APICS' "thirty-something" years were marked by growth and new initiatives. By 1978, APICS membership rose to more than 27,000, and as a partial consequence, region boundaries were redefined and the number of regions increased from 10 to 14. "Special Interest Groups" were officially recognized and later evolved into the SIGs. The APICS International Conference and Exhibition was held in Hollywood, Fla.; the 149 educational sessions drew more than 3,700 attendees.

During this period, APICS' role as a provider of valuable economic information began to take shape. Noted economist Michael Evans was contracted to prepare a monthly economic column for the APICS magazine, thus beginning his long association with the society. Some 15 years later APICS and Evans unveiled the APICS Business Outlook Index -- a valuable economic forecast respected by Wall Street and the financial news media.

The early 1980s witnessed the launch of IBM's personal computer and NASA's first space shuttle, Columbia. APICS membership soared as well to more than 46,000 and APICS purchased and moved to its present headquarters in Falls Church, Va. As America faced stiffening international competition from Europe and the Far East, APICS began publication of The Production and Inventory Management Journal and the Journal of Operations Management. These publications offered the latest information about manufacturing to help companies meet the challenges of the global economy.

APICS continued to broaden its international scope as Israel, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Japan became international affiliates. In addition, James Kelleher, CPIM, 1982 APICS president, headed up a study mission to Japan to discuss and evaluate the latest trends in manufacturing.

In 1984 the Summer Olympics returned to the United States for the first time in more than half a century, and the Los Angeles games were a great success. Technology continued to advance as the words "Macintosh" and "mouse" no longer solely described a type of apple or a rodent. Meanwhile, the Applied Manufacturing Education Series, popularly known as AMES, was developed to bring APICS education in-house at manufacturing sites.

By the mid-'80s, the APICS Educational and Research (E&R) Foundation took ownership of the "Castle" in Wilmerding, Pa. -- a gift from the Westinghouse Corp. The Castle became the APICS Training Center where educational workshops are held year round.

APICS closed out its third decade in 1987 with a look toward the future. Certification in integrated resource management was identified as a program APICS should consider embracing. The concept became a reality some four years later with the unveiling of CIRM.

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