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Virginia Manufacturer's Association

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VOLUME 5 | Edition 8 | May 2018
Letter from the President & CEO

Dear Members:

We conclude this Spring's MFG Town Halls and member committee meetings tomorrow and will be turning our attention to summer activities.  One of the new activities we have planned is to honor Virginia General Assembly and Congressional legislators for their service at member hosted "meet and greets."

The VMAPAC and the VMA have historically honored the top Virginia Senator and Delegate with our  Virginia Industrial Strength Leadership Award for their support of VMA priority legislation at our fall annual meeting.  We have decided to expand that tradition.  This year, the Virginia Industrial Strength Leadership Award will be given to all legislators earning high marks on our new VMA Legislative Competitiveness Scorecard.  Every member of the General Assembly will be scored on 94 priority bills from the 2018 legislative session.

We will be honoring the top scoring legislators at VMA member hosted "meet and greet" opportunities which will take place at factories and offices in their districts with local press participation.  When possible, the VMA will also be collaborating with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to honor Congressional members that have earned their respective awards as well.  This is a strategic decision to elevate those legislators that have distinguished themselves on industrial issues and improved Virginia manufacturing competitiveness.

Of course, this is not possible until the Virginia General Assembly completes its $115 billion biennium budget.  We are hopeful that by Wednesday there will be an agreement, but the House and Governor's insistence on Medicaid expansion is still holding up the budget process.  Passions are also rising with the Senate Democratic leader who is apparently threatening to pursue an unprecedented procedural motion to discharge the Senate Finance Committee in order to bypass the committee and get the bill to the Senate floor for a vote.

Regardless, the VMA 2018 Legislative Wrap-Up Report and  VMA Legislative Competitiveness Scorecard will be published by the end of June.  If you are willing to host a "meet and greet" for your Senator, Delegate or Congressional representative, please contact Jessical Tongel at jtongel@vamanufacturers.com.  


Best Wishes,  
Brett  
Brett A. Vassey
President & CEO


Manufacturing Day - October 5, 2018

On MFG Day, thousands of manufacturers nationwide will open their doors to show the American public what modern manufacturing really looks like.   Let's inspire the next generation of manufacturers and change public perceptions about manufacturing careers by making this year's MFG Day the biggest and best yet.  

Click here for details and to register your event online!


Virginia International Business Council (VAIBC) Luncheon 

Join a discussion on the trade relationship between Virginia and Canada.  The featured speaker will be Kristen Hillman, Deputy Ambassador, Canadian Embassy to the US.  Presentations will include a brief overview of Virginia's trade relationship with Canada (its top trade partner), understanding the impact of NAFTA on Virginia and insights into ongoing NAFTA negotiations.

Wednesday, May 23rd 
11:45am-1:30pm 

Register Online  Here


SW VA MFG Town Hall:  I-81 Truck-Only Tolls

The VMA is holding its SW VA MFG Town Hall tomorrow at Volvo Trucks in Dublin, VA.   This meeting will bring together businesses, community partners and regional leaders from Virginia and Tennessee to highlight workforce solutions, international trade opportunities, and Southeast U.S. transportation efficiency and safety.  
Highlights for this meeting will center around transportation.  Specifically, members will discuss increasing truck weights to 91,000 lbs., expanding trailer lengths, improving traffic "hot spots" without converting I-81 into a truck-only tolling corridor (estimated 27.4 cents per mile).  
There will also be a demonstration of new Class 8 Volvo trucks, 6 axle trailers and expanded length trailers.
Deputy Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue will discuss the Northam Administration's truck-only tolling plan as well as the upcoming Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) series of public meetings to identify problems with the I-81 corridor and build support for truck-only tolls to pay for corridor improvements.  The first meeting is 4 pm - 7 pm, June 6 at the SW VA Higher Education Center in Bristol.  Manufacturers  must participate in these meetings to  OPPOSE TRUCK-ONLY TOLLING.   There are three more meetings planned for June along the I-81 corridor.
House Transportation Committee Chairman David Yancey and Delegate Nick Rush will both participate in a legislative panel to discuss truck-only tolling, improved safety and efficiency, and funding alternatives for I-81 improvements.
To join the VMA Transportation Committee, contact Kimberly Noonan at knoonan@vamanufacturers.com

VMA Member Benefit Focus:
On-site Medical Facilities



The Virginia Manufacturers Association is proud to partner with  CareTeam Health to provide their transformational healthcare delivery services to manufacturing employers across Virginia.

The CareTeam Health Advantage
CareTeam Health has been managing worksite health and wellness centers since 2004. They partner with employers to control rising health costs while providing an unprecedented level of access to high quality care for their employees through onsite, near-site and shared site health centers.
 
CareTeam Health's employer-sponsored direct primary care offers high-quality, easily accessible, and low-cost care to an organization's most valuable asset-its employees.
 
Using biometric screenings and data to drive tailored care for your employees, CareTeam Health's clinicians are also certified health coaches who apply leading edge tools and information on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle management to drive behavior change and, more importantly, sustainable health outcomes.
 
For more information and to learn more about their services, please visit www.careteamhealth.com or contact Katie Miller at kmiller@vamanufacturers.com.



The U.S. Economic Census is Coming

Due Date is June 12, 2018

The Economic Census is the U.S. Government's official five-year measure of American business and the economy. It is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, and response is required by law.  

Starting with the 2017 Economic Census, response will be entirely paperless. The Economic Census will mail out information on how to access the electronic instrument in May 2018 to the nearly 4 million businesses, including large, medium, and small companies representing all U.S. and Island Area locations and industries. Respondents will be asked to provide a range of operational and performance data for their companies.
Additional information and is available at census.gov/EconomicCensus.