Executive Summits · by the Future of Manufacturing Alliance
Backup Power Summit for Manufacturing Plants
Meet the plant leaders whose lines stop when the grid blinks.
Each summit is capped at 20 sponsors. Talk to Joe before it fills.
Who’s coming so far
21 manufacturers have confirmed they will send people. The target is 100+ plant leaders in the room by each summit.
- Honda
- GE Aerospace
- General Motors
- Stellantis / Jeep
- Procter & Gamble
- Cleveland-Cliffs
- Whirlpool
- Goodyear Tire & Rubber
- Parker Hannifin
- Swagelok
- Crown Equipment
- Lincoln Electric
- Sherwin-Williams
- + 8 very large manufacturers, not named at their request
Two days with plant, maintenance, engineering and facilities leaders from Midwest manufacturers who own standby generators, transfer switches and UPS systems. Pre-scheduled 1-on-1 meetings. No expo hall.
The people who sign the PO for backup power projects.
Invited from plants across Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Every delegate is screened by title and plant.
1,470plant leaders from 495 manufacturers have come to past FMA summits.1,033 of them pick the vendor, own the budget or sign off.
Who decides a plant purchase, and how many came
- Step 1287Find the problem, write the specEnergy Engineer, Facilities Engineer, Environmental Engineer
- Step 2560Pick the vendorFacilities Manager, Environmental Manager, Energy Manager
- Step 3337Own the budgetDirector of Engineering, Director of Operations, Director of Manufacturing
- Step 4136Sign offPlant Manager, General Manager, President
Who we invite to this summit
Each title, and what that person owns.
- Plant ManagerOwns the downtime
- Maintenance ManagerTests and services the gensets
- Facilities ManagerSwitchgear, fuel, compliance
- Plant Engineering DirectorSizes the system
- EHS ManagerLife-safety loads, permits
Where past delegates worked
Plant leaders at past FMA summits, by industry.
Industries we are inviting to this summit: Food and beverage (refrigeration can't wait) · Chemicals and plastics (safe shutdown, restart) · Automotive and parts (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana) · Pharma and medical devices (validated environments) · Metals and fabrication (furnaces and controls).
Counts are past FMA delegates, each counted once. They show who this audience is; they are not 2027 attendees.
Past speakers and delegates, by industry
Food and beverage
12 speakers · 161 delegates
Automotive
10 speakers · 192 delegates
Machinery, equipment and electronics
7 speakers · 209 delegates
Chemicals, plastics and rubber
6 speakers · 120 delegates
Steel and metals
2 speakers · 82 delegates
Aerospace, pharma, building and consumer products
29 speakers · 667 delegates
They came back.
Past FMA sponsors, and how many summits each one sponsored, from the printed programs.
- 5PowerSecureBackup power · 5 summits
- 2GE Distributed PowerBackup power · 2 summits
- 18US LED18 summits
- 17Kaeser Compressors17 summits
- 14Covanta14 summits
- 14Solution Dynamics14 summits
- 10Advanced Power Technologies10 summits
- 8Smardt Chiller Group8 summits
- 7BASF7 summits
- 7EQUIDEX Energy7 summits
- 7LG Electronics7 summits
- 6AgriPower6 summits
See the other 102 companies that sponsored two or more FMA summits
3M 2 · Acuity Brands 4 · Advanced Green Technologies 3 · Advantix Systems 8 · AERCO International 5 · Air Balance 2 · AmbiRad 3 · Ameresco 2 · Armstrong Fluid Technology 5 · Badger Meter 2 · Be Power Tech 2 · Bio-Reaction Industries 2 · BLUEFIN 4 · Bosch Thermotechnology 2 · Burns & McDonnell Engineering 3 · Camfil 2 · Capstone Turbine 2 · Chelsea Group 2 · Cleaver-Brooks 4 · ConDex Energy 2 · Constellation Energy 5 · Control Instruments 2 · CopperTree Analytics 3 · Cushman & Wakefield 2 · Cypress Envirosystems 5 · Doosan Fuel Cell America 3 · DTE Energy Services 2 · Dyson 4 · Eaton 3 · EcoSafe Zero Waste 2 · EDF Renewable Energy 2 · Edison Energy 2 · Emerson Climate Technologies 2 · Energy Management Systems 4 · Energy Source 2 · EnerNOC 2 · Enertech Global 2 · EnterSolar 2 · Environmental Resources Management 2 · ERS International 3 · ETwater Systems 2 · Every Watt Matters 2 · Eye Lighting International 3 · Facility Solutions Group 2 · FacilityConneX 2 · Fellon-McCord & Associates 3 · GDF SUEZ Energy NA 2 · GE Solar 2 · Gexpro 3 · GI Energy 2 · Green Ballast 2 · Greenstar Recycling 6 · Greenworks Energy Solutions 3 · Harris Lighting 2 · Heritage Interactive Services 2 · Hurst Boiler & Welding Co. 2 · IBM 4 · ICETEC Energy Services 2 · ICONICS 3 · Invensys Operations Management 2 · JLL 4 · Jorgensen Facilities Services 5 · K+S Services 2 · KDC Solar 2 · KERAMIDA 2 · Knauf Insulation 2 · KVAR Energy Savings 3 · LEDtronics 2 · Lutron Electronics Co. 3 · MaxLite 2 · MCEnergy 2 · MEP Associates 2 · MPC Energy 5 · Munters 2 · Newton Distributing Company 2 · Nortec 3 · North America Power Partners 2 · North American Roofing 2 · OAKLEAF 4 · Optimum Energy 2 · Orion Energy Systems 2 · OSRAM SYLVANIA 5 · Pfister Energy 2 · Rinnai America 2 · Rockwell Automation 2 · ROXUL 2 · Rubicon Global 2 · SAP America 2 · Schneider Electric 6 · Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure 5 · Sloan 2 · Solar UV Solutions 3 · Solatube International 3 · Steril-Aire 2 · Synergy Investment 6 · The Dow Chemical Company 2 · Thermal Energy International 3 · Trane 2 · Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance 2 · Viridity Energy 2 · Wahaso - Water Harvesting Solutions 2 · Zurn Industries 2
In writing, from past sponsors and delegates.
Their words, not ours.
“…at each FMA Summit we have gained one actual customer as a minimum”
Past sponsorMark MartyakChief Sales Officer, PowerSecureRead the whole quote
“I can tell you at each FMA Summit we have gained one actual customer as a minimum which is great. This show has been really good here in Columbus. Met 2 or 3 potential customers that I really do think we’ll end up doing business with…”
“Couldn’t recommend it higher.”
Read the whole quote
“The conversations have been great, the meetings have been good, the organized lunches, the organized happy hour and cocktail event was excellent. Couldn’t recommend it higher.”
Past sponsorTom DrakeSenior Sales Manager, MTU Onsite Energy“Every year we are able to find new partners to develop breakthrough projects”
Read the whole quote
“FMA Summit has been a very friendly business event for General Motors. Every year we are able to find new partners to develop breakthrough projects”
Past delegateBreitner MarczewskiDirector of Energy Engineering, General Motors“We will be partnering with a couple of the presenters at the Summit”
Read the whole quote
“…The expertise represented at this Summit (solar, lighting, etc.) was impressive and very informative. We will be partnering with a couple of the presenters at the Summit…”
Past delegateScott CullenAmericas Environmental Compliance Manager, BostikSee 8 moreShow fewer
“This was my first time sponsoring the FMA Summit and have to say everything about this conference from the quality of attendees to the venue was first class. The quality of conversations were really good in that FMA set us up with customers who had already expressed an interest in us. The attendees were all high level decision makers. Very impressed and will be back!”
Past sponsorMark MartyakChief Sales Officer, PowerSecure Inc.“I found the experience well organized and full of opportunities to network with vendors I was interested in.”
Past delegateWarren VoughtCorporate Facilities Manager, Archer Daniels Midland“…FMA is an extremely flexible, and very accommodating group. It’s been outstanding after I gave my presentation, the enthusiasm of the people, the questions continue even now, people wanting to know more details. It’s that sharing between people and myself. I’ve learned a lot myself so that’s been a great aspect of being here. The people that have come and I had interaction with have been the right kind of people I want to talk to.”
Past delegateKevin ButtGeneral Manager and Chief Environmental Officer, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.“The presenters were very knowledgeable and did a great job of communicating during the one on one time during breaks. I look forward to the site visits so we can learn more about what each company has to offer.”
Past delegateJohn ShewmakerFacility Maintenance Manager, Hitachi Automotive Systems“Very well organized! Great topics and great speakers. Spoke to vendors regarding current initiatives and met vendors regarding their initiatives and how they can provide guidance and services to UniFirst…”
Past delegateCarrie BertolinoEnergy Analyst, UniFirst Corporation“I am always skeptical with conferences whether they will be worth my time. This Summit was a very good blend and balance of solutions and testimonials. I will recommend this seminar to others in my company…”
Past delegateLarry GlaserAVP, Director of Operations Support, OSI Industries“…We enjoyed attending your event and definitely appreciated presenting our LEED gold plant and our sustainability programs. … We definitely learned some things as well.”
