FIRST COAST MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
1615 HUFFINGHAM ROAD NO 2, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32216 www.fcmaweb.com

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Organizations Filed Purposes: A MEMBER SUPPORTED ASSOCIATION PROVIDING A UNITED VOICE TO GOVERNMENT AND PATHWAYS TO MEMBER SUCCESS THROUGH EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND BUSINESS TO BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS.

FCMA IS A NORTHEAST FLORIDA BASED TRADE ASSOCIATION CREATED TO REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF MANUFACTURING, LOGISTICS AND RELATED COMPANIES.

CELEBRATING OUR 30TH YEAR OF SERVING MANUFACTURERS: THIS YEAR WE CELEBRATED OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF SERVING MANUFACTURERS IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA. IN 1989, A GROUP OF TEN MANUFACTURERS BELIEVED THAT WE NEEDED A CLEAR VOICE TO REPRESENT OUR INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT POLICIES. THE VISION OF THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS WAS CELEBRATED THIS YEAR WITH SEVERAL EVENTS INCLUDING OUR OPEN HOUSE, OUR EXCELLENCE AWARDS, AND OUR SYMPOSIUM. TODAY, OUR ASSOCIATION IS THE CLEAR VOICE IN THE REGION FOR MANUFACTURING, REPRESENTING ABOUT 20,000 EMPLOYEES. OUR FOCUS AND REACH NOW EXTENDS ACROSS THE STATE. CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO ALL OUR CURRENT MEMBERS AND PAST LEADERS FOR TAKING US INTO THE NEXT DECADE OF SERVING OUR MANUFACTURERS. WE APPRECIATE YOU.REACHING OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE: MANUFACTURING MONTH IS EVERY YEAR IN OCTOBER. THIS YEAR FCMA FOCUSED ON OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING WILL BE DEPENDENT UPON REACHING STUDENTS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL. EARLY IN THE YEAR, OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE SET UP A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT PARTNERED MANUFACTURERS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS TO BRING STUDENTS TO MANUFACTURING FACILITIES AND HELP THEM UNDERSTAND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN MANUFACTURING. WE ARE PROUD THAT OUR MANUFACTURERS HOSTED 30 TOURS WITH OVER 300 STUDENTS THIS YEAR. THE OUTREACH AND SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS WAS AN ENORMOUS SUCCESS.EXPLORING WAYS TO HELP OUR MEMBERS: THIS YEAR, WE HEARD FROM MANUFACTURERS IN THE REGION AND ACROSS THE STATE EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERN WITH RISING HEALTHCARE COST. THE FEDERAL MANDATES HAVE REQUIRED THAT COMPANIES PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES. SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS HAVE ASKED US IF THERE ARE ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE HEALTH INSURANCE COST. THIS YEAR, WE BEGAN WORKING WITH UF HEALTH TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM FOR OUR MEMBERS. A PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE COVERING OVER 8,000 EMPLOYEES WITH A COMPREHENSIVE CONSORTIUM APPROACH. WE EXPLORED THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SIMILAR PROGRAM DEDICATED TO MANUFACTURERS. THE BOARD APPROVED THE FORMATION OF A CONSORTIUM OF OUR MEMBERS THAT IS ANTICIPATED TO REDUCE HEALTH INSURANCE COST BY ABOUT 30 PERCENT. SEVERAL OUR MEMBERS HAVE BEGUN EXPLORING PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSORTIUM. PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM WILL BE LIMITED TO FCMA MEMBERS.FLORIDAMAKES: OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH FLORIDAMAKES HAS PROVEN AGAIN TO BE VALUABLE TO OUR MEMBERS. SEVERAL OF OUR COMPANIES HAVE WORKED WITH FLORIDAMAKES TO RECEIVE TRAINING GRANTS AND GUIDANCE ABOUT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND TRAINING. ADDITIONALLY, THIS YEAR WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL BUSINESS ADVISOR IN THE SUPPORT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR ASSOCIATION. