Overview
Casting buyer behavior is changing faster than most teams realize. Government policy is reshaping manufacturing investment, artificial intelligence is changing how buyers research suppliers, customer expectations continue to grow, and your competitors are responding to the ever-evolving market and consumer needs.
Your foundry's growth no longer depends solely on producing exceptional castings. It depends on understanding where the market is going, how customers make their decisions, and how sales and marketing work together to create competitive advantage.
The 2026 Foundry Marketing & Sales Conference was built to help foundry leaders stay ahead of the curve and be the leaders of market standards.
Why Attend?
Over one-and-a-half days, you’ll learn how to turn customer conversations, market trends, and commercial data into better strategic business decisions.
Whether your organization has a dedicated marketing department or individuals wearing multiple hats handling marketing duties, you’ll leave with practical insights you can apply immediately to your daily workflow.
At the conclusion of this event, attendees will learn how to:
- Recognize market shifts before you’re forced to react.
- Understand what’s driving demand across key casting markets.
- Turn sales conversations into actionable market intelligence.
- Analyze customer buying behavior and sales cycles.
- Build practical go-to-market strategies that support business growth.
- Strengthen alignment between sales and marketing.
- Apply AI and simple commercial tools to improve visibility and decision-making.
- Develop a marketing plan grounded in real customer and market data.
Who Should Attend?
Designed for foundry professionals responsible for developing marketing strategy and commercial growth, including:
Foundry Presidents & General Managers
CEOs, CROs, CCOs, and Vice Presidents of Sales & Marketing
Sales Managers
Sales Engineers
Business Development Leaders
Marketing Managers & Coordinators
Location
Hotel Information
- Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Chicago Schaumburg
-
Schaumburg, IL
-
$157 per night + fees
Conference Agenda
Missy Gruwell
Global Product Marketing and Communications Manager
Simpson Technologies
Focus:
- Why foundries struggle with sales visibility and marketing planning
- The role of data in improving sales outcomes
- How this conference helps you build a practical marketing plan
Irene Henderson
Global Commodity Manager
Fairbanks Morse Defense
Christopher Pfenning
Director - Procurement
Copeland
Focus:
- Current market trends across automotive, agriculture, aerospace, construction, heavy truck
- Understanding sales cycles by industry
- What triggers customers to evaluate new foundry suppliers
Robert Muller
Supplier Quality Manager
Komatsu
Focus:
- Real buying behaviors and decision drivers
- Examples of buying triggers
- Common early-stage customer questions
- Examples of sales cycle behaviors
- How messaging gaps impact sales success
- Website and forward-facing platforms up to scale?
- Customer segmentation and how they purchase
Jill Trider
Consultant
Focus:
- Using sales activity as a source of market data
- Capturing insights from key accounts and opportunities
- Identifying patterns in customer questions and needs
Moderator: 
Alexandria Trusov
Marketing Principla & Owner
TruInsights Consulting LLC
Panel:
Andrew Halonen
President
Amatrium, Inc.
Denise Korbol
Director, Sales Operations
Waupaca
Jamie Bolton
Sr. Manager Business Development
Kohler
Focus:
- Simple tools (CRM, spreadsheets, AI-assisted summaries)
- How to track buying signals and customer interactions
- Organizing data for visibility and repeat use
- Understanding your lead generation pipeline
Sara Timm
Chief Strategy Officer & Fractional Marketing Advisor
Timmco Advisory
Focus:
The session will cover the essential components of a plan: objectives, strategies, channels, tactics, budget, responsibilities, timelines and KPIs. Participants will also learn how to establish a realistic budget based on their goals, priorities and available resources.
Towanda Long
Director of Marketing
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company
Focus:
- What marketing actually means in a foundry environment
- Core elements: positioning, messaging, visibility
- What works vs. what doesn’t
Jeff Trattner
Consultant
Registration
AFS Member:
$275 Early Registration (Ends 10/13/2026)
$375 Standard Registration
Non-AFS Member:
$425 Early Registration (Ends 10/13/2026)
$550 Standard Registration
AFS presents a variety of technical and management conferences (in both in-person and virtual formats). The refund policy for AFS conferences is as follows: 1) Substitutions are accepted at no charge at any time up until the start of the conference; 2) Full refunds are offered if AFS is notified in writing of cancellation at least 30 days in advance of the conference. No refunds or credits are available for less than 30 days written notice.