Past delegateGregory ClarkDirector of Construction & Facilities Management, White Castle Management Co.“I very much enjoyed participating in the summit…”
Past delegateKurtis JetselDirector - Facilities/ESH, Lockheed MartinSet up Wednesday. Two full days of meetings. Home Friday afternoon.
Same schedule in Columbus and Detroit.
- Wednesday afternoonSponsors set up their exhibits. Everyone checks in.
- ThursdayThe full day: plant case studies, booked 1-on-1s, the reception and dinner.
- FridayMorning case studies, more 1-on-1s, closing lunch. On the road by mid-afternoon.
The hour-by-hour plan and the venues
| Time | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Breakfast at your company table | Breakfast at your company table | |
| 8:00–10:00 AM | Plant case studies | Plant case studies | |
| 10:00 AM | Coffee and shop talk in the exhibit room | Pre-booked 20-minute 1-on-1s at your table | |
| 11:00 AM | Plant case studies | Plant case studies | |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch with your booked 1-on-1 meetings | Closing lunch with your booked 1-on-1 meetings | |
| 1:00 PM | Plant case studies | Plant case studies, then head home | |
| 2:00 PM | Sponsor setup and check-in | Pre-booked 20-minute 1-on-1s at your table | |
| 3:00 PM | Sponsor setup and check-in | Coffee and shop talk in the exhibit room | |
| 3:30 PM | Sponsor setup and check-in | Plant case studies | |
| 5:00–7:00 PM | Sponsor setup and check-in | Reception and dinner, with more 1-on-1s |
The full package's 15 pre-booked 20-minute 1-on-1s run Thursday and Friday: in the meeting blocks above, at lunch, and at the reception. Each is with a plant leader who asked to meet you, at your company table. You get your meeting schedule before you arrive, and the delegate list, with names, titles and companies, 30 days before the summit.
Venue photos via Wikimedia Commons: Hilton Columbus Downtown by Ɱ (CC BY-SA 4.0); Renaissance Center by Crisco 1492 (public domain).
The program: plant leaders come to hear how other plants fixed it.
The program is built from projects plants actually finished, presented by the plant and the company that did the work. Every backup power category has room for more. If you've solved a problem like these, your story belongs on this program.
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Rental & temporary powerInvited
How a Kentucky bourbon distillery kept producing through a week-long utility outage
Aggreko installed two 1MW generators with transformers and distribution, 2MW in total, kept an engineer on site through the upgrade, and saved the customer approximately $100,000 against the larger setups it had been considering (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
The problem: The utility’s substation upgrade meant a one-week power outage at a 300-employee distillery with buildings spread across a wide site.
Published result: Aggreko installed two 1MW generators with transformers and distribution, 2MW in total, kept an engineer on site through the upgrade, and saved the customer approximately $100,000 against the larger setups it had been considering (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
Invited: Aggreko · Read the published case
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UPS, switchgear & power protectionInvited
How Vetter keeps sterile filling running through grid failures
Vetter ordered three more mtu Kinetic PowerPacks, two of 2,000 kVA for Langenargen, Germany and one of 1,750 kVA for Rankweil, Austria, bringing its total to 14; it has used the systems since 2005 (order announced; commissioning expected mid-2025; as reported by Rolls-Royce).
The problem: Even a short power failure or grid dip can stop clean-room sterile filling of medicines and cause significant production losses.
Published result: Vetter ordered three more mtu Kinetic PowerPacks, two of 2,000 kVA for Langenargen, Germany and one of 1,750 kVA for Rankweil, Austria, bringing its total to 14; it has used the systems since 2005 (order announced; commissioning expected mid-2025; as reported by Rolls-Royce).
Invited: Rolls-Royce Power Systems (mtu), with Vetter · Read the published case
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Rental & temporary powerInvited
How a rural Ohio dairy plant added cooling with no spare power capacity
Aggreko ran a 230-ton chiller on a temporary 350kW generator, then moved it to a natural gas generator on the plant’s own gas line: no CapEx, a semi-permanent setup, and $60k saved on average a month by switching from diesel to natural gas (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
The problem: The plant needed more process cooling at peak production, but its electrical service had no spare capacity and a utility upgrade would take months.
