NIBA Technical Training Seminars
Hands-On Learning. World Class Trainers.
Training Schedule at a Glance
Key Principles of Lightweight Belting
April 22-23, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI
October 14-15, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI
Lightweight Splice School
April 24-25, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI
October 16-17, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI
Heavyweight Splice School
October 21-23, 2025 | Nazareth, PA
Track, Train, Troubleshoot for Heavyweight Belting
May 20-21, 2025 | Albemarle, NC
Real-world knowledge is among the most valuable assets your team can have. And with workforce constraints and high demand, access to training is more essential than ever.
But on-the-job training isn’t always enough.
Qualified trainers are not always accessible. And a dedicated and safe space for your team to learn theory and practice alongside a cohort of their peers? That’s even harder to arrange.
That’s where NIBA Technical Training Seminars come in. For years, NIBA has brought expert trainers, world-class facilities, and belting professionals of all levels together for hands-on learning that teaches practical skills that deliver immediate returns.
Key Principles and Best Practices of Lightweight Belting
This course helps you avoid common and costly failures in the field. Learn the features and benefits of various styles of lightweight belting, discuss common industry standards, and more during two days of classroom work.
When It's Offered
April 22-23, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI
October 14-15, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI
Trainers
- Don Rabb - Director Sales Operations, Chemprene
- Chad Ackerman - Strategic Accounts Manager, Flexco
- Mike Wieland - Vice President of Sales, Mulhern Belting, Inc.
- Sander Romers - Light Duty Marketing Field Specialist, Flexco
- Mark Green - Marketing Field Specialist, Flexco
Lightweight Splice School
When It's Offered
April 24-25, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI
October 16-17, 2025 | Grand Rapids, MI
Trainers
- Don Rabb - Director Sales Operations, Chemprene
- Chad Ackerman - Strategic Accounts Manager, Flexco
- Mike Wieland - Vice President of Sales, Mulhern Belting, Inc.
- Sander Romers - Light Duty Marketing Field Specialist, Flexco
- Mark Green - Marketing Field Specialist, Flexco
Heavyweight Splice School
This interactive classroom session details industry standards on belt conveyor operation. You'll learn real-world tips to maximize belt life from instructors with more than 75 years of combined industry experience.
When It's Offered
October 21-23, 2025 | Nazareth, PA
Trainers
- Mike Hesslau - Territory Sales Manager, Flexco
- Brad Bundy - Territory Sales Manager - Mountain West, Shaw Almex Industries
- Gary Dech - Global Technical Sales Manager, The Almex Group
- Steve Tate -Sales, Application & Training Specialist, Viacore
Track, Train, Troubleshoot for Heavyweight Belting
This interactive classroom session details industry standards on belt conveyor operation. You'll learn real-world tips to maximize belt life from instructors with more than 75 years of combined industry experience.
When It's Offered
May 20-21, 2025 | Albemarle, NC
Trainers
- Buddy Wilson - Quality Assurance Manager, Southeastern Conveyor Services, Inc.
- Mike Hesslau - Territory Sales Manager, Flexco
- Pete Radding - VP Engineering & Supply Chain, Viacore
Meet the Trainers
Brad Bundy
Territory Sales Manager - Mountain West, Shaw Almex Industries
With extensive experience spanning over a decade in the belting industry, Brad Bundy has evolved from a field vulcanizer to various leadership roles, including technical trainer and operational manager. Now serving as a territory manager with the Almex Group, Brad is committed to enhancing splice and technical training. His hands-on approach prioritizes Safety, Quality, and Efficiency, evident in his global splice training, procedure authoring, and tooling development, all underscored by his dedication to ongoing learning and improvement.
Buddy Wilson
Quality Assurance Manager, Southeastern Conveyor Services. Inc.
With 22 years in the belting industry, Buddy Wilson brings expertise from various roles, including sales, applications engineering, and international project management. He excels in conveyor troubleshooting and optimization, currently leading the start-up of Motion Industries’ Birmingham Belt Shop and providing tailored training programs. Buddy's technical prowess is showcased through his published papers in the NIBA Beltline.
