2010 FCMA Florida Legislative Update

Blair Wygle

The legislative update for 2010 is considered to be a relatively positive one for manufacturers throughout Florida. First of all, there were no significant discussions about the removal of sales tax exemptions which is always a win for manufacturers. Due to economic conditions, the House and Senate were intentional about protecting industry as evidenced by a number of bills aimed at improving economic development and relaxing permitting in some areas. We hope the pro-business environment in Tallahassee continues as we move into a post-recession economy.

FCMA’s Government Relations committee traveled to Tallahassee twice this year and scheduled appointments with our Duval Delegation as well as representatives and senators with leadership roles in our areas of interest. We feel this process is a critical component to the communication of a pro-manufacturing agenda to our state legislators and invite our members to get involved by attending our monthly committee meetings.

Here are some session highlights that had implications for manufacturing…

  • Economic Development: This comprehensive legislation was called the “jobs” bill and contains numerous business incentives. With respect to manufacturing, the main benefit is sales tax refunds of up to $50,000 are available to manufacturers who purchase machinery and equipment. Most significantly, the bill modifies the definition of “productive output” t0 qualify for the manufacturing machinery and equipment sales tax exemption so that a showing of 10% productivity may be based on a factory’s individual product “lines” rather than its total product output for the factory. It also allows a manufacturer to choose the 12 months within a 24-month period for showing 10% productivity. There are limitations so FCMA will be holding a workshop in the next few months outlining how to take advantage of these exemptions.
  • Unemployment Compensation: (Main Benefit) Reduces the taxable wage base from $8,500 to $7,000 for 2 years.
  • Corporate Income Tax: Florida’s Corporate Income Tax Code will now follow the federal Internal Revenue Code by using federal rules and starting with federal taxable income as the tax base for the Florida income tax.
  • Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program: This bill reenacts the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program within Enterprise Florida with some modifications.
  • Environmental Protection: This was the comprehensive water bill of the year. It provides that water management districts cannot require compliance reports from consumptive use water permit holders any more often than every 10 years. It also acknowledges that the total maximum daily load program is the best mechanism for establishing numeric nutrient standards for nutrient-impaired water bodies and restoring nutrient-impaired water bodies, and that any numeric nutrient criteria established pursuant to the Clean Water Act should work in concert with the total maximum daily load program, the state storm water treatment rule and other water quality programs.
  • Seaports: The bill creates a port conceptual permit system that will allow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to issue an umbrella permit that ties together a series of individual environmental permits and authorizations needed for port construction projects or dredging operations.

Welcome to…

Alexander DeGance Barnett, P.A.
Contact: Mark Alexander, Partner
Phone: (904) 345-3280
225 Water Street, Suite 1200, Jacksonville, FL 32202

…represents management in litigation and trial practice, specializing in labor, employment, civil rights, and the prosecution and defense of other business interests

Sponsor: FCMA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions
Contact: Tom Loope, Major Account Representative
Phone: (904) 303-6492
9143 Phillips Highway, Jacksonville, FL

…a manufacturer of office equipment

Sponsor: FCMA

North Point Promotions, Inc.
Contact: Blair Wygle, COO
Phone: (904) 372-0748
328 2nd Avenue North, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250

…offers embroidered apparel, screen printed goods, promotional items, and online stores

Sponsor: FCMA

Ver-E-Safe Solutions, LLC
Contact: William Versek, Sales Manager
Phone: (386) 446-1661
3 Industry Drive, Suite 7, Palm Coast, FL 32137

…provides safety & maintenance products (PPE & Site Safety/Maintenance) with consulting services to assist with safety audits.

Sponsor: FCMA

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!

M.O.N.E.Y.

Our our summer 2010 Members Only Networking Event for You (M.O.N.E.Y.) will be held at the Mudville Grille on Atlantic Blvd. It will be on June 17 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, entry will cost $5 and all money collected will be put into a special drawing. You could WIN BIG! We are still looking for two more sponsors for the event. See the video below to find out more about sponsoring. If you are interested please contact Maria Corby.

Water Policy Workshop – June 29

The purpose of this workshop is to begin to focus attention on how all stakeholders can begin to address the issues surrounding the need for water. FCMA is taking the lead in the private sector because of the long history that manufacturers have in conservation and reuse of precious resources, such as water. We are bringing regional experts to begin to educate us on this vital issue.

Click here for the link to a survey on water in the May 20 issue of The Economist magazine, which provides a global overview on the critical nature of the subject that can help us understand the issue’s importance. As an added bonus to this workshop, Anheuser-Busch (long regarded as a leader in environmental stewardship) will offer a special tour to attendees that will show firsthand how this multi-national is practicing water conservation. We hope that you will sign up to attend this informative workshop!

Click here for more information. To RSVP, e-mail Debbie Warren

EEOC Workshop

The June Workforce Development Workshop is on Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance (EEOC). It will be on Wednesday, June 30 from 7:30-10:00AM at Golder Associates, located at 9428 Baymeadows Road, 5th Floor, Jacksonville, FL 32256. Our presenter will be Nitzi Wright of the Department of Labor. Click here for more information.

2010 Crane Awards

Announcing the Crane Awards
Outstanding Employee Award Banquet
UNF University Center, Jacksonville, Florida
September 17, 2010 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Click here for more information about the Crane Awards and how you can get involved. Please contact Maria for more information.

Sponsorship Opportunities

FCMA is looking for sponsors for the 2009 Crane Awards. Click here to find out about sponsorships opportunities. If you are interested please contact Maria.

