Executive Summits · by the Future of Manufacturing Alliance
Waste & Recycling Summit for Manufacturing Plants
Meet the plant leaders still paying to haul away what they could sell.
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, operations, EHS and sustainability leaders from Midwest manufacturers working on hauling costs, landfill fees and zero-landfill goals. Pre-scheduled 1-on-1 meetings. No expo hall.
The people who sign the PO for waste 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 hauling bill
- EHS ManagerHazardous waste
- Sustainability DirectorZero-landfill goals
- Operations ManagerScrap and dock space
- Purchasing ManagerWaste contracts
Where past delegates worked
Plant leaders at past FMA summits, by industry.
Industries we are inviting to this summit: Automotive and parts (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana) · Food and beverage (organics, packaging) · Metals and fabrication (scrap and chips) · Plastics and packaging (regrind, film, cardboard) · Paper and building products (by-products, pallets).
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.
- 14CovantaWaste and recycling · 14 summits
- 6Greenstar RecyclingWaste and recycling · 6 summits
- 5Shaw Environmental & InfrastructureWaste and recycling · 5 summits
- 4OAKLEAFWaste and recycling · 4 summits
- 3ERS InternationalWaste and recycling · 3 summits
- 2EcoSafe Zero WasteWaste and recycling · 2 summits
- 18US LED18 summits
- 17Kaeser Compressors17 summits
- 14Solution Dynamics14 summits
- 10Advanced Power Technologies10 summits
- 8Smardt Chiller Group8 summits
- 7LG Electronics7 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 · AgriPower 6 · Air Balance 2 · AmbiRad 3 · Ameresco 2 · Armstrong Fluid Technology 5 · Badger Meter 2 · BASF 7 · 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 · 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 · EQUIDEX Energy 7 · 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 Distributed Power 2 · GE Solar 2 · Gexpro 3 · GI Energy 2 · Green Ballast 2 · 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 · Optimum Energy 2 · Orion Energy Systems 2 · OSRAM SYLVANIA 5 · Pfister Energy 2 · PowerSecure 5 · Rinnai America 2 · Rockwell Automation 2 · ROXUL 2 · Rubicon Global 2 · SAP America 2 · Schneider Electric 6 · 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 delegates.
Their words, not ours.
“Every year we are able to find new partners to develop breakthrough projects”
Breitner MarczewskiDirector of Energy Engineering, General MotorsRead 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”
“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…”
Scott CullenAmericas Environmental Compliance Manager, Bostik“…full of opportunities to network with vendors I was interested in”
Read the whole quote
“I found the experience well organized and full of opportunities to network with vendors I was interested in.”
Warren 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.”
Kevin ButtGeneral Manager and Chief Environmental Officer, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.See 8 moreShow fewer
“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…”
Carrie BertolinoEnergy Analyst, UniFirst Corporation“As a global leader, it’s extremely important for me to stay current on technological advances. The FMA Summit brought current advances and best practices to me in an efficient 1.5 day event”
Maria WatsonSr. Manager Global Energy, Pall Corporation“The FMA Energy and Sustainability Summit provides valuable insight into where leaders in various industries are finding success in systems and processes that drive overall efficiencies and organizational sustainment.”
Brian SkrobarcekCorporate Director of Environmental Affairs, StandardAero“…We enjoyed attending your event and definitely appreciated presenting our LEED gold plant and our sustainability programs. … We definitely learned some things as well.”
Gregory ClarkDirector of Construction & Facilities Management, White Castle Management Co.“First time here, was impressed by many of the presenters and the issues they brought up and their solutions.”
Steven JonesElectrical Engineer, ITW Hi-Cone“First time Summit attendee. Great introduction to a number of topics important to Facility Managers of the Future.”
Alec BartolaiSustainability Program Manager, Sargento Foods, Inc.“I feel that a Summit like this adds to the tools needed to elevate my abilities and my company, to enable a better building/company.”
Reed GibsonFacilities Manager, Pall Corporation“I very much enjoyed participating in the summit…”
Kurtis 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 waste and recycling category has room for more. If you've solved a problem like these, your story belongs on this program.
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Recycling & by-productsInvited
Keeping 9,000 tons out of landfill while building Ford's new plant in Marshall, Michigan
Woodchuck's AI-sorted waste diversion, with contractor Walbridge: 8,000 tons of wood and 1,000 tons of cardboard, plastic and metal to be diverted from landfill over the project (projected), with 40% of the projected materials-related savings already reached in the first three months (construction phase, not plant operations; as reported by Woodchuck, March 20, 2026).
The problem: Wood waste was one of the most unpredictable waste streams on the construction of Ford's new manufacturing facility in Marshall, Michigan.
Published result: Woodchuck's AI-sorted waste diversion, with contractor Walbridge: 8,000 tons of wood and 1,000 tons of cardboard, plastic and metal to be diverted from landfill over the project (projected), with 40% of the projected materials-related savings already reached in the first three months (construction phase, not plant operations; as reported by Woodchuck, March 20, 2026).
