Save the date for the 2026 HSI Hands-on-Training in Cleveland, OH
HSI Hands-On: October 20-21, 2026
This annual HSI Hands-On program was designed to promote and develop an understanding and adoption of HSI guidelines and best practices in hose design and fabrication. Attendees participated in a series of interactive presentations, visited distributor locations for hands-on exercises, and toured a manufacturer’s warehouse.
2026 Agenda
Sessions will include:
STAMPED – Industrial Hose & Fittings
STAMPED – Hydraulic Hose & Fittings
This session will provide an introduction to the STAMPED process and its application to hydraulic fluid conveyance systems. Attendees will learn how proper application information helps ensure the selection of the right hose and fitting for the job. Topics will include hydraulic hose construction, hose types and their intended applications, common fitting end connections, and where hydraulic hose assemblies are used in real-world equipment. The session will also include a high-level overview of the hydraulic hose manufacturing process, providing insight into how hose design and construction influence performance, reliability, and service life.
Breakout Groups: Problem Solving with STAMPED
Put your STAMPED knowledge into action! In this breakout session, participants can ask questions and work together to help determine the appropriate hose, fittings, and assembly solutions for their customers’ needs. There will be discussions about key questions to ask customers, identify critical application requirements, and apply the STAMPED methodology to make informed product recommendations.
Visual Inspection Guide Review
The Visual Hose and Fitting Inspection portion on the hands-on Training will review the upcoming release of the Visual Hose and Fittings Inspection Guild along with a true hands-on review of various hose assemblies associated with different markets and applications.
The class will have the opportunity to observe samples with potential issues from pre and post assembly as well as failure from field applications.
“Touching All Of The Bases” – Strategies For Getting to “YES” With End Users
This session will focus on the importance of identifying roles at an End User Account, and developing a strategy for each, which will lead to successful account partnership, and repeat business beyond just the order capture. The smart Salesperson knows that in order to get beyond the “bidding on every order” process, you need to develop and implement a plan to get beyond that Purchasing Agent’s final “Yes or No” on quotations. For every account there are: Decision Maker(s), Decision Influencer(s), Door Keeper(s), and Financial Accessors. Each of the people in these roles need to have their specific issues, needs, and concerns identified and addressed, prior to full support of a proposal, plan, order commitment or continuous business relationship building, which of course leads to more on-going business where the price or quote becomes almost an afterthought, and you provide something which may leave your competition behind!
This session will teach you how to develop a unique consultative selling strategy to manage these various “touch points” at each account. Through use of these strategies, the savvy Salesperson is building a cadre of $ value documentation and partnership preference, whereby what you and your organization can do, creates a preferential position with them beyond just singular quote requests. Eventually a summary of any activities will ultimately result in Account acknowledgement of the value you will bring through providing that partnership expertise.
Industry Topic Panel Discussion
Onsite Visits
Shamrock Hose & Fittings
Hands-On Training Session
Attendees will spend a half day at Shamrock Hose & Fittings applying what they learned in the classroom to a real industrial distributor environment.
The session will begin with a guided facility tour, giving attendees a look at Shamrock’s day-to-day operations and the role industrial distributors play in the hose industry.
After the tour, attendees will rotate through five hands-on stations:
- Hydraulic hose assembly identification using STAMPED
- Hydraulic hose assembly fabrication using NAHAD HSI guidelines
- Industrial hose assembly identification using STAMPED
- Industrial hose assembly fabrication using NAHAD HSI guidelines
- Parker Hannifin hose safety presentation
This session is designed to connect classroom instruction with practical experience, giving attendees a clearer understanding of hose safety, proper assembly procedures, and industrial distribution.
ContiTech
Manufacturer Masterclass
Join the ContiTech team for an immersive, in-depth training experience designed to elevate your technical knowledge and strengthen your selling capabilities.
This session begins in our Customer Experience Center and global laboratory in Fairlawn, OH, where you’ll explore the foundational stages of rubber compound development and gain insight into how formulations influence hose performance in real-world applications.
You’ll then participate in a hands-on, interactive experience within our Mindset Transformation Room, focused on hose failure analysis—equipping you with the tools to better diagnose issues and guide customers toward the right solutions.
Finally, we’ll highlight the critical role of Asset Management through our advanced digital platform, demonstrating how tagging, identification, and tracking technologies enhance efficiency, reliability, and long-term value for your customers.
Scott Bauman, Danfoss Power Solutions
Scott Bauman is the Rubber Hydraulics Hose & Fittings Product Manager and Product Application Engineering Manager at Danfoss Power Solutions. He has spent his entire career in the fluid conveyance business.
