What you should know about the

CASMI was founded in 1944 as a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to the development of good business practices, and sharing of technical information through ongoing communications among the job-shop spring manufacturers in the Greater Chicago area. Membership now includes 65 companies in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

• CASMI sponsors the SPRING WORLD® Trade Show every two years. New technology presented at this event brings thousands of people to the Chicago area from all over the world. With the first show in 1959, it has become the largest gathering of the Spring Manufacturing and Wire Forming Industry anywhere at one time! Over 150 exhibiting companies demonstrate machinery; show raw materials, test equipment, software and other products and services. SPRING WORLD 2006 was very successful.
• SPRING WORLD 2008 and Wire Forming will be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois, October 15-17, 2008. (Check out www.springworld.org for information.) CASMI has expanded the show to include Wire Forming exhibits. It is expected that an increasing number of Wire Forming Companies will attend in 2008 and subsequent years.
• CASMI Member companies enjoy eight monthly dinner meetings annually. These meetings are informative with management and technical subjects covered by outside speakers and member participation.
• CASMI members and suppliers come together at annual events, including two golf outings, an annual dinner dance, and various additional activities. These are popular activities that have become highlights on every industry calendar.
• A monthly newsletter, called CASMI Connections, is mailed to CASMI members and a special version is sent to Suppliers. This provides information on CASMI activities and industry news.
• One of CASMI's most successful activities is the Scholarship Program open to dependents of employees of the member companies. In 2006, CASMI awarded twenty $2,000 scholarships, bringing the total of CASMI Scholarships to $475,000 since the program was started in 1989. This has become an important employee benefit for member companies. It is made possible by the participation of the entire industry in the SPRING WORLD® show.
• CASMI Member Companies enjoy a "Tuition Reimbursement Program" started in 1999. This is a means of encouraging participation in key educational programs sponsored by the Spring Manufacturers Institute and other viable programs. It provides limited reimbursement for each student attending an educational program, and costs of SMI Spring Design software and safety training videos.