Invited: Woodchuck and Walbridge, with Ford Motor Company · Read the published case
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Waste-to-energyInvited
Piping yogurt residuals next door for energy: Danone's plant in Minster, Ohio
A PurposeEnergy anaerobic digestion facility costing more than $40 million, now operational and ramping: up to 250,000 gallons a day, about 50,000 MMBtu of biogas a year and about 3,200 tons of CO2e displaced a year, plus about 720 U.S. tons of CO2e a year avoided compared with the old off-site route (projected; as reported by PurposeEnergy, October 2026).
The problem: Residuals and high-strength wastewater from the Minster yogurt plant were trucked off site for handling.
Published result: A PurposeEnergy anaerobic digestion facility costing more than $40 million, now operational and ramping: up to 250,000 gallons a day, about 50,000 MMBtu of biogas a year and about 3,200 tons of CO2e displaced a year, plus about 720 U.S. tons of CO2e a year avoided compared with the old off-site route (projected; as reported by PurposeEnergy, October 2026).
Invited: PurposeEnergy, with Danone North America · Read the published case
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Waste services & zero landfillInvited
How Subaru's Lafayette, Indiana assembly plant keeps all of its waste out of the landfill
Reworld's ReDirect360 zero waste-to-landfill program: all of the plant's waste is diverted from landfill, nearly 3,000 tons of unsalvageable material goes to fuel or energy recovery for Indianapolis' downtown heating loop, and waste per vehicle fell 53% in 15 years while costs fell by millions of dollars a year (date not shown; as reported by Reworld).
The problem: A 3.5 million sq ft car plant handling huge coils of steel and thousands of tons of metal, glass, electronics and packaging set out to send nothing to landfill.
Published result: Reworld's ReDirect360 zero waste-to-landfill program: all of the plant's waste is diverted from landfill, nearly 3,000 tons of unsalvageable material goes to fuel or energy recovery for Indianapolis' downtown heating loop, and waste per vehicle fell 53% in 15 years while costs fell by millions of dollars a year (date not shown; as reported by Reworld).
Invited: Reworld, with Subaru of America · Read the published case
See all 9 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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Waste services & zero landfill
3 stories invited · 1 open slot-
Invited
How Subaru's Lafayette, Indiana assembly plant keeps all of its waste out of the landfill
Reworld's ReDirect360 zero waste-to-landfill program: all of the plant's waste is diverted from landfill, nearly 3,000 tons of unsalvageable material goes to fuel or energy recovery for Indianapolis' downtown heating loop, and waste per vehicle fell 53% in 15 years while costs fell by millions of dollars a year (date not shown; as reported by Reworld).
The problem: A 3.5 million sq ft car plant handling huge coils of steel and thousands of tons of metal, glass, electronics and packaging set out to send nothing to landfill.
Published result: Reworld's ReDirect360 zero waste-to-landfill program: all of the plant's waste is diverted from landfill, nearly 3,000 tons of unsalvageable material goes to fuel or energy recovery for Indianapolis' downtown heating loop, and waste per vehicle fell 53% in 15 years while costs fell by millions of dollars a year (date not shown; as reported by Reworld).
Invited: Reworld, with Subaru of America · Read the published case
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Invited
From 65% to 91% diversion at one U.S. manufacturing site
Arcadia waste characterization studies, new bins, signage, training and recycling services for film, strapping and commingled materials: 91% diversion, average monthly trash down to 34 tons from 100 tons in 2021, and monthly recycling up to 350 tons from 186 (measured on Jan-May 2023 data; date not shown; as reported by Arcadia; customer not named).
The problem: A U.S. manufacturer had reached 65% waste diversion in 2021, well short of the 90% it needed for its zero-waste goal.
Published result: Arcadia waste characterization studies, new bins, signage, training and recycling services for film, strapping and commingled materials: 91% diversion, average monthly trash down to 34 tons from 100 tons in 2021, and monthly recycling up to 350 tons from 186 (measured on Jan-May 2023 data; date not shown; as reported by Arcadia; customer not named).
Invited: Arcadia · Read the published case
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Invited
Five million pounds kept out of landfills across Novolex's North American plants
RoadRunner's waste-to-landfill measurement program across the North American footprint: five million pounds of waste diverted, recycling rate up to 82% and waste to landfill down to 18% (period not stated; as reported by RoadRunner).
The problem: Packaging maker Novolex needed reliable data on how much of its waste was going to landfill and how much was really being recycled.
Published result: RoadRunner's waste-to-landfill measurement program across the North American footprint: five million pounds of waste diverted, recycling rate up to 82% and waste to landfill down to 18% (period not stated; as reported by RoadRunner).
Invited: RoadRunner, with Novolex · 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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Recycling & by-products
3 stories invited · 1 open slot-
Invited
Keeping 9,000 tons out of landfill while building Ford's new plant in Marshall, Michigan
Woodchuck's AI-sorted waste diversion, with contractor Walbridge: 8,000 tons of wood and 1,000 tons of cardboard, plastic and metal to be diverted from landfill over the project (projected), with 40% of the projected materials-related savings already reached in the first three months (construction phase, not plant operations; as reported by Woodchuck, March 20, 2026).