Scott joined as an Engineering Co-Op before completing his degree and becoming a full time Product Application Engineer in 2014. Since then, he has held roles in Program Management and now Product Management. Scott is currently located in the Maumee, Ohio Technical Center, but has previously worked in Van Wert, Ohio and Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Scott earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree from Ohio Northern University in 2014 and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Cincinnati in 2021. Additionally, he is a certified Professional Engineer (PE) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
Heath Harris, ContiTech
Heath Harris is Head of Global Labs – Americas at ContiTech, a role he has held since September 2024. Heath began his career with Veyance Technologies in 2014 as a material developer, joining shortly before the company was acquired by Continental that same year. He spent the next decade compounding rubber, primarily for conveyor belt and industrial hose products, working hands-on across manufacturing plants to formulate and optimize compounds for performance and processability. In early 2024, he transitioned into test method development, building on his deep expertise in rheological and fire-performance characterization, before being appointed later that year to lead ContiTech’s central R&D and technology lab in Fairlawn, OH — overseeing testing and analytical support for both R&D and production across the company’s North American operations. A chemical engineer by training, Heath earned his degree from the University of Akron, where he also competed in cross country and track. He resides in Copley, OH with his wife Kristen, their daughter Julia, and their son Cameron.
Brent Lilly, PT Coupling
Brent Lilly is a 43-year veteran of the Fluid Power & Conveyance, Hose/Accessories, Motion Control, and Power Transmission segments within the Industrial Marketplace. During that time, he has worked for industry leaders such as: The Gates Corporation, Titan Hose, Parker Hannifin, HBD/Thermoid, and PT Coupling. Brent is PT’s Vice President- Sales & Marketing, in that capacity he manages all employees and activities for their Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service Teams. In addition, he has served a 4-year term on the NAHAD Board of Directors and is currently the Chairman of the NAHAD Education Committee.
Over the course of his career Brent has participated as a Trainer, Presenter, and Panelist for Conferences, Training Sessions, and Workshops. He has also authored several articles featured in industry publications, covering a variety of topics in his areas of expertise.
Katlyn Ricciardo, Premier Industrial Hose
Katlyn Ricciardo started her professional career as an educator in the private sector, managing a small team of teachers and behavioral therapists at a school for children with autism. Almost 6 years ago, Ricciardo made the 180° switch to the specialty industrial hose industry, bringing with her the mind and heart of an educator to a US sales position. Throughout her time with Premier Industrial Hose Manufacturing Ltd, Katlyn has continued to bring emphasis to expanded opportunities for learning to her colleagues, clients, and prospects. She is in her second term serving on the Education Committee for NAHAD and enjoys having the opportunity to help shape the future of the industry through educational opportunities for members.
Ben Tracey, ContiTech
Ben Tracey is Head of Product Management – Fluid Handling Solutions – Americas at ContiTech, a role he has held since September 2023. Ben began his career with Veyance Technologies in 2013 as a sales trainee before the company was acquired by Continental in 2014. He spent five years as an outside sales representative in the Minnesota/Dakotas and New England territories. In addition to selling industrial and hydraulic hose solutions, Ben also sold power transmission, air springs, and conveyor belt products. In 2019, he was promoted to the role of Marketing Manager for the braided industrial hose family of products manufactured in Norfolk, NE. In 2022, he was appointed the same role for the hand-built spiral hose portfolio manufactured in Granby, QC. He resides in Medina, OH with his wife Elizabeth and their daughter Gwendolyn.
Rob Williams, Alliance Hose & Rubber Powered by TIPCO
Alliance Hose & Rubber Co., established in Chicago in 1932 during the Great Depression, has been a cornerstone of the Chicago market, serving the hose needs of the food and beverage, chemical, contractor supply, large bore dewatering, and equipment manufacturing industries. Now located in Elmhurst, IL, the company operates out of a 50,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility.
Rob Williams has over 30 years of experience in industrial sales, 22 of which have been with Alliance Hose. Throughout his career, he has covered a diverse hose market, initially focusing on the Midwest and now extending his expertise coast to coast. His primary areas of concentration include the food, beverage, chemical, and agricultural industries.
For the past 13 years, Rob has been committed to providing safety solutions. He has shared his industry-specific knowledge with end users worldwide through webinars, podcasts, classroom training, and conference speaking engagements.
Rob is actively involved in industry organizations, serving on the NAHAD HSI and Course Building Committees. Additionally, he is a current committee member of various food and beverage guilds and safety boards, contributing to the advancement and safety of these sectors.
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