Welcome to 2010!

Michael Corrigan

On behalf of my fellow Tri-Chairmen, the Executive Committee, the Board and the staff I would like to welcome you 2010 and wish much success in the coming year. I appreciate the privilege to serve as a Tri-Chairman of the FCMA and look forward to helping position us to take advantage of many opportunities for manufacturing and logistics on the First Coast in the coming decade.

Several years ago our very small manufacturing company, Nu-Trend Plastics, joined FCMA as a member. During a staff discussion one day, I was asked if we could afford to be a member and did we really needed to belong to this group. My response was that we couldn’t afford to not be active in FCMA! Just like this publication is the “Voice” to its members, FCMA is my voice on local, state and federal manufacturing issues. It would be impossible to put a price on the benefits we receive from our membership in the form of networking, education and advocacy.

Even though, last year, we all experienced an economic downturn that nobody wants to repeat, FCMA as an organization remains strong and positioned to be a leader in the economic recovery. In 2009 our membership remained steady, participation continued at a high rate and the member-to-member business increased especially with larger companies seeking opportunities to engage smaller member companies!

As 2010 begins, the Board has established three primary goals. The first is to develop local manufacturing and logistics companies. The second is to capitalize on FCMA strengths. And the third is to build association leadership. The truth is that the board cannot be successful without your support. Manufacturing in Florida in the next decade is poised to have the same affect that Disney had in the 1970s. With your help as an active member in FCMA, the First Coast will be the leader in manufacturing growth in Florida. I look forward to working with you!

Click here for more information about FCMA’s 2010 Tri-Chairmen, Board of Directors, and Committee Chairs.

For more information on FCMA’s 2010 goals and objectives, click here.

Welcome to…

Corporate Traffic, Inc.
Contact: Lisa Diaz, Client Relations
Phone: (904) 400-6018
2002 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32216

Corporate Traffic is a freight forwarder/3PL offering transportation services for FTL, LTL, intermodel, ocean and air shipments.

Sponsor: Jane Bachtell, Clements Publishing

Godwin Pumps
Contact: Todd Huffman, Branch Manager
Phone: (904) 695-2131
84 Floodgate Road, Bridgeport, NJ 08014

Godwin Pumps has a fleet of over 6,000 rental pumps and 3,200 pieces of related equipment for use in dewatering construction, mining, and quarrying.

Sponsor: FCMA

Hillwood
Contact: Preston Herold, Vice President
Phone: (972) 201-2969
5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 800, Dallas, TX 75240

Hillwood is a developer of distribution buildings and the master developer of Cecil Commerce Center.

Sponsor: Jeff Nelson, CB Richard Ellis

Paycor, Inc.
Contact: Nancy McGuinness, Regional Sales Manager
Phone: (904) 254-3398
10550 Deerwood Park Blvd., Suite 306, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Paycor is a provider of integrated Time and Attendance, Payroll, and HRIS solutions.

Sponsor: FCMA

PBS&J
Contact: Bruce Myhre, Associate Vice President, Sr. Project Manager for Facilities
Phone: (904) 363-8455
7406 Fullerton St., Suite 350, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Ranked 30th on Engineering News-Record’s list of the top design firms in the US, PBS&J has 3,800 employees in 80 offices in the US and worldwide.

Sponsor: FCMA

2010 Excellence in Manufacturing Awards

FCMA’s annual outstanding company awards luncheon will be held on Thursday, February 25, from 11:30AM-1:00PM at the UNF University Center, located 12000 Alumni Drive. Click here for information on the nominating process. Click for information on sponsorship opportunities. If your company would like to sponsor the event or for more information, e-mail Maria in the FCMA office.

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsors:

Manufacturing on the First Coast Magazine

The ad campaign for the 2010 Manufacturing On the First Coast will close on 1/15/10. If you would like to advertise in this important trade publication and have your company message seen throughout the state’s business community, there is still time to do so. Please contact Jane Bachtell @ 904-874-6727 to discuss this marketing opportunity. Click here for rate information.

2009 Wage & Benefit Survey

The 2009 Wage & Benefit Survey has been released Member companies can receive a copy of the survey for only $75. To order your copy or for more information call the FCMA office or e-mail Sherri Mitchell.

Many thanks to our survey sponsors!

FREE LUNCH from the EHS Committee

Attention Associate Members of the EHS Committee! You will receive your lunch for free and your Manufacturing member guest’s lunch, when you bring an FCMA Manufacturer who has not previously attended an EHS Committee meeting or has not attended within the past year. In addition, your name will go into a drawing for a door prize for all Associates helping to increase manufacturing’s participation. For a schedule of EHS Committee Meetings, click here.

MAF Manufacturing Days at the Capital

The Manufacturers Association of Florida (MAF) annual Manufacturing Days at the Capital in Tallahassee will be on February 1-2, 2010. Registration will include a plant tour of Danfoss Turbocor, visits with legislators, a Legislative fundraising reception, meeting on workforce activities for 2010 and more. The event will be held at the aloft Hotel and there are rooms available for $109.00. Check out “Events” on the website (www.mafmfg.com) for a full agenda. Click here for more information.