The problem: Wood waste was one of the most unpredictable waste streams on the construction of Ford's new manufacturing facility in Marshall, Michigan.
Published result: Woodchuck's AI-sorted waste diversion, with contractor Walbridge: 8,000 tons of wood and 1,000 tons of cardboard, plastic and metal to be diverted from landfill over the project (projected), with 40% of the projected materials-related savings already reached in the first three months (construction phase, not plant operations; as reported by Woodchuck, March 20, 2026).
Invited: Woodchuck and Walbridge, with Ford Motor Company · Read the published case
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Invited
A million pounds of contaminated cookie dough, composted for less at an Arkansas bakery
Vanguard found a composting outlet in Southern Missouri: a zero-landfill solution that cut the client's disposal spend by nearly $50,000 and the total cost of destruction by over 30% (one-off event; as reported by Vanguard Renewables; customer not named).
The problem: A baked-goods maker had to dispose of 1,000,000 pounds of contaminated cookie dough on 1,000 pallets, and animal feed was too risky.
Published result: Vanguard found a composting outlet in Southern Missouri: a zero-landfill solution that cut the client's disposal spend by nearly $50,000 and the total cost of destruction by over 30% (one-off event; as reported by Vanguard Renewables; customer not named).
Invited: Vanguard Renewables · Read the published case
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Invited
92% diversion at Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie, Oregon, with packaging scrap turned into building blocks
Packaging scrap goes to ByFusion, which presses it into ByBlocks, and food waste goes to animal feed: 92% diversion, 5,803 tons diverted from landfill and 2,913 tons of food waste repurposed in 2025, company-wide (as reported by Resource Recycling).
The problem: The grain miller wanted to keep its packaging scrap and food waste out of the landfill.
Published result: Packaging scrap goes to ByFusion, which presses it into ByBlocks, and food waste goes to animal feed: 92% diversion, 5,803 tons diverted from landfill and 2,913 tons of food waste repurposed in 2025, company-wide (as reported by Resource Recycling).
Invited: ByFusion, with Bob's Red Mill · 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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Compactors & balers
1 story invited · 1 open slot-
Invited
A leaking compactor, a new baler and no more oil spills at a chip plant in Muskego, Wisconsin
A 60-month lease for a new compactor and receiver box and a 60-inch vertical baler, with organics sent to animal feed: spill liability eliminated and annual expenses reduced; no figures given (as reported by Vanguard Renewables; customer not named).
The problem: A leaking compactor and receiver box were spilling avocado oil next to a retention pond, drawing pressure from the Wisconsin DNR, and the plant had no cardboard recycling.
Published result: A 60-month lease for a new compactor and receiver box and a 60-inch vertical baler, with organics sent to animal feed: spill liability eliminated and annual expenses reduced; no figures given (as reported by Vanguard Renewables; customer not named).
Invited: Vanguard Renewables · 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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Waste-to-energy
2 stories invited · 1 open slot-
Invited
Piping yogurt residuals next door for energy: Danone's plant in Minster, Ohio
A PurposeEnergy anaerobic digestion facility costing more than $40 million, now operational and ramping: up to 250,000 gallons a day, about 50,000 MMBtu of biogas a year and about 3,200 tons of CO2e displaced a year, plus about 720 U.S. tons of CO2e a year avoided compared with the old off-site route (projected; as reported by PurposeEnergy, October 2026).
The problem: Residuals and high-strength wastewater from the Minster yogurt plant were trucked off site for handling.
Published result: A PurposeEnergy anaerobic digestion facility costing more than $40 million, now operational and ramping: up to 250,000 gallons a day, about 50,000 MMBtu of biogas a year and about 3,200 tons of CO2e displaced a year, plus about 720 U.S. tons of CO2e a year avoided compared with the old off-site route (projected; as reported by PurposeEnergy, October 2026).
Invited: PurposeEnergy, with Danone North America · Read the published case
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Invited
How Johnsonville's food waste in the Milwaukee area becomes energy at a Wisconsin dairy farm
Johnsonville's organic waste goes to Vanguard's new anaerobic digester at Dinnerbell Farms in Eden, Wisconsin, which will process more than 100,000 tons a year of Milwaukee-area food and beverage waste; no Johnsonville-specific figures given (as reported by Wisconsin State Farmer).
The problem: Sausage maker Johnsonville wanted a responsible way to keep its food waste out of the landfill.
Published result: Johnsonville's organic waste goes to Vanguard's new anaerobic digester at Dinnerbell Farms in Eden, Wisconsin, which will process more than 100,000 tons a year of Milwaukee-area food and beverage waste; no Johnsonville-specific figures given (as reported by Wisconsin State Farmer).
Invited: Vanguard Renewables, with Johnsonville · 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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"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.
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
Waste and recycling sponsors were in 19 of the 35 summits. Every sponsor and speaker, as printed.
Open any programCovanta sponsored 14 times. The summit is capped at 20 sponsors.
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.