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Manufacturing News

  • July 14, 2014 11:03 AM | Anonymous


    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

  • July 14, 2014 8:32 AM | Anonymous

    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."

  • July 08, 2014 4:23 PM | Anonymous

    There are more positions requiring skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, then there are people with the skills to fill those positions, a new Brookings report indicates. But Tampa Bay seems to fill those positions faster.

    Read the article in the Tampa Bay Business Journal

  • July 01, 2014 12:21 PM | Anonymous

    CareerSource Tampa Bay and CareerSource Pinellas are offering a unique and exciting Paid Work Experience (PWE) program. The program provides funding assistance to employers who hire long-term unemployed workers looking for paid work experience leading to permanent, full-time employment.
    CareerSource will pay 100 percent of the participant’s wages up to $20/hr. for ten weeks.

    Find out more at an open house, July 10 from 8am - Noon at EEI Training Center, 700 Pinellas Street, Clearwater, FL 33756

  • June 12, 2014 1:40 PM | Anonymous

    The Bay Area Manufacturing Association is excited to announce that Jesse Panuccio, the State of Florida’s Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity, will speak at its Annual Meeting and Scholarship Awards Dinner on June 19.

    Jesse Panuccio joined the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) as Executive Director on January 8, 2013. The mission of the Dept. of Economic Opportunity is to assist the Governor in advancing Florida’s economy by championing the state’s economic development vision and by administering state and federal programs and initiatives to help visitors, citizens, businesses, and communities.

  • June 04, 2014 9:07 AM | Anonymous

    2014 SME International Honor Award Recipients

    Six Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) International Honor Awardees were recognized for their significant contributions to manufacturing in the areas of manufacturing technologies, processes, technical writing, education, research and management. Among those was our own, Dr. Marilyn Barger.

    Marilyn Barger, PhD, PE, is the Principal Investigator and Executive Director of FLATE - Florida Advanced Technical Education Center. FLATE website Dr. Barger is recognized with the SME Education Award for the development of manufacturing-related curricula for the entire state of Florida, being a leader in manufacturing education both nationally and internationally, and for inspiring students to enter the profession of manufacturing. She is the principal investigator and executive director of FLATE (Florida Regional Center of Excellence for Advanced Technological Education), funded by the National Science Foundation, since 2004. FLATE works closely with manufacturers across Florida serving manufacturing technical education programs statewide.

    Dr. Barger earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Agnes Scott College, and both a bachelor’s degree in engineering science and a doctorate in civil engineering (environmental) from the University of South Florida where her research focused on membrane separations for water purification. She has more than 20 years of experience in developing curricula for engineering and engineering technology for elementary, middle, high school and postsecondary institutions, including engineering colleges. She serves on a number of national panels and advisory boards for technical programs, curriculum and workforce initiatives, including the National Association of Manufacturers Educators Council. She is a fellow of the American Society of Engineering Education, and a member of Tau Beta Pi and Epsilon Pi Tau honor societies. She is also a charter member of both the National Academy and the University of South Florida‘s Academy of Inventors. She holds a licensed patent and is a licensed professional engineer in Florida.
    SME Website

  • May 22, 2014 10:24 AM | Anonymous

    Add this date to your calendar and plan for activities the first week in October. If you would like to host a tour for students or get involved, please email the BAMA office at admin@bama-fl.org.

  • May 19, 2014 4:12 PM | Anonymous

    A new ranking of the competitiveness of the world's top 25 exporting countries says the United States is once again a "rising star" of global manufacturing thanks to falling domestic natural gas prices, rising worker productivity and a lack of upward wage pressure.

    The report, released on Friday by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG,) found that while China remains the world's No. 1 country in terms of manufacturing competitiveness, its position is "under pressure" as a result of rising labor and transportation costs and lagging productivity growth.

    The United States, meanwhile, which has lost nearly 7.5 million industrial jobs since employment in the sector peaked in 1979 as manufacturers shipped production to low-cost countries, is now No. 2 in terms of overall competitiveness, BCG said.

    Read the article.