Chad Ackerman
Strategic Accounts Manager, Flexco
Chad Ackerman brings a wealth of industry experience to his new role as Strategic Accounts Manager at Flexco, having recently transitioned from a successful five-year tenure at Ammeraal Beltech. With a proven track record, Chad specializes in cultivating strategic relationships and devising tailored solutions for both end-user and distributor clientele across diverse sectors.
Don Rabb
Director Sales Operations, Chemprene
Don Rabb brings a wealth of industry experience to his current role as Eastern Regional Manager at Chemprene, where he has served for 9 years. Prior to this, he spent a decade at Forbo-Siegling in a Sales capacity. With a total of 19 years of expertise in LW Belting, Don is adept at leveraging his extensive experience. He is dedicated to sharing invaluable insights and knowledge in his teaching role.
Gary Dech
Global Technical Sales Manager, The Almex Group
With over 35 years in the conveyor belting industry, Gary Dech excels in splicing, sales, and application engineering for both heavyweight and lightweight belting, plus peripheral equipment like pulleys, idlers, and belt cleaning components. Serving as the Global Technical Sales Manager for The Almex Group, Gary has successfully facilitated and led multi-day conveyor belt splice training classes across three continents. Renowned for his experience, humor, and approachable demeanor, Gary brings a lighthearted yet professional touch to any training or technical seminar he conducts.
Mark Green
Light Duty Marketing Field Specialist, Flexco
Green has been with Flexco for more than 25 years, working in various roles such as manufacturing, ISO9001 implementation, engineering support, project management and more. In his current position, Green works with a variety of departments at Flexco in a global capacity to conduct internal and external product testing, develop and conduct product training and demonstrations, and is the customer service liaison to answer technical questions from the customers and convey customer feedback to the product team.
Michael Wieland
Vice President of Sales, Mulhern Belting, Inc.
As the Vice President of Sales at Mulhern Belting, Inc., Michael Wieland brings over 30 years of comprehensive experience collaborating with distributors and OEMs across various sectors within the belting industry. With expertise in both lightweight and heavyweight belting, Michael's background spans critical industries such as food, automotive, and aggregate, demonstrating a versatile and accomplished career trajectory.
Mike Hesslau
Territory Sales Manager, Flexco
Michael Hesslau brings 24 years of dedicated service to Flexco. Initially in Customer Service/Inside Sales for nine years, he transitioned to the marketing department, where he excelled in creating, writing, filming, and editing training videos and led Flexco's BCP training classes. For eight years, he traveled across North America and Asia, collaborating to provide training, troubleshoot issues, facilitate installations, and drive sales. As Flexco's Territory Sales Manager for the past five years, he consistently delivers exceptional results in Northern Illinois, Southern/Eastern Wisconsin, and Eastern Iowa.
Pete Radding
Vice President of Supply Chain & Engineering, Viacore Solutions
With an impressive 26-year career in the conveyor belt industry, Radding has excelled in application engineering, product development, and commercial functions like marketing and sales. His diverse expertise uniquely qualifies him to offer valuable insights and guidance to professionals navigating this dynamic industry.
Sander Romers
Light Duty Marketing Field Specialist, Flexco
Joining Flexco in 2010 with two decades of industry expertise, Romers brings a wealth of knowledge to his role. As a global technical support specialist for the light-duty fastener and endless splicing product lines, he traverses the globe, offering invaluable assistance. Romers leads both internal and external product testing and instructs at distributor training schools and employee onboarding sessions. He collaborates with product teams to prioritize customer needs in crafting Flexco products.
Steve Tate
Sales, Application & Training Specialist,
Viacore
Steve began in the belting industry in 1989 working for distribution in the Appalachian coal fields. Starting in the belt shop and moving up through the ranks in field service, he found a love for problem solving that allowed him to go beyond the service truck and into sales. Steve now spends his time with Viacore as a corporate service training specialist and as a technical solutions specialist for mining in the Appalachian coal region.
Tom Archer
Vice President and Sales Manager
Vaughn Belting
Tom Archer is Vice President and Sales Manager for Vaughn Belting Co. He has spent over 30 years in the belting industry working for both Manufacturers and Distributors. With a specialty in paper manufacturing and converting, Tom has been engineering and troubleshooting belting in paper mills for his entire career. With a focus on lightweight and nylon core belting, his experience in the industry helps him solve problems and create positive results for the customer. Tom is a graduate of Western Carolina University with a degree in finance.