Governor Scott recently issued a proclamation whereas the month of October 2014 is recognized as Manufacturing Month in the state of Florida.
Read the proclamation here.

Manufacturing is back. Governments, media and manufacturers themselves are changing their minds about the industry, with a renewed awareness of the role it can play in achieving a strong economy. With a better business outlook expected in 2014, the manufacturing industry is undergoing a renaissance. To harness the momentum created by the manufacturing renaissance, manufacturers will need to transform today's challenges in to opportunities. It won't be an easy task, and manufacturers will need to completely rethink their business model, organizational structure and IT landscape.

Read the entire white paper here.

Florida TRADE at SPC is now offering the OSHA 30 online training at no charge for manufacturing association members.
The OSHA 30-hour General Industry Training course is a comprehensive safety program designed for anyone involved in general industry. Specifically devised for safety directors, foremen and field supervisors; the program provides complete information on OSHA compliance issues.
Find out more information!

As in the past, the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners will be issuing a proclamation declaring October 3 as Manufacturing Day. This year, we have the opportunity to be given the proclamation by the Board of Commissioners at one of their board meetings on September 23rd at 2 PM.

In conjunction with National Manufacturing Day, manufacturers across Pinellas and Hillsborough counties will be conducting tours with local middle and high schools to educate them on the types of careers available in manufacturing. The tours give the students the opportunity to see that not all manufacturing jobs are blue collar and that STEM education is vital to economic development in manufacturing in the United States. Approximately, 20 or more schools and plants will participate. Manufacturing provides jobs for approximately 30,317 citizens in 1,297 manufacturing facilities in Pinellas County; 24,651 jobs in 1,114 facilities in Hillsborough County; and 4,694 jobs in 423 facilities in Pasco and Hernando counties.

The Bay Area Manufacturers Association supports manufacturers and promotes economic development through manufacturing in the Tampa Bay Region. BAMA provides an environment that allows our members an opportunity to reach out into the community. BAMA provides a forum to exchange ideas or share “best practice” information; network with colleagues; learn about manufacturing related topics through our educational programs and tours; and supports Scholarship and STEM programs.

When it comes to income after college, earning a STEM degree benefits more than the college you attended. This finding, according to a survey of graduates in 2008, states that those graduates from private universities earn about the same as those from public colleges. What did matter was the degree.

Read more here

Hydro-Dyne® Engineering, Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of custom-engineered screening and grit removal equipment for water and wastewater facilities, is pleased to announce that it has completed its closing on the purchase of a more than 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Located in the Tampa Bay area, the new facility will dramatically expand Hydro-Dyne’s manufacturing, service, research and design capacity.

"We are thrilled and excited to have Hydro-Dyne expand their business in Pinellas Park. Pinellas is a business-friendly county and our community is very supportive of a dedicated workforce that will insure their growth and success," said Sandra Bradbury, Mayor of Pinellas Park.

The impressive 107,500-square-foot facility is the second largest industrial real estate transaction in Pinellas County year-to-date and is centrally located in the Tampa Bay area to take advantage of the region’s strong workforce and access to a broad intermodal logistics network. Hydro-Dyne’s global markets include customers in North America, Europe, Australia, South America, Africa and Asia.

“We have been fortunate to outpace industry growth year-over-year for more than a decade, which is a testament to the quality of both our people and our products” said Jay Conroy, President of Hydro-Dyne Engineering. “When fully built-out, our new facility will reflect the quality of our company and will meet and exceed operational capacity to keep us perfectly-positioned well into the future.”

As part of the company’s long-term managed growth, the purchase of the new facility is the latest move in the company’s investment in people, technology, equipment and capability. Hydro-Dyne has increased its employee base by more than 70 percent during the past 12 months and plans to hire a number of new employees company-wide in the next 12 to 24 months in departments including engineering, production, sales, marketing and information technology, among others. Capital investments totaling more than $1 million will also be made in manufacturing equipment, computer systems and building renovations.

“Though we’ve grown exponentially during the past several years, we have been very deliberate in the management of that growth,” said Christy Walsh, Vice President of Hydro-Dyne Engineering. “Sustainability is a factor considered at every turn. Our investments in people, plant and technology will maintain and improve our global market position of providing the highest quality equipment to the water and wastewater industries.”

Working with Pinellas County Economic Development, Hydro-Dyne will utilize an Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) to finance a portion of the property acquisition. The company plans to use the remaining proceeds from the sale of the Bond to finance renovations to the facility to meet growing demand for Hydro-Dyne’s products and services.