Next Meeting Will Be MONDAY JANUARY 25th!

Our next General Meeting will be held on January 25 from 4:00 to 6:00PM at Florida State College Downtown Campus in the Main Campus Auditorium, located at 401 West State Street. For a map to the location, Click here

Holiday Social

FCMA’s annual Holiday Social was held on December 8th at the Haskell Building in Riverside. About 200 people attended the event, which was jam-packed with food, fun, and holiday music.

Photos from the event (click images to view larger):

John Koch, Managing Director International Sales and Marketing with CSX: John’s presentation “Florida Post-Recession Economy–Role of the Ports and International Trade” was a good follow-up to presentations from Rep. Lake Ray and Rick Ferrin of JAXPORT. John’s perspective was on the rail aspect of increased international trade and infrastructure.

How small has our world become?


Safety and environmental, our economy and our livelihood has become not just part of the United States but the world. The way we do business is changing and the regulations with which we must comply are changing. Signs of this–for those of us working in the safety and environmental field–are becoming obvious.

Several trends are shaping the safety and environmental regulatory compliance landscape. Recent examples include Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) regulations in Europe, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS), Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) requirements adopted by the UN and at least 15 countries and proposed as a change in OSHA Hazard Communication Regulation.

FCMA’s EHS Committee is working to keep informed on these and other proposed regulations so our members will be able to comply and have a better understanding of them. The compliance with these regulations has become a complex, time-consuming and often expensive task. We need your help in determining how we will be affected and what we need to do to ensure information is presented to our members in a timely manner.

Click here to read the entire article.

Ameris Bank… has appointed J.B. Coxwell Contracting Inc. executive V. Wayne Williford to its board of directors. Williford will be a member of Ameris Bancorp’s audit committee and compensation committee. He is also a member of Ameris Bank’s Jacksonville community board of directors. Ameris Bank, which was the 18th largest bank in Northeast Florida with four branches.

Anheuser-Busch, Inc.… Senior Brewmaster, Angelo Cayo was featured in an article in the Jacksonville Daily Record. Cayo has been with Anheuser-Busch for 26 years, and he will oversee the brewing of over 8 million barrels of beer each year at the Jacksonville brewery. Click here to read the article.

Gerdau Ameristeel… will pay down $300 million of its debt by the end of the year. Gerdau Ameristeel has a steel manufacturing plant in Baldwin that employs 300 and has a direct economic impact of about $80 million on the Jacksonville area. The city of Jacksonville is considering a proposal to exempt the company from paying the public service tax for five years — a tax break worth more than $2.6 million (from the Jacksonville Business Journal). Click here to read the article.

Golder Associates… is pleased to announce that two employees in Jacksonville have recently received professional certification in their field. Don E. Grigg is now a registered Professional Engineer. Grigg is a project engineer with Golder and has been with the firm since 2006. Kristi Hess has recently been licensed as a Professional Geologist. Hess is a staff geologist and mine planner with Golder and has been with the firm since 2008.

Medtronic… William George, CEO and chairman of Medtronic, was named to Industry Week’s 2009 Manufacturing Hall of Fame. Click here to read the article. Click here to see the other inductees.

University of North Florida… Division of Continuing Education hosted its 9th Annual Excellence in Employee Development Awards on December 16. Awards were given to local companies for outstanding achievements that have advanced workplace learning and performance. FCMA members who won were: Mayo Clinic and Ever Bank. Click here see the all the winners.

  • Manufacturers name Daniels ‘Man of the Year’ - “The Manufacturers Association of Florida named Lad Daniels of Jacksonville as the “Man of the Year” for his leadership of the First Coast Manufacturers Association and work on behalf of manufacturers statewide.”
  • Get Going - “Bold, concerted action is needed to put the manufacturing sector back on track.”
  • Locking Out Idled Threats - “A temporary plant shutdown can leave manufacturers susceptible to risk if precautions aren’t taken.”
  • Saving on Paper Really is Greener - “Despite promises of a paperless office, manufacturers and other businesses still spend significant sums each year on printing, business forms, packaging, point of purchases displays and other related products.”
  • Manufacturing Grows, but More Slowly - “U.S. manufacturing activity increased for the fourth consecutive month in November, although at a slower rate as the nation fumbles its way toward recovery.”
  • What You Can’t See Can Hurt You - “The collapse of the economy — and many manufacturers’ key suppliers — underscores the need for improved supply chain visibility.”

Chinese Policies Continue to Undermine U.S. Manufacturing Sector

“China is pursuing a detailed industrial policy designed to attract foreign investment and production, promoting economic imbalances and undercutting the United States manufacturing base, according to a new report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.”

“In its seventh annual report, the commission, which was created by Congress to monitor the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the U.S. and China, states that while China had take some steps during the economic crisis to increase domestic consumption, it was concerned that Beijing is ’still pursuing an export-led strategy based on a wide variety of subsidies to export industries, including an RMB that remains substantially undervalued….’ The report notes that China now as $2.27 trillion in foreign currency reserves.”

Click here to read the rest of the article.

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