Enhance Your Manufacturing M&A Dealmakers Experience

Exclusive Manufacturing Peer Network Meeting

For CEOs, COOs, General Managers and VPs of Corporate Strategy

Take Your Company to the Next Level

Profit from the power of a board of peer advisors

Running a manufacturing company places you in a distinct group of leaders. While many executives find value in peer interactions, there’s a unique dynamic when leaders of similarly scaled manufacturing firms exchange insights. There is a shorthand among such leaders, comprised of shared experiences, predictable challenges and, more often than not, hard-won solutions.

CEN (a division of Chief Executive Group) established this network over 30 years ago to offer leaders of manufacturing companies access to unbiased advice, fresh ideas, and support on pressing strategic, organizational, board, and personal leadership challenges.

It’s noteworthy that CEN members average 30% higher profit margins and more than 2x the growth rate of their industry peers. With CEN, you’ll refine your strategic, operational, and leadership techniques, ensuring your priorities are aligned for maximum impact.

MEETING AGENDA

Breakout groups for the roundtable discussions and ex-officio board sessions are carefully curated based on participants’ titles, non-competing companies, and company size (measured by revenue). These sessions are moderated by professional facilitators to ensure productive and engaging discussions.

1:30 – 3:45 pm

Roundtable Discussions

4:00 – 5:45 pm

Ex-Officio Board Session

6:00 – 7:00 pm

Networking Reception

7:00 – 8:00 pm

Dinner

7:15 – 7:45 am

Working Breakfast

7:45 – 10:45 am

Ex-Officio Board Session

10:45 – 11:00 am

Meeting Best Practices Report

11:00 am

Adjourn

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Sample discussion topics (members vote on which topics they would like to discuss prior to the meeting)

Mergers and Acquisitions Best Practices

  • How do you manage multiple buyers and get the best offer for the company?
  • Buy-side: strategy, transaction (including diligence), post M&A integration
  • Sell-side, especially PE
  • Joint ventures with competitors or complementary companies?

 

Best Practices for Developing & Retaining Talent

  • How do you evaluate the experience level of internal talent compared to outside talent who has jumped around during their career?
  • Do you use 3rd parties to evaluate your current talent and if so, who?
  • What successful incentive comp strategies are you currently using?
  • What are some best practices for incentivizing and retaining senior management during an exit process?

Upper Management Interactions

  • What methods are helpful to encourage open communication about negative issues, either in an organization generally or even within a management group?
  • What’s the best and characteristics & timing of moving a manager or director to a VP Level?
  • Best practices for use of time, resources and follow up

 

AI Uses For Competitive Advantage

  • Does anyone use AI for scheduling a machine shop, costing or pricing?
  • What areas provide the easiest/fastest adoption, which areas provide the best ROI?
  • How can AI optimize your customer acquisition strategies and improve conversion rates?
  • What metrics and KPIs will you use to track the impact of AI on your business growth?

EX-OFFICIO BOARD

In this session each member can describe one key issue in which they would like input/advice from the group. Given that each member runs a similar operation, the input received from this session is confidential and extremely valuable. It allows for scenario planning in a safe environment, and many key decisions are made here.

Examples of ex-officio topics:

  • Given the recent volatility in raw material pricing, how are you negotiating supplier contracts to lock in cost stability while maintaining flexibility in sourcing?
  • We’re considering implementing a robotics-based assembly process, but the upfront investment is significant. For those who have done this, how did you calculate ROI, and what were the biggest hidden costs or challenges?
  • We’ve seen an increase in turnover among skilled machine operators. What specific retention strategies—beyond pay increases—have worked for you to improve engagement and reduce churn?
  • We are at 85% capacity utilization and evaluating whether to expand our current facility or open a second location. What operational and financial factors were most critical in your decision to expand?
  • For those who have acquired a smaller competitor, what were the key integration missteps you wish you had avoided, and how did you align operational processes quickly?

REGISTER NOW

CEN Manufacturing Meeting | Chicago 2025

$995.00

If a significant conflict with an attending company is identified, a full refund will be provided.

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Revenue, Employee Count and Business Challenge is confidential and used to determine peer groups.

Category:
Roundtable

Strategic Planning Workshop

1:00 - 5:00 pm

Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

  1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
  2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
  3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

 

Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

2:00 - 5:00 pm

Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

Limited space available.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

Golf Outing

10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS

General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.