Published result: Aggreko ran a 230-ton chiller on a temporary 350kW generator, then moved it to a natural gas generator on the plant’s own gas line: no CapEx, a semi-permanent setup, and $60k saved on average a month by switching from diesel to natural gas (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
Invited: Aggreko · Read the published case
See all 6 stories, in 4 categories, and how a session runs
- 1The problemWhat was happening at the plant.
- 2The costEnergy, maintenance, downtime or lost output.
- 3The decisionThe options they weighed, and why this one.
- 4The workWhat changed, how long it took, what went wrong.
- 5The resultsMeasured before and after. Achieved, estimated or identified, said plainly.
- 6The lessonsWhat another plant should check first.
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Standby generators
Open: no story invited yet -
Rental & temporary power
3 stories invited · 1 open slot-
Invited
How a Kentucky bourbon distillery kept producing through a week-long utility outage
Aggreko installed two 1MW generators with transformers and distribution, 2MW in total, kept an engineer on site through the upgrade, and saved the customer approximately $100,000 against the larger setups it had been considering (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
The problem: The utility’s substation upgrade meant a one-week power outage at a 300-employee distillery with buildings spread across a wide site.
Published result: Aggreko installed two 1MW generators with transformers and distribution, 2MW in total, kept an engineer on site through the upgrade, and saved the customer approximately $100,000 against the larger setups it had been considering (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
Invited: Aggreko · Read the published case
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Invited
How a rural Ohio dairy plant added cooling with no spare power capacity
Aggreko ran a 230-ton chiller on a temporary 350kW generator, then moved it to a natural gas generator on the plant’s own gas line: no CapEx, a semi-permanent setup, and $60k saved on average a month by switching from diesel to natural gas (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
The problem: The plant needed more process cooling at peak production, but its electrical service had no spare capacity and a utility upgrade would take months.
Published result: Aggreko ran a 230-ton chiller on a temporary 350kW generator, then moved it to a natural gas generator on the plant’s own gas line: no CapEx, a semi-permanent setup, and $60k saved on average a month by switching from diesel to natural gas (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
Invited: Aggreko · Read the published case
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Invited
How an Irish pharma plant started production years before its grid connection
Aggreko supplied a 1.43 MWe gas generator and a 6.3 MVA transformer to supplement the existing supply, scalable from 1.4 to 6.3 MVA over a 3–5 year hire, with no upfront Capex and maintenance included, so the plant could keep its timelines and start production before mains power arrived (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
The problem: The grid operator said full mains supply for the new site was several years away, a delay that would cost hundreds of millions of Euros per annum in lost revenue and profits.
Published result: Aggreko supplied a 1.43 MWe gas generator and a 6.3 MVA transformer to supplement the existing supply, scalable from 1.4 to 6.3 MVA over a 3–5 year hire, with no upfront Capex and maintenance included, so the plant could keep its timelines and start production before mains power arrived (customer not named; as reported by Aggreko).
Invited: Aggreko · Read the published case
- Open slot
Your customer's story goes here.
Solved a plant problem in this category? Propose it for the program.
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UPS, switchgear & power protection
3 stories invited · 1 open slot-
Invited
How Vetter keeps sterile filling running through grid failures
Vetter ordered three more mtu Kinetic PowerPacks, two of 2,000 kVA for Langenargen, Germany and one of 1,750 kVA for Rankweil, Austria, bringing its total to 14; it has used the systems since 2005 (order announced; commissioning expected mid-2025; as reported by Rolls-Royce).
The problem: Even a short power failure or grid dip can stop clean-room sterile filling of medicines and cause significant production losses.
Published result: Vetter ordered three more mtu Kinetic PowerPacks, two of 2,000 kVA for Langenargen, Germany and one of 1,750 kVA for Rankweil, Austria, bringing its total to 14; it has used the systems since 2005 (order announced; commissioning expected mid-2025; as reported by Rolls-Royce).
Invited: Rolls-Royce Power Systems (mtu), with Vetter · Read the published case
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Invited
How X-FAB’s Sarawak wafer fab stopped losing critical load to grid dips
Rolls-Royce supplied and commissioned four mtu Kinetic PowerPacks in a medium voltage parallel configuration offering 2000 kVA (1600kW), with a service agreement; the reliable critical load support led X-FAB to order an additional unit (period not stated; as reported by Rolls-Royce).
The problem: The fab’s old dynamic UPS units, from another maker, kept dropping critical load from the mains.