Wage & Benefit Survey

We have begun conducting our annual wage and benefit survey for local manufacturers. If you are a manufacturer and would like to participate in this year’s survey, click here to download the form. E-mail Sherri if you have any questions or if you participated last year and would like to use your 2009 data. Response is due by June 30 to Sherri; results will be available August 1 (free to participating members; cost to all other FCMA members is $75). Information provided will be treated with the strictest of confidence. Results are published in summary only with no individual company information divulged. Please give us your comments on how we may improve this survey.

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

JUNE 28th at Trend Offset Printing

Our next General Meeting will be held on June 28th from 4:00 to 6:00PM at Trend Offset Printing, located at 10301 Busch Drive North in Jacksonville. Trend Offset Printing is a full service, commercial and publication printing company. Trend offers a complete, multicultural heat-set/cold-set environment, with in-house state-of-the-art, pre-press, printing, finishing and mailing services. For a map to the location, click here.

JM Family hosted the May 24 meeting. There were 130 people present, with 15 first time guests. Those present were treated to a tour of the facility. JM Family is a diversified automotive corporation whose principal businesses focus on vehicle distribution and processing; finance and warranty services; insurance activities; retail sales; marketing and consulting; and dealer technology products and services.

Background Checks

Don Dymer with SingleSource Services and John MacLennan with Smith Hulsey and Busey teamed up to educate our members on best practices for pre-employment screening on new hires. As Don And John reviewed real life bloopers of the do’s and don’t’s on background checks the followed up with an overview on the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act). We received great reviews!

May guest was Alan Mosley, new Florida Dept. of Transportation NE District Secretary, formerly with City of Jacksonville. He gave a regional update which included recently completed and upcoming projects. He noted the impact of FDOT construction projects equates to approximately 30,000 jobs for every $1 billion spent in construction. Our next meeting will feature the local chapter of Florida2010, the group leading opposition to Amendment 4. If you are interested in attending, please email Debbie.

Advanced Disposal Services… is expected to double in size by 2015. It has acquired five new companies this year with plans to acquire three or four more by the end of 2010. Click here for more information.

American Rubber Technologies… was featured in an article in the Jacksonville Business Journal about how the company is looking for several new products to enhance its core business. Click here to read the article.

Atlantic Coast Bank… holding company, Atlantic Coast Federal, named Jay Sidhu as executive chairman, succeeding former chairman Charles E. Martin Jr.

Atlantic Marine… has been sold to fellow FCMA member, BAE Systems. Click here for more information.

CSX Transporation, Inc.… has snatched a contract to provide service to Hyundai Intermodal Inc. from its main competitor, Norfolk Southern Corp.
CSX was also listed as one of the best places to work in the Jacksonville Business Journal. Click here to read the article.

Ennis, Pellum & Associates CPAs… was listed as one of the best places to work in the Jacksonville Business Journal. Click here to read the article.

Georgia-Pacific… is holding a photo contest for amateur and professional photographers to submit photo showcasing the beauty of the St. Johns River, as a part of their continued support of the St. Johns preservation. Click here for more details.

The Haskell Company… was recently ranked the nation’s top health care facility design/builder by Modern Healthcare.

Heritage Capital Group… is sponsoring a webinar from 8:30am-10:00am on June 24th on “exit planning”. Space is available to attend in person, but they are really setting this up “webinar-fashion.” There is a nominal cost of $35, but Heritage is waiving the cost for FCMA members. Click here for more information.

The Jacksonville Bank… has announced the definitive agreement to merge with Oceanside Bank.

The Jacksonville Lean Consortium… has formed a partnership with the University of North Florida and named a new executive director, Bob Golitz.

LBA Certified Public Accountants PA… was listed as one of the best places to work in the Jacksonville Business Journal. Click here to read the article.

Maxwell House Coffee Company… was featured in an article in the Jacksonville Business Journal about their implementation of cost-saving green strategies. Click here to read the article.

Paycor… was listed as one of the best places to work in the Jacksonville Business Journal. Click here to read the article.

Peak 10, Inc.… hired Jackson Mares and Tyler Holley as account executives.

Solantic.… has opened its newest location in the Walmart Supercenter Plaza on Beach Boulevard. This brings the total number of Solantic centers to 13, including a dedicated occupational health facility located on the Westside. This is the 34th Solantic center statewide.

40 under 40… The following FCMA members were named to the Jacksonville Business Journal’s list of “40 Under 40″

  • Military aviation set for takeoff in Jacksonville - “The U.S. military’s push for a nimbler aircraft fleet — much of it consisting of souping up older planes for extra life — will add hundreds of high-paying jobs to Northeast Florida’s growing aviation cluster.”
  • Is Green the New Gold? - “Despite the recession, solar and wind energy markets continue to show compelling growth. Manufacturers have taken notice.”
  • The Dawn of the Digital Plant - “Like the evolution of the cell phone, sensing technologies have grown smarter through embedded software, allowing manufacturers to achieve greater plant visibility.”

Northeast Florida manufacturers see business grow

“Jacksonville manufacturers are ramping up production faster than expected, but an increase in productivity has stemmed the need for new hires so far.”

“The nation’s manufacturing sector grew in April for the ninth consecutive month and at the fastest rate since June 2004, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s index.”

“Local manufacturers say there is an increased confidence and appetite for goods. The increase in manufacturing domestically and internationally is causing a slight uptick in goods and materials coming through the Port of Jacksonville, said Roy Schleicher, chief commercial officer of the Jacksonville Port Authority.”

Click here to read more.

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