“We’re very pleased that Hydro-Dyne chose Pinellas County for this significant corporate expansion,” said Mike Meidel, Director of Pinellas County Economic Development. “Helping our existing companies to grow and create new jobs is part of our core mission, and the Industrial Revenue Bond financing program can provide tax-exempt financing to eligible industrial projects. Combined with Pinellas’ strong workforce, it makes our community the ideal climate for manufacturing.”

Hydro-Dyne has built its reputation on providing the highest quality products for the water and wastewater industries, which drive value for the customer through lower lifecycle costs and superior service. This new facility will continue to improve the company’s industry standing by providing a markedly larger, world-class facility for all of its services under one roof, including research, engineering, design, manufacturing, testing, sales and service.

Hydro-Dyne will begin building renovations immediately and anticipates relocation of operations by Q3 2014 while maintaining uninterrupted service to its customers.

About Hydro-Dyne Engineering, Inc.
Hydro-Dyne® Engineering, Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of custom-engineered screening and grit removal equipment for municipal and industrial water and wastewater facilities. Hydro-Dyne’s continuous product innovation, commitment to quality, excellence in engineering, customer service and product value are at the center of the company’s core values. Hydro-Dyne’s all stainless steel equipment is well suited for the protection of water and wastewater treatment plants with individual machine flow capacity ranging from 100 gallons-per-minute to more than 150 million gallons-per-day.

If your business activities are directly or indirectly related to exports, Challenge Grant funds are available. Most companies involved in the manufacturing, distribution or transportation of exported goods or services, or related supply chains, are eligible to participate.
You'll find more information here

This year, at the Annual Awards Dinner on June 19, BAMA recognized some of its own; those who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to contribute to BAMA success.

Those honored were:
- Rick Concotelli, Lockheed Martin-Aeronautics / BAMA Distinguished Service Award
- Grant Peterson, Ogletree Deakins, P.A. / Honorary Life Member
- Jabil Circuit / BAMA Member of the Year
- Andrea Pagliuca, Constellation Technology Corp / Emerging Leader
- Janell Weaver, Kelly Services / Associate of the Year

Honorable mentions were presented to: Chris Donnelly, Beth Ross, Dennis Stotts, Kathryn Forbes, Marilyn Barger and Becky Burton.

If you missed our annual event, you missed a lot.
Here's a recap

We were honored to have Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity in attendance. Director Panuccio spoke about the growing Florida economy and commended BAMA on its work with STEM education. Director Panuccio said, "BAMA's focus on supporting students who are interested in the STEM industries will encourage Florida's future workforce to succeed in these high-demand, high-paying sectors. It was an honor to join local manufacturing business leaders, parents, and students at the Annual STEM Scholarship Presentation. I was impressed with the skill set and talent the students displayed and am thankful for BAMA's support of this great program."

STEM Fair winners were honored and their projects were highlighted at the event. Winners were:
Pinellas County
- Samantha Eck / Project: How Could You Improve a Piezoelectric Device
- Sydney Opyrchal / Flight or Light


Hillsborough County
- Colton Copple, Carrollwood Elementary / Troubled Water
- Kevin Avaiya, Lincoln Elementary / Working Together to Make Water Better
- Anabela Ebsworth, Nativity Catholic / Measuring If Refurbished and Ink Cartridges Print the Same Amount of Paper
- Huzefa Johar, Williams High School / Solarized
- Vignesh Bhethanabotla, King High School / Synthesis of Silver Nanocubes for Biosenor and Photocatalytic Applications
- Sophie Wright, Progress Village / "Catching Fire" Does the Price of a Roofing Shingle Affect the Temperature at Which it will Burn?

Reelection of BAMA Board of Directors was voted on and new Board members announced: Dennis Stotts, Jim Long and Dennis Piotrowski. Stotts is an Environmental Attorney with Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A. and will serve as the new STEM chairman. Long is the Vice President of Operations at Sypris Electronics and will be setting up a series of round-table discussions centering on manufacturing. Piotrowski is the Vice President of Quality at BELAC, LLC. Cliff Csulik was reelected as President and Rick Concotelli was elected as Vice President.

This year, BAMA recognized some of its own; those who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to contribute to BAMA success. Those honored were:
- Rick Concotelli, Lockheed Martin-Aeronautics / BAMA Distinguished Service Award
- Grant Peterson, Ogletree Deakins, P.A. / Honorary Life Member
- Jabil Circuit / BAMA Member of the Year
- Andrea Pagliuca, Constellation Technology Corp / Emerging Leader
- Janell Weaver, Kelly Services / Associate of the Year

Honorable mentions were presented to: Chris Donnelly, Beth Ross, Dennis Stotts, Kathryn Forbes, Marilyn Barger and Becky Burton.

Tampa’s Middleton High School robotics also offered a demonstration at the event. BAMA financially supports robotic camps and robotic clubs in the community.