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH FLORIDAMAKES HAS RESULTED IN A PROJECTED IMPACT IN THE STATE'S ECONOMY OF OVER $3 BILLION. THIS YEAR, OUR PARTICIPATION FLORIDAMAKES SECURED OVER $3.8 MILLION IN GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.WORKERS COMPENSATION: INSURANCE PREMIUMS ROSE 14 PERCENT TWO YEARS AGO. WE HAVE REMAINED VIGILANT IN WORKING TO REDUCE RATES ON PREMIUMS. IN ADDITION TO WATCHING AND DEVELOPING POLICIES IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WE HAVE HELPED TO REDUCE RATES BY 7.5 PERCENT THIS YEAR. WE ANTICIPATE THAT RATES WILL AGAIN INCREASE UNTIL A PERMANENT SOLUTION IS FOUND THROUGH LEGISLATION. WORKERS COMPENSATION WILL REMAIN A KEY FOCUS FOR US IN 2020.QUICK RESPONSE TRAINING: THIS PROGRAM, DEVELOPED IN THE LEGISLATURE, IS SET TO SUNSET THIS YEAR. THESE FUNDS ARE RESOURCES FOR MANUFACTURERS TO SECURE SUPPORT FOR NECESSARY TRAINING. WE WILL BE CONTINUING OUR SUPPORT FOR THESE TRAINING DOLLARS IN THE 2020 SESSION.FCMA LEADERSHIP AND WORKFORCE ACADEMY: THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ITS FIFTH YEAR AND IS CONTINUING TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT TRAINING FOR OUR MEMBERS' EMPLOYEES. THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. WE HAVE HAD OVER 450 EMPLOYEES OF OUR MEMBER COMPANIES PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION. THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE INTO 2020 AND WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN FILLING CLASSES FOR NEXT YEAR.FCMA EXCELLENCE AWARDS: THIS YEAR, FCMA HOSTED OUR ANNUAL FCMA EXCELLENCE AWARDS. WE HAD 300 ATTENDEES AT THE EVENT AND RECOGNIZED OVER 90 OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES. DURING THE PROGRAM, WE ALSO RECOGNIZED OUR OUTSTANDING COMPANY AWARDS. THE PRESIDENT OF FCMA RECOGNIZED DARRELL LESAGE FOR HIS OUTSTANDING SUPPORT OF FCMA DURING THE LAST 29 YEARS. DARRELL WILL BE RETIRING FROM VAC CON AT THE END OF 2019. WE WISH TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION TO DARRELL AND VAC CON FOR THEIR YEARS OF SUPPORT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH VAC CON IN THE FUTURE AND WISH DARRELL MANY HAPPY YEARS OF HEALTHY RETIREMENT.TALLAHASSEE LEGISLATIVE DAYS IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: THIS YEAR WE TRAVELED TO TALLAHASSEE TWICE TO ADVOCATE FOR ISSUES IMPACTING MANUFACTURERS. INCLUDED IN THE DISCUSSIONS WERE FUNDING FOR FLORIDAMAKES, FUNDING FOR QUALIFIED TARGETED INDUSTRIES, POLICIES ON WORKER'S COMPENSATION, REDUCED SALES TAX ON COMMERCIAL RENTALS AND ELIMINATION OF PERSONAL TANGIBLE PROPERTY TAX. THE NEW AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THAT THE SESSION WILL BEGIN IN EVEN YEARS IN JANUARY AND IN MARCH ON ODD YEARS. OUR VISIT TO TALLAHASSEE IN OCTOBER WAS THE FIRST TIME FCMA TRAVELED TO MEET THE LEGISLATURE BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF SESSION. WE JOINED MANUFACTURERS AND OTHER REGIONAL MANUFACTURER ASSOCIATIONS AROUND THE STATE TO VOICE OUR CONCERNS AND SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR THE LISTED ISSUES.

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