OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS, U.S. — The International Association of Operative Millers’ (IAOM) board of directors approved the creation of a Southeast Asia District during the Association’s 115th annual conference and expo on May 2 in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Rajkumar Garg, president of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India, and representative of the new district’s Leadership Council, submitted a letter to the board of directors requesting that the new district be formally recognized.

“The regional interest in creating a new district was evident during the inaugural district meeting last year in Phuket, Thailand,” stated IAOM 2010-11 President Bart Hahlweg. “We are excited about extending the network and broadening the reach of IAOM into Asia. As an organization built on fellowship and cooperation, the addition of the milling community across Southeast Asia is an important step in IAOM’s development.”


The District’s Leadership Council, selected at the inaugural meeting in 2010, has already starting working on the convening of a second meeting. The upcoming meeting is scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 1, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bali, Indonesia. The 2nd annual conference will feature two days of technical sessions, along with an expo of the industry’s leading equipment manufacturers and suppliers. Ashok Sarkar, chair of the IAOM Global Strategies Committee, will work with the District’s Leadership Council to identify potential topics and speakers for the fall meeting.

The Leadership Council members and information regarding the upcoming meeting will be available onthe district’s webpage.