Columbus McKinnon Corporation, designer, manufacturer and marketer of material handling products, systems and services, recently held its 2016 North American Strategic Partner Conference with Channel Partners from across the United States and Canada. Held in Las Vegas, Nevada, the conference featured a number of guest speakers who presented on critical business topics such as the state of the North American economy, trends in the industrial marketplace and an overview of the material handling industry. CMCO’s global product management team hosted new product sessions, offering hands-on demonstrations and insight into the company’s innovative new product development initiatives. “Our network of value-add Channel Partners is a key component of our go-to-market strategy,” said Steve Vitello, Executive Director of Sales & Marketing, CMCO Hoist & Rigging – North America. “We considered this conference an investment in this very critical asset and an excellent opportunity to share important business and product information that will benefit them and, ultimately, our end-users.” The three-day event was highlighted by a keynote address from former major league baseball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist, Jim Abbott, who spoke about overcoming adversity to achieve success.