A video highlighting the event and a BAMA year-end recap can be found on the BAMA website at www.bama-fl.org.

BAMA has progressed and grown a lot this past year.
Some of the highlights of the 2013-14 Fiscal Year:
s Recognized and awarded students who won STEM fairs in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties
s Awarded scholarships through Pinellas and Hillsborough Education Foundations
s Updated our BAMA logo
s Hosted a successful job fair with pTEC
s Implemented a new member shadow program to welcome new members to BAMA
s Developed new banners and backdrops for trade shows and events
s Implemented an Ethics Hotline to support member concerns, 844-tel-BAMA
s Distributed new membership plaques
s Hosted BAMA Family Night with the Rays at Tropicana Field
s Video Recorded Major BAMA Events
s Offered more networking, workshops, tours and joint meetings
s Offered additional memberships to allow educators and unemployed
s Began a new member awards program
s Promoted advanced manufacturing education by implementing the Florida TRADE program

View a copy of our July 2014 newsletter

HYDRO-DYNE ENGINEERING ANNOUNCES EXPANSION

NEW FACILITY IN PINELLAS PARK

Pinellas Park, Florida, July 14, 2014 - Hydro-Dyne® Engineering, Inc. has announced its purchase of a more than 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Pinellas County, Florida. The new facility will dramatically expand Hydro-Dyne's manufacturing, service, research and design capacity, and will allow the company to take advantage of the Tampa Bay region's strong workforce and broad intermodal logistics network. The company has increased its employee base by 70 percent during the past 12 months and plans to hire a number of new employees company-wide in the next 12 to 24 months. Capital investments totaling more than $1 million will be made in manufacturing equipment, computer systems and building renovations.

"We have been fortunate to outpace industry growth year-over-year for more than a decade, which is a testament to the quality of both our people and our products," said Jay Conroy, President of Hydro-Dyne Engineering. "When fully built-out, our new facility will reflect the quality of our company and will meet and exceed operational capacity to keep us perfectly positioned well into the future."

"We are thrilled and excited to have Hydro-Dyne expand their business in Pinellas Park. Pinellas is a business-friendly county and our community is very supportive of a dedicated workforce that will insure their growth and success," said Sandra Bradbury, Mayor of Pinellas Park.

Hydro-Dyne, one of the world's leading manufacturers of custom-engineered screening and grit removal equipment for water and wastewater facilities, worked with Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) to identify tools and programs to help the company grow.

With PCED's assistance, Hydro-Dyne utilized an Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) to finance a portion of its new facility, and the company plans to use the remaining proceeds from the bond sale to finance renovations to the building. IRB's are issued by local governments on behalf of qualified manufacturers and 501 (c) 3 non-profit organizations and offer tax-free, below-market-rate, long term financing of land, buildings and equipment.

"We're very pleased that Hydro-Dyne chose Pinellas County for this significant corporate expansion," said Mike Meidel, Director of Pinellas County Economic Development. "Helping our existing companies to grow and create new jobs is part of our core mission, and the Industrial Revenue Bond financing program can provide tax-exempt financing to eligible industrial projects. Combined with Pinellas' strong workforce, it makes our community the ideal climate for manufacturing."

PCED staff provided expansion services and information about Florida's Sales Tax Exemption incentives, and facilitated a meeting with representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce and Enterprise Florida to discuss export programs, including Target Sector Trade Grants available to Florida businesses.

Working with PCED also connected Hydro-Dyne with Duke Energy, Florida, whose support and partnership in the process helped Hydro-Dyne's expansion decision. The company provided energy-efficiency and operational expertise, along with information about programs that will help Hydro-Dyne maximize its energy usage in the new facility, particularly in the manufacturing process.

"Hydro-Dyne's decision to significantly expand their business in Pinellas County is the result of a true collaborative effort," said Alex Glenn, Duke Energy, state president - Florida. "Along with our partners, we brought the expertise and programs to the table early in the process, while helping to assure Hydro-Dyne that they would achieve their expansion goals on schedule."

The real estate transaction, valued at more than $5 million, is one of the larger industrial real estate transactions year-to-date in Pinellas. Thanks to the efforts of the company, Pinellas County staff, and County bond counsel Bryant Miller Olive, Hydro-Dyne's IRB was approved and closed within six weeks of receipt of its application. PCED will continue working with the company to provide information and assistance as Hydro-Dyne manages its future growth.

"Though we've grown exponentially during the past several years, we have been very deliberate in the management of that growth," said Christy Walsh, Vice President of Hydro-Dyne Engineering. "Sustainability is a factor considered at every turn. Our investments in people, plant and technology will maintain and improve our global market position of providing the highest quality equipment to the water and wastewater industries."