Numeric Nutrient Criteria
You may have heard of a new rule being proposed for Florida by the EPA called Numeric Nutrient Criteria (NNC). The rule would establish distinct limits for the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus in surface waters across Florida. These are the nutrients that, when present in excess amounts, that cause algae blooms.
The rule is being widely criticized by virtually all regulated entities throughout the State because it is based on a crude averaging methodology that is yielding unrealistic results. For example, the proposed numeric criteria would declare over 80% of Florida’s pristine waters as impaired and would require cleanup standards to be developed and implemented for waters that are already in their natural condition. The rule as currently stated would approximately double the water/sewer utility bills across the state, and would have much more onerous economic consequences to agriculture, city’s and business because of cascading compliance costs to local governments that would be passed along in the form of fees.
Based on the strong opposition from the regulated community and the strong concern expressed by Florida’s Congressional Delegation, the EPA has delayed promulgation of a portion of their ill-advised rule (called the Downstream Protective Values), has agreed to seek additional 3rd party review of their proposed rule, and has agreed to some additional public workshops to be held in April. In other words, our feedback is beginning to have some effect!
One of the additional EPA workshops will be in Jacksonville on April 15. The FCMA will prepare both written and verbal comments to EPA. Your business is encouraged to also provide written commentary to EPA by April 27, and to attend EPA’s workshop in Jacksonville on April 15 and make verbal commentary to them. Guidance for preparing comments specific to your company are posted on the FCMA website. In addition, a generalized letter and generalized set of verbal comments will be posted for those businesses that want to participate but do not have the expertise or resources to prepare commentary specific to their business. We hope you will consider participating - the overwhelming response to EPA is having some effect.
Welcome to…
Greene-Hazel & Associates
Contact: Mike McCollum, Sales Executive
Phone: (904) 858-4172
10739 Deerwood Park Blvd, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256
A full lines Independent Insurance Agency and Brokerage Operation working on a local, national and international basis for over twenty-five years.
Sponsor: Blair Wygle, Great Atlantic Outfitters
Ian Martin LTD
Contact: Jane Loop Pomar, Regional Manager
Phone: (904) 253-7894
4651 Salisbury Road, Suite 433, Jacksonville, FL 32256
A Candian owned staffing services company which has been supplying Engineering, Technical and Information Technology talent to companies across North America since 1957.
Sponsor: FCMA
Predictive Results
Contact: Steve Waterhouse, President
Phone: (904) 269-229 x102
1467 Walnut Drive, Fleming Island, FL 32003
Helps companies improve their bottom line by addressing their most valuable resource: their people.
Sponsor: Nelson Bruton, Interchanges
Progressive Power Products, Inc.
Contact: Larry Kates, Vice President
Phone: (904) 354-1819
P.O. Box 24905, Jacksonville, FL 32241
A full service Allison Transmission dealer.
Sponsor: FCMA
Restore Rehabilitation
Contact: Laurie Misiura, Case Manager/District Manager
Phone: (240) 731-6396
10811 Red Rum Blvd, Suite 104, Owings, MD 21117
A Medical Case Management Company that provides Medical and Vocational Case Management Services to the Mid-Atlantic workers compensation community.
Sponsor: Jeff Angevine, Curlin, Inc.
FCMA Community
With the help of Interchanges, we have launched a new social networking site called FCMA Community. This website is designed to allow members to keep up with FCMA news and upcoming events, and member promotes interaction. Features on the site include: Group pages for committees and SIGs; photos, videos, blogs; and an interactive calendar. Check out the site by going to FCMACommunity.com. Sign up as a member of the site, and then start networking!
Best Practices for Lay-Offs Workshop
Unfortunately we face this in today’s economy, but guidelines are necessary to protect your business. Mark your calendar for this workshop to be held 7:30-9:30 AM on April 28 at Golder Associates (9428 Baymeadows Road, 5th Floor). To RSVP, e-mail Sherri Mitchell. Details to follow!
Tee-Off For Tuition on Friday, April 30 at St. Johns Golf & Country Club in St. Augustine. Proceeds benefit FCMA’s UNF Engineering Scholarship Fund. Click here for more information about how you can get involved.
Manufacturers Safety Conference on April 13-14 in Tampa
The MAF Safety Conference is scheduled for April 13-14, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel, Tampa Westshore Airport, in Tampa, FL. Registration is now open and the registration fee is $250. This includes two lunches, reception, breakfast and dinner, and materials. You may register online at www.mafmfg.com under Events.
Brazil - Jacksonville Alliance of Northeast Florida
If you have not given much thought about Brazil for business development purposes, here are some opportunities for you to begin: gain knowledge by participating on the Training and gain experience by participating on the Mission.
Please, see attached the flyers for both, training and mission.
For more information, visit BrazilJacksonville.com.
APRIL 26th at VAC-CON
Our next General Meeting will be held on April 26th from 4:00 to 6:00PM at VAC-CON, located at 969 Hall Park Road in Green Cove Springs. VAC-CON pioneered the use of polyethylene water tanks to end water leakage and created a modular subframe so that components could be repaired or replaced easily. For a map to the location, click here.
Suddath hosted the March 29 meeting. Suddath specializes in worldwide corporate employee relocations, household moving, warehouse and logistics management and specialized transportation services. Attendees were treated to an extensive tour, and were even given the opportunity to win an I-POD from Suddath!
Thank you to Engineered Lining Systems for providing the refreshments.
Suddath has posted some great pictures of the even on their Facebook page. Click here to see them.
M.O.N.E.Y. Event
FCMA’s first Members Only Networking Event for You (M.O.N.E.Y.) of 2010, held at the Mudville Grille, was a major success. More than 75 people representing 44 different member firms came out to spend some social time together on March 18. Of the companies present, manufacturers represented 41 percent.
