The Importance of Recycling
One of the projects for the FCMA Environmental and Safety committee this year is called “Green Manufacturing”.
There are many reasons for manufacturing, along with all other associated groups, to become more environmental friendly. Implementing things such as energy plans, reuse of materials and recycling are just a few of the ways we can conserve resources and save money.
Companies that cannot manage and control their energy use, material usage and waste will not be able to compete. While companies that can do it effectively will have an edge.
In this article I will only address recycling. Recycling will save you money, return some of your cost of goods and help our local economy by developing jobs.
Recycling helps the filling up of our landfills.
What materials can you recycle? To name a few: plastic, metal, drums, pallets, cardboard, paper, aluminum, computers, telephones, glass, wood and Rx glasses. There are many companies that will purchase these materials to use as raw stock for other manufacturing processes.
Companies like CocaCola have begun a program where they are in the process of reusing or recycling their waste materials. In fact, at least two of CocaCola’s facilities have reached the “zero” waste level.
Recycling can save tremendous amounts of energy and raw material. Recycling aluminum only requires 5% of the energy and only produces 5% of the carbon dioxide as it takes from the raw materials.
The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes. Each ton of paper that can be recycled will save 17 trees.
Plastic recycling saves twice the energy as burning it in an incinerator, as well as 35% of the oil used to make it. And that plastic will not degrade in landfills.
Recycling glass saves 80% of the energy and raw materials required to make it.
The best part, if we keep these items separated, we can get money from the sale of recycling materials and lower our disposal cost as less is going to the landfill. On the average we can recycle about 75% of our trash when we set up a good reuse and recycling program.
This is a win-win situation. Our cost of doing business is lower, energy usage goes down in cost as there is more energy to be used and it develops a better life for our families and our generations to come.
FCMA Welcomes Our New Members!
Advanced Supply Chain Solutions
Contact: Geoffrey Messick, President
Phone: (904) 535-9931
14607 Camberwell Lane North
Jacksonville, FL 32258
An organization that provides best in class freight/logistics/outsourcing solutions that reduce supply chain and/or human resource expenditures via technology and/or strategic alliances with other marketplace leaders.
BroadBased Communications
Contact: Jan Korb, President & CEO
Phone: (904) 398-7279
1301 Riverplace Blvd., Suite 1830
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Full service business-to-business marketing and communications firm with specific manufacturing and B2B service experience..
Gosan USA
Contact: Juan Miguel Gutierrez, Managing Director
Phone: (904) 356-4181 x 225
1926 Spearing Street
Jacksonville, FL 32206
Manufactures mechnical components for lifting, hoisting, transport, and storage machinery.
NCS Plus, Inc.
Contact: Judy Hamilton, Regional Sales Manager
Phone: (904) 838-0554
1831 Moorings Circle
Jacksonville, FL 32068
NCS Plus, Inc. specializes in accounts receivable management and the collection of delinquent accounts.
Tatum LLC
Contact: Matt Laffey, Partner
Phone: (904) 277-8023
P.O. Box 621
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Tatum is a nationwide firm of very senior financial and IT executives that can handle any business challenge entering the Office of the CFO - turnarounds, capital raising, banking duress, IT implementations, etc.
The Wackenhut Corporation
Contact: Erick Lallemand, Manager Business Development
Phone: (904) 398-1640
3974 Woodcock Drive, Suite 100
Jacksonville, FL 32207
The Wackenhut Corporation is the leading provider of quality, customer focused security solutions in the United States. The company provides its industry-leading integrated security and related services to local, regional and national customers. Wackenhut’s primary service divisions include Security Services, Nuclear Security and Energy Consulting Services, Government Services, Automated and Integrated Security Management Systems; and Consulting and Investigations.
Akerman Senterfitt… has promoted Timothy Gillis to a shareholder in the corporate practice group.
Atlantic Marine… has landed a $7.2 million contract to perform maintenance on the USS Underwood. The Underwood is a guided missile frigate based at Naval Station Mayport. Atlantic Marine will perform drydock and topside repair work. The contract includes options that could increase its value to $8.8 million.
Auld and White… recently completed the build out of Baptist Health Data Center, located in the former AT&T call center on Beach Boulevard. The new data center serves as the central nerve for electronic medical records for Baptist Health.
GLE Associates… promoted John Ciucevich to facilities and environmental manager. He has been with the company for nearly five years.
Golder Associates… has promoted Mike Dickey to become operations manager of its Construction Services subsidiary. Dickey has almost 10 years of experience working for Golder.
IS YOUR COMPANY DOING SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY?
