Fabricating Machinery Association, later renamed Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International® (FMA), was formed by Milo J. Pitkin in September 1970. The organization was supported by machinery builders with a common goal of providing non-partisan technical information on metal fabricating. FMA headquarters was in a basement of an office building in Rockford, Ill. In 1984, John Nandzik became President & CEO of FMA and served in that capacity until his retirement in 2002. Under his leadership, FMA moved to its current location at 833 Featherstone Road in Rockford. Gerald Shankel currently serves as FMA's President & CEO.

Throughout the years, FMA's educational focus required the addition of highly respected industry publications, an international tradeshow, conferences & educational events, and a technical research library.

Publications
In 1971, The FABRICATOR ® was launched as a 12-page newsprint tabloid. Today it is the official publication of FMA and the industry's main source for metal forming and fabricating news. The FABRICATOR has generated three spin-off magazines: STAMPING Journal ®, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal ®, Practical Welding Today ®.

FABTECH International / AWS Welding Show
In 1981, the FABTECH® International Exposition, co-sponsored by FMA & SME debuted as a regional trade show in September 1981 in Cleveland with just 161 exhibitors. At the time, there were two primary goals for the show:

• To bring metal forming and fabricating buyers and sellers together, in a convenient location, to exchange products and services; and
• To provide a forum to educate the industry on the latest technologies.

The goals have remained constant for more than 20 years, while the audience served has significantly grown. In 1983, FABTECH moved to Chicago, which remains its primary home. The AWS Show joined forces with FABTECH in 2004. Today FABTECH International / AWS Welding Show annually attracts attendees and exhibitors from more than 50 countries worldwide.