand and manage Workers’ Compensation costs.

Dawson Nimmo, CIC, PWCA | EVP of Manufacturing, Higginbotham

Dawson Nimmo serves as the Executive Vice President of Manufacturing at Higginbotham, a role he has held for the past three years. In this capacity, Dawson leverages his extensive expertise to develop innovative risk management and insurance solutions tailored to the unique needs of manufacturers. His leadership and strategic vision have been instrumental in driving growth, strengthening partnerships, and delivering exceptional value to Higginbotham’s clients in the manufacturing sector. A highly respected professional in his field, Dawson was honored with the prestigious 2024 SBJ Trusted Advisor Award, recognizing his commitment to excellence and unwavering dedication to serving his clients with integrity and insight. With a passion for fostering collaborative relationships and addressing complex challenges, Dawson continues to make a significant impact within the manufacturing sector and beyond.

3:30 – 4:30PM

PANEL: Building Regional Manufacturing Momentum

Discover how collaboration fuels real growth across the Midwest's manufacturing landscape. In this engaging panel, leaders from both rural communities and urban centers will share how their companies and local partners are aligning efforts, breaking down silos, and working toward a shared vision to strengthen regional manufacturing ecosystems. Walk away with practical insight into how unified action drives momentum that no single organization can achieve alone, and steps on how to build this momentum in your community.

Moderator

Chris Luecke | Host, Manufacturing Happy Hour

Chris Luecke is a Podcaster, Marketer, and Content Creator in the manufacturing industry and the host of the top-ranked podcast Manufacturing Happy Hour. Described as "TEDx meets 'How It's Made," Manufacturing Happy Hour goes beyond the buzzwords and dissects real-life applications and success stories through candid interviews with executives, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. To date, Chris has interviewed over 200 leaders in the industrial sector in an effort to simplify and explore the latest trends and technologies impacting modern manufacturers.

Panelists

Kaylee Paffrath | President/CEO, Moberly Area Economic Development Corporation

Kaylee Paffrath leads the Moberly Area Economic Development Corporation, representing Randolph County in Northeast Missouri. Under her leadership, MAEDC has secured multiple high-impact industrial projects and fostered regional collaboration to drive manufacturing growth. With a background in workforce development, marketing, and public-private partnerships, Kaylee brings a hands-on, results-oriented approach to advancing rural economic opportunity.

Jessica Presley | General Manager, Paul Mueller Company

Since joining Paul Mueller Company (PMC) in 2001 straight from the University of Arkansas Mechanical Engineering program, Jessica has embarked on a dynamic journey. Starting in vessel design within our Processing Equipment team, she transitioned to pharmaceutical piping modules before leading project design teams. Intrigued by project execution, Jessica moved into Project Management in 2009 and later became Supervisor in 2013. During her tenure in Project Management, she spearheaded several process improvement initiatives, enhancing project handoffs and implementing ERP and scheduling systems. She also introduced budgeting processes that integrated ERP data with scheduling software and developed our original GGOB mini-game training. In 2015, Jessica embraced her first role with P&L responsibility as Business Unit Manager for our Beer & Beverage team. During this period, she navigated a challenging craft beer market slowdown by focusing on innovation and internal financial transparency. She introduced new product offerings and attracted new customer segments, achieving significant milestones despite tough market conditions. In 2022, she led the integration of Beer & Beverage with the Food & Dairy team, forming the Food & Beverage division. By fostering a unified team culture and implementing strategies to enhance consistency and throughput, she significantly boosted our financial performance. In January 2024, Jessica assumed her current role as General Manager of Operations Support and President of Mueller Transportation, continuing to support our drive for operational excellence and strategic growth across the organization.

Bryan Davis | President, Trinity Products

Bryan Davis is the President of Trinity Products located in St. Louis, MO. Bryan began his career at Trinity in 2000, holding several positions throughout the years before assuming the role as President in 2023. He and his team have grown to be the leading manufacturer of spiralweld pipe, used in utility and infrastructure projects across the country.

Day 2, Wednesday, February 25th

9:30 – 10:30AM

Attracting the Right Employees Into Your Organization

In today's competitive labor market, the true differentiator for organizational success isn't just finding talent – it's finding the right talent. Missouri employers face unique challenges as workforce demographics and expectations continue to evolve.