Let us know so we can feature you in the next edition of the VOICE newsletter! Send an email to acassidy@fcmaweb.com with all of the details!
FCMA Recognizes Excellence in Manufacturing!
FCMA announced the winners of our 2008 “Excellence In Manufacturing” awards at a special luncheon at University of North Florida on February 26…
Manufacturer of the Year – Gerdau Ameristeel for outstanding achievements in 2008 that included a savings of over 13 billion gallons of water per year; its investment in capital improvements; and it partnerships with non-profit and educational organizations.
Founders Service Award – Swisher International, Inc. for consolidation of its manufacturing facilities to its inner city location; its continuing involvement to improve its neighborhood; and hiring from within the community.
Associate of the Year – Golder Associates, Inc. for being actively engaged in promoting advanced environmental protection programs among its business partners; federal, state and local regulators; and the communities in which it operates.
Environmental Impact Award – WhiteWave Foods for its investment of several millions of dollars in a series of expansions, coupled with training its workforce and focusing on recycling and conservation.
Environmental Protection Award – Anheuser-Busch, Inc. for its conservation and recycling efforts that include an annual reduction in water consumption of nearly 110 million gallons; recycling nearly 212,000 tons of solid waste; using over 650 million gallons of nutrient-rich water from brewing to grow turf grasses and crops; and reducing total fuel consumption by almost 20%.
Workforce Education Award – Fleet Readiness Center, Southeast for its commitment to education and training that has led to significant reductions in cycle time, inventory levels and product defects.
Thanks To Our Event Sponsors…
Following are several photos from the event…
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J.C. Renfroe and Gosan Co-Host February Meeting!
We had a lot on the agenda for our second general meeting of the year, co-hosted by J.C. Renfroe and Gosan USA. Those who attended were treated to a discussion of the Obama administration’s labor workforce policies, as well as information about local training programs and international trade and exporting.
The top item was, of course, welcoming our newest member into the association — Gosan USA, which has co-located their new facility with J.C. Renfroe. The meeting concluded with our tour of the newly constructed Gosan facility.
Following are a few photos from the event…
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February Workshop Was a Big Success!
On February 25, the Workforce Development Committee held an educational workshop at Biomet Microfixation.
John MacLennan of Smith, Hulsey & Busey was our guest presenter. He talked about how FMLA can impact your business, how to comply with all regulations, and staying on top of important changes to the law that people need to know about.
Many thanks to Biomet for allowing us to use their facility and Don Dymer and SingleSource Services for helping to sponsor this excellent workshop.
Gov’t Relations Visits Clay Commission
On February 10, FCMA’s Government Relations committee visited the Clay County Commission.
Chairman Wendell Davis welcomed the committee and gave the group an overview and update on Clay’s top issues, including the beltway and its importance to the region.
Four out of five of the county’s commissioners were present as well as the county manager and head of planning and government affairs.
Adam Hollingsworth, Chief of Staff for Mayor Peyton, then gave us an overview of the Trail Ridge landfill contract and other issues facing the mayor’s office. The committee opted to take no official position on the issue.
Special thanks to our lunch sponsors - Advanced Disposal Services and The Stellar Group!
Next month’s Government Relations committee meeting will be held on March 10, and will include a visit to the St. Johns County Commission. To find out more information about the committee, simply click here.
New Professional Progress Class Kicks Off!
FCMA’s Professional Progress program held its kick-off reception at Deerwood Country Club on February 18. This is the 13th year of the wildly successful professional development course. Participants had a chance to meet each other and share information about themselves. Plans for each of the upcoming Professional Progress classes were discussed and outlined.
For more information about Professional Progress, including a list of the new class members and a course schedule for this year’s program, click here!
A-3 Problem Solving Workshop
Mark your calendar for Monday March 16th. FCMA’s Workforce Development committee will be holding a Problem Solving workshop lead by Amy Erickson and held at the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office.
We will be identifying 3 problem areas and addressing them as we go.
Seats are limited so sign-up today!
What: A3 Problem Solving Workshop
Where: JSO - Downtown
When: Monday, March 16, 2009 – 7:30AM-9:30AM
Cost: $35
Please consider joining us for what promises to be a very interesting workshop. You can RSVP by sending an email to sherri@fcmaweb.com or calling (904) 343-9372.
Members Only Networking Event
FCMA’s After Hours events have a new name and a new focus. The Community Relations committee has made some changes that will take these events to an entirely new level!
Our first Members Only Networking Event for 2009 will be held at the Mudville Grille on Atlantic Blvd. It will be on March 19 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!
One corporate sponsorship is still available for this event. So if you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Maria Corby at the FCMA office or Subcommittee Chair Stephanie Denz for more information.