Published result: Rolls-Royce supplied and commissioned four mtu Kinetic PowerPacks in a medium voltage parallel configuration offering 2000 kVA (1600kW), with a service agreement; the reliable critical load support led X-FAB to order an additional unit (period not stated; as reported by Rolls-Royce).
Invited: Rolls-Royce Power Systems (mtu), with X-FAB Sarawak · Read the published case
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Invited
How Kapal Api’s new Semarang coffee plant rides through power fluctuations
Piller installed a 3,600 kW UPS with POWERBRIDGE flywheel storage at 20 kV, scalable in 1,800 kW units and with no batteries; commissioned and handed over at the end of May 2024, it saved space and cut capex and opex by removing the need for air conditioning (no figures given; as reported by Piller).
The problem: PT Santos Jaya Abadi’s new 20-hectare coffee factory needed protection from power fluctuations and short-term outages.
Published result: Piller installed a 3,600 kW UPS with POWERBRIDGE flywheel storage at 20 kV, scalable in 1,800 kW units and with no batteries; commissioned and handed over at the end of May 2024, it saved space and cut capex and opex by removing the need for air conditioning (no figures given; as reported by Piller).
Invited: Piller, with PT Santos Jaya Abadi (Kapal Api Global) · Read the published case
- Open slot
Your customer's story goes here.
Solved a plant problem in this category? Propose it for the program.
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Generator service & testing
Open: no story invited yet
"Invited" means invited: none of these companies has confirmed. Results are as published by the supplier; we ask every presenter for dates, baseline costs and verified results before the program is final.
“We're really excited and happy with the types of people we met. Many end users, many people motivated to make decisions about reducing their energy cost, putting power on site. And unlike a lot of other conferences we've gone to in the past, it's not just vendors talking to vendors. There's actually end users, facility leaders, engineering leaders, energy and sustainability leaders that attend and want to have thoughtful deep conversations about your product and how you help.”
Mike Norelli, Sales Leader, Distributed Power North America, GE. The photo is the Doosan fuel cell exhibit at a past FMA summit.
Real FMA Summit rooms. No stock photography.
Get in front of the decision makers, not the crowd.
Full package
- 15 guaranteed pre-scheduled meetings
- A 20-minute case-study session
- A fully furnished exhibit
- Your corporate dining table
- Three people at full access
Add meetings up to 40 at $1,500 each.
- Any booked meeting that doesn’t happen is added to your next summit, written into your sponsor agreement.
- Each summit is capped at 20 sponsors, each solving a different problem for the people in the room.
Want the category to yourself? Each summit is capped at 20 sponsors. To talk about your category, .
- Plant leaders ask to meet you. We seat the ones who asked at your table.
- Your booked meeting schedule arrives before the summit.
- Any booked meeting that doesn't happen is added to your next summit: miss 3, and you get 15 plus 3. It's written into your sponsor agreement.
- You get the delegate list 30 days before the summit: names, titles and companies.
- Three people are included with full access. Extra passes are $2,900 each.
Or pick only what you wantMeetings from $15,000, talk $15,000, exhibit $15,000, dining table $10,000
One category, one summit. Prices in USD. Whatever you pick includes three people with full access. Meetings are booked on an opt-in basis before the summit; any booked meeting that doesn't happen is added to your next summit.
No vendor walks the show. Solution providers attend only as sponsors. A vendor that has not sponsored cannot register, attend or work the room, so the plant leaders you meet are not being chased by your competitors in the hallway.
The ten questions every sponsor asks.
Past sponsors answer all ten in one 5-minute film. Pick a question and the film jumps to its answer.
Now ask your own questions.
Answered on camera by past FMA sponsors. Recorded at past FMA summits.
Who's behind it.
Started FMA in Montreal in 2007 and has run every summit himself: 35 of them, 17,000+ meetings. Capped at 20 sponsors per summit, meetings booked before anyone arrives, and no vendor walks the show.
Read the full story
Backup power sponsors were in 6 of the 35 summits. Every sponsor and speaker, as printed.
Open any programCapped at 20 sponsors per summit. The room is plant leaders, not other generator dealers.
Twenty minutes with Joe Piazza: who is coming to your summit, where your company fits among its 20 sponsors, and what the agreement says. The sponsor brief has the delegate profile, the full agenda and the itemized pricing.
35 summits since 2007. Joe Piazza, who founded FMA, runs every summit himself. The videos on this page are from past summits.