This session reveals the latest research on values-based employee attraction. Employees who better align with organizational values typically demonstrate higher performance metrics and significantly reduced turnover rates. Rather than attempting to mold employees after hiring, successful organizations strategically attract candidates who already possess complementary values and work approaches.

Key topics include:

Translating organizational values into compelling recruitment language
Restructuring job descriptions to highlight company culture
Implementing evidence-based attraction strategies to improve applicant pools

Participants will leave equipped with practical techniques to immediately transform their job postings and recruitment strategies, resulting in applicant pools with candidates more likely to thrive and remain within their organizations long-term.

Lance Coffman , PhD | Senior Program Manager - Strategic Initiatives, efactory

Part educator, part problem-solver, Dr. Lance Coffman brings together academic knowledge and practical experience in his role at efactory’s Missouri SBDC at Missouri State University. Over two decades, he's had the opportunity to work with businesses of various sizes across national markets, learning valuable lessons along the way. Through efactory, Lance collaborates with business owners facing growth challenges, offering guidance informed by his own journey as an entrepreneur. His education—including a PhD from Oklahoma State University and degrees from Missouri State—has provided helpful frameworks that complement his hands-on experience. In the classroom, Lance believes in learning by doing. Each semester, he works with alongside students on real-world business projects with local companies, finding as much satisfaction in their discoveries as in his own. Organizations throughout Missouri have kindly welcomed his input on marketing, strategic planning, and process improvement initiatives. When work is done, Lance returns to what matters most—time spent on the family farm with his wife and two boys, where the complexity of business gives way to the simple joys of rural life and family connection.

11:00AM – 12:00PM

PANEL: Employee Engagement & Retention Best Practices

Hear from three Midwest manufacturers as they share the strategies that keep their people committed, motivated, and sticking around. This panel will highlight practical ideas that have been tested on the plant floor, from small teams to workforces of more than 1,000. Attendees will learn how these companies use creative, effective, and culture-driven approaches to strengthen engagement and reduce turnover. Walk away with real examples you can adapt to your own operation and implement immediately.

Moderator

Tim Massey | CEO, Penmac Staffing Services

Tim Massey is a 32-year veteran in Human Resources, Staffing, and Talent Acquisition. Tim graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in management, and he received his Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University. Tim has served as CEO of Penmac Staffing for 13 years and lives in Springfield, Missouri, with his wife, Cindy, and their two sons. In his free time, you can usually find Tim at Arrowhead Stadium cheering on the Chiefs or at home dialing in espresso shots and discovering specialty coffee.

Panelists

Lacey Coleman | People Operations Manager, Holloway America

Lacey Coleman is the People Operations Manager at Holloway America, a Midwest manufacturers of stainless steel tanks, pressure vessels and components for a variety of industries. From employee engagement to benefits, Lacey is dedicated to making Holloway a great place to work every day. At the heart of everything Lacey does is her family. Whether at work or home, her greatest joy comes from supporting and caring for the people around her.

Scott James | Director of Operations, Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corporation

Scott James is the Director of Operations for Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A., with responsibility for the company’s Maryville and Boonville, Missouri facilities. In this role, he oversees end‑to‑end manufacturing operations, including safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance, ensuring both plants consistently meet Kawasaki’s production targets and customer expectations. Over a career spanning more than three decades with Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing, Scott has progressed through a series of leadership positions in Maryville, including roles in production, purchasing, and operations management. This broad, hands‑on background gives him a deep understanding of Kawasaki’s manufacturing systems, workforce, and continuous‑improvement culture, and informs his approach to leading cross‑functional teams. As Director of Operations, Scott leads strategic initiatives to optimize plant throughput, implement lean manufacturing and Kaizen practices, reduce waste, and support successful new product launches across the Missouri operations. He is known for his data‑driven, collaborative leadership style and his commitment to building strong, safety‑focused teams. Scott is also active in Missouri’s manufacturing community, representing Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing in industry organizations and partnerships that promote operational excellence and workforce development across the state.

Adam Warnke | Human Resources Manager, Martin Metal

With nearly 30 years of manufacturing experience, Adam Warnke leads the HR team at Martin Metals, a rural Missouri based manufacturer of post and stud frame building components and packages. Adam enjoys creating an environment for his team members to thrive in, empowering them to do their job and do it well.