Admission was only $5 and most of that money went to awarding cash prizes to those attending. The remainder, 25% to be exact, is being held in a pot and will be awarded at the year’s final networking event. In order to be eligible to win the big jackpot, you must attend ALL THREE of this year’s scheduled networking events.
Special thanks to our event sponsors!
Randstad
Mark McKenzie, Senior Branch Manager
(904) 996-9128
9734 Deer Lake Ct., Suite 6,Jacksonville, FL 32246
Click here to view Randstad’s video message.
Suddath
Tom Ruede, Director of Vertical Intergration
(904) 390-7183
8743 Western Way, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Click here to view Suddath’s video message.
Tallahassee Trip
On March 24-25 a group of FCMA members and staff traveled to Tallahassee to lobby on behalf of our 2010 legislative agenda. Clearly recognizing the importance of manufacturing to our state, lawmakers were eager to meet with the FCMA delegation. During their two days at the Capital, the group conducted a non-stop series of meetings with local representatives and high-ranking state lawmakers. The key bills discussed revolved around economic development and port infrastructure.
Below are pictures of the FCMA delegation with Representatives Jennifer Carroll (top) and Audrey Gibson (bottom).
Healthcare Update Workshop
Great attendance at the March 31 Obama Healthcare Update presented by Laura Miller Andrew of Smith Gambrell & Russell held at Golder Associates. Employers will continue to play a vital role in providing health care coverage. Healthcare reform keeps the current uncapped employee income tax exclusion on the value of employer-provided coverage, but watch for a limit in the future. And keep in mind changes will occur in 2014! Stay tuned…
Special Interest Group
Maintenance & Reliability SIG met at Anheuser-Busch this month. They continued information sharing on Planned/Preventive Maintenance Programs. Next month’s topic will be on Contractor Management–fitting since it will be hosted by Miller Electric on April 29. Other SIG members include LyondellBasell, Swisher, Vac-Con, Bacardi, Zabatt, Vistakon and Gerdau Ameristeel. Visit the M&R SIG at FCMA Community–we encourage you to get your Maintenance and Reliability personnel involved! Contact Sherri Mitchell to sign up.
Advanced Disposal Services… hired Katrine Strickland as marketing coordinator.
Akerman Senterfitt… hired Steven R. Wirth as counsel in the firm’s Jacksonville bankruptcy and reorganization practice.
Associated Industries of Florida… Senior Vice President of Corporate Development Chris Verlander was named to Jacksonville University’s board of trustees.
BB&T… hired Matthew Anderson as a wealth management adviser for the North Florida market.
Colliers Dickinson… Keystone Terminal site has been increased by an additional 39 acres. The 1,000 ft wharf is now under construction. The 35 ft federal channel has been dredged to 40 ft. The wharf depth is also being dredged to 40 ft.
Constangy Brooks & Smith LLP… is offering a comprehensive webinar discussing the key provisions of the new Health Care Reform Act on April 7 from 2-4pm. The registration fee is $75 per phone line. You can register at constangy.com.
Dixon Hughes PLLC… hired George Noonan as a senior tax manager in its Jacksonville office.
Eagle SWS… is sponsoring The Florida Association for Water Quality Control (FAWQC) Golf Tournament on June 8th at 11AM in Naples, FL. Click here for information.
Golder Associates… is pleased to announce that Don Grigg earned his Professional Engineer registration, and Kristi Hess earned her Professional Geologist registration.
NuTrend Plastics… president and FCMA tri-chairman, Michael Corrigan received the Elected Official of the Year Award from the Northeast Florida Unit of the National Association of Social Workers at the group’s annual Social Worker of the Year Luncheon held on March 11. Corrigan is a council member in the Jacksonville City Council.
Quality Neon Sign Company… was featured in an article in the Florida Times-Union about their success using Lean with the Jacksonville Lean Consortium, also a FCMA member. Click here to read the article.
Ring Power Corporation… promoted Brian Cholmondeley to the position of Assistant Governmental Sales Manager. Cholmondeley has been with Ring Power for 16 years.
Stellar… has promoted Mark Sherwood to director of business development. Sherwood has been with Stellar for 12 years.
- Jacksonville-to-Brazil trade swells as Asian trade crawls - “The shipment of goods and materials to and from Brazil has increased by about 20 percent between July and September compared with the same period a year ago.”
- Congress Hears Call for Manufacturing Innovation - “Industry experts testify, call for shift in priorities toward innovation and advanced manufacturing.”
- Manufacturing Shows Strength - “The U.S. manufacturing sector continued to expand in February, a closely tracked survey of manufacturing purchasing agents found, and there were hints that factory hiring might turn up soon.”
- U.S. Manufacturing Grows for Eighth Straight Month - “At a faster pace than expected, the manufacturing sector grew for an eighth consecutive month in March, according to The Institute for Supply Management.”
- U.S. Manufacturing Executives Optimistic About Next 12 Months - “Compared to their European counterparts, U.S. executives remain more bullish about their business prospects over the next 12 months, according to the latest KPMG Global Business Outlook survey by KPMG International.”
The Training Imperative
“U.S. manufacturers continue their struggle to find the right people with the right skills to fill manufacturing’s talent needs. A broad array of institutions, including manufacturers themselves, are racing to meet that skills challenge — and keep U.S. manufacturing competitive.”
“It seems a silly conversation to be having in the midst of high unemployment and the continued, steady shedding of jobs, but nevertheless it’s true: Many U.S. manufacturers are having difficulty finding the right people with the right skills to fill a variety of positions. It’s not so much a skills shortage as it is a skills gap — and there’s looming concern that the gap will grow as baby boomers begin to retire.”
Click here to read more.
