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SME Announces Cleveland '97 APEX

20 October 1997

Cleveland '97 APEX Brings Latest Machine Tools and Metalworking Equipment To Ohio and Initiates $15 Million Impact to Cleveland Economy

    CLEVELAND, Oct. 20 -- The Cleveland '97 Advanced Productivity
Exposition (APEX), slated for Oct. 21-23 at the International Exposition (I-X)
Center in Cleveland, brings the latest machine tools and metalworking
technologies to Northeast Ohio, a vital manufacturing center in the Midwest.
    The first of three major manufacturing expositions the Society of
Manufacturing Engineers (SME) has scheduled at the I-X Center, the Cleveland
APEX will be followed by FABTECH International (forming & fabricating) in
November of 1998 and the Finishing show (finishing processes & coatings) in
May of 1999.  According to the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Greater
Cleveland, the Cleveland APEX will bring nearly five million dollars to
Cleveland's economy, with all three shows combined contributing an estimated
$15 million.
    Among some 220 exhibitors are more than 85 firms from Northeast Ohio
including:  Reynolds Machinery and Virtual Mfg. (Brunswick); CNC Sales &
Applications, Motch Corp., Tipton Machinery and Yamazen (Cleveland); CAD/CAM
Solutions (Eastlake); Compass Technologies (N. Olmsted); and Gosiger and
Methods Machinery (Solon).
    Show hours are: Oct. 21, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Oct. 22, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and
Oct. 23, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
    The Cleveland '97 APEX features machine tool builders, regional
distributors and other exhibits demonstrating two million pounds of the latest
manufacturing equipment and processes in some 63,000 square-feet of exhibit
space.
    Accompanying the exposition are nine SME-sponsored technical courses
discussing advanced manufacturing technologies and processes.
    In addition to conferences and expositions, SME supports Ohio's
manufacturing sector through local chapter activities and numerous
contributions to engineering-related education.  Over the last two years, the
SME Education Foundation (SME-EF) has donated in excess of $2.3 million to
Ohio universities.
    The Cleveland '97 APEX is Ohio's largest machine tool and metalworking
exposition and is sponsored by SME, the American Machine Tool Distributors'
Association (AMTDA), and AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
APEX events bring together builders, distributors and users of machine tools
and metalworking equipment in key regional markets.

SOURCE  Society of Manufacturing Engineers