Annual Charity Golf Tournament
As part of our commitment to workforce education, FCMA is a strong supporter of the University of North Florida’s Engineering School. To that end, we have created a scholarship to benefit engineering students. In support of that scholarship fund, each year we sponsor a charity golf tournament. This is a fun event that also offers team building and networking opportunities.
Please remember to mark your calendars for FCMA’s Annual Golf Outing on Monday, April 20, 2009 at Marsh Creek Country Club.
Sponsorships are still available for this event. We are also looking for Silent Auction items, Goody Bag items; and door prizes.
For the sign-up sheet, click here.
To learn more, contact Jeff Nelson or Dan Davis.
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.
- Rex Packaging Builds Lean Reputation - Once it started looking, it only took Rex Corp. a year to find and eliminate $1.5 million in waste. Five years later, the Jacksonville box manufacturer operates more efficiently with 17 percent fewer employees. It even reduced employee turnover to 3 percent from about 50 percent a few years ago. And Pete Brennan, general manager, said the company has just scratched the surface.
- World’s Cheapest Automobile - India’s Tata Motors announced on Feb. 26 the snub-nosed Nano, billed as the world’s cheapest car, will be launched next month. “The much-awaited Tata Nano will be launched at a function in Mumbai on March 23,” said Tata spokesman Debasis Ray.
- Florida Trade Up 13% in 2008 - Florida saw an overall increase in trade last year, according to a new report from Enterprise Florida. Total merchandise trade – imports and exports – reached $130.5 billion, a 13.7 percent increase from the 2007 total. By comparison, total U.S. trade was up 9 percent. Florida exports hit $73 billion, up 23.9 percent over 2007. U.S. export growth was 11.8 percent. Florida imports gained 2.9 percent to reach $57.5 billion, while U.S. imports grew by 7.3 percent last year.
- Florida’s Grapefruit League Keeps Striking Out - The Florida Sports Foundation’s most recent appraisal of spring training baseball’s economic impact in Florida was $453 million a year. But that was three years ago, when 18 of baseball’s 30 teams trained in Florida. This year, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians moving their spring training facilities to Arizona, Florida’s Grapefruit League is down to 16 teams. And next year, when the Cincinnati Reds move to Arizona, there will just be 15 — giving the two states the same number of teams for the first time in history.
March 30 at Bridgestone
Bridgestone’s new Jacksonville facility will be the site of FCMA’s March General Meeting. Located in the Cecil Field Industrial Center, it is currently the largest Bridgestone Firestone distribution center in the country at over 1 million square feet.
With a capacity for more than a million tires ranging from small passenger and industrial to commercial truck tires, this center will supply tires and automotive parts to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. In addition, the distribution center will ultimately supply the entire United States with imports from Latin America and the Eastern half of the United States with tires from Japan and other Asian countries.
Please dress appropriately with flat, closed-toe shoes if you plan to take the facility tour.
When: Monday, March 30 (4:00 - 6:00 PM)
Where: 4950 New World Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32221
Map: Click here for directions!
RSVP: Click to RSVP by email!
Florida Exports Set Record in 2008!
Florida exports reached a record $73 billion last year – a 23.9 percent increase – and provided a much needed boost to an otherwise dismal 2008, according to statistics compiled by Enterprise Florida. Florida’s export pace eclipsed the nation, which saw exports grow by 9 percent.
Meanwhile, Florida imports increased slightly, gaining 2.9 percent to $57.5 billion compared to a 7.3 percent boost for the nation as U.S. companies. That left Florida with a trade surplus of $19.6 billion, nearly double that of any other U.S. customs district.
“The last couple of years has been an almost perfect storm for Florida international trade,” said Manny Mencia, EF’s senior vice president for international trade. “We had a combination of healthy, expanding Latin American markets, a weak dollar that kept the prices of our products and services reasonably competitive and we had some free trade agreements.”
Tightening credit and a global slowdown will likely cool the state’s trade figures for 2009, but Mencia said Florida is well poised to recover quickly because its trading partners farther south are sitting in relatively good shape. Florida’s five top export destinations are Brazil, Venezuela, Canada Mexico and Colombia.
“Unless this becomes a protracted recession, many of our better markets should have enough reserves to weather the downturn,” Mencia said. Industrial machinery, automobiles, aircraft, spacecraft and parts led a list of top exports. Also a major export was fertilizer, exports of which more than double during 2008. More than 44,000 Florida companies export, the second largest concentration of exporters in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. At least 1.1 million jobs in Florida depend on international trade, Enterprise Florida reports.