  • May 07, 2014 9:41 AM | Anonymous

    Free FL MEP Webinar on May 28

    "Understanding Material, Labor, and Overhead for Profitability"

    If you own a manufacturing company or work on its management team, you know that pricing products correctly is critical. Small variances in prices can mean the difference between making money and losing money.

    This is why the Florida MEP, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Florida's manufacturers, is holding a free webinar on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 3pm: "Understanding Material, Labor, and Overhead for Profitability". This live 60-minute webinar is funded by the State of Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity, as part of a larger effort to boost Florida's manufacturing industry.

    This free live webinar will help you:
      * Pinpoint Your Materials Costs
      * Calculate Labor with Great Precision
      * Uncover Overhead Costs
      * Price ALL of your Products for Profitability

    Plus, all attendees will be provided with 2 electronic tools that can be used to help customize pricing in YOUR manufacturing business.

    To register, please visit: http://SecorStrategies.com/webinar1

    About FLMEP
    The Florida MEP (FLMEP) is a not-for-profit organization that provides assistance to manufacturers to help them identify and implement advanced manufacturing and management technologies to enable them to grow and compete in the global market.

    FLMEP assists manufacturers by providing access to technology for improved productivity, offering workforce training in Lean manufacturing, ISO / ITAR compliance, exporting logistics and supply chain integration. Through FLMEP programs, many funded by grants, companies learn tactics to innovate, save money, implement more efficient management strategies and lean methodologies, resulting in immediate bottom-line impact.

    If you have questions or would like more information about FLMEP programs and services, please call Phyllis Morese at 772-349-2459, visit us at www.floridamep.org and be sure to follow us on Twitter @FloridaMEP.

  • April 29, 2014 10:57 AM | Anonymous

    In an effort to create a more competitive environment for manufacturers in his state, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed legislation to eliminate sales tax on purchases of industrial machinery and equipment.

    Effective April 30, 2014, House Bill 7007 provides a sales and use tax exemption for industrial machinery and equipment purchased by manufacturing businesses to be used at a fixed location within the state. To be eligible for this exemption, business and equipment must meet the following criteria:
       - The business’s primary activity must be defined by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 31, 32 or 33 at the specific location where the industrial machinery and equipment are installed.
       - Industrial machinery and equipment must be used as an integral part of manufacturing, processing or production.
       - Tangible personal property must have a depreciable life of three years or more.

    Parts and accessories purchased prior to the in-service date of the machinery and equipment also are eligible for the exemption. Buildings, structural components and heating and air conditioning equipment are excluded from the definition of machinery and equipment.

    Manufacturers can take advantage of this exemption until April 30, 2017, when the legislation expires.

    Economic development is a priority as Florida seeks to increase business growth within its state. The manufacturer’s sales tax exemption is one of many economic development initiatives outlined in House Bill 7007 and Senate Bill 406. SB 406 includes amendments to corporate tax credits, expansion of sales and use tax exemptions and the creation of a three-day sales tax holiday. Updated corporate income tax credits include the following:
       - Removal of the lifetime limit received by an individual for the Qualified Target Industry and Qualified Defense and Space Contractor tax refunds.
       - Expansion of eligible locations in enterprise zones in which caps per entity were imposed.
       - A $15 million increase ($3 million annually) in the total amount of tax credits that can be awarded under the New Markets Development Program.

    Watch the feature by Grayson Kamm on Channel 10 news on the Manufacturing Equipment Sales Tax Holiday!

Statistics

Manufacturing in Tampa Bay

Questions about manufacturing in Florida?

Search here for companies, small business help, infrastructure, employment, news...

EnterpriseFlorida.com

Read the 2015 Florida Manufacturing Brief from Enterprise Florida

Labor Market Industry Profile

Florida manufacturers are critical to the state’s economy. In June 2013, Florida manufacturing
was 4.4 percent of the employment for all industries. Manufacturing is separated into durable
goods manufacturing and nondurable goods manufacturing. Durable goods manufacturing
accounted for 66.7 percent of June 2013 manufacturing employment and nondurable goods
manufacturing accounted for 33.3 percent.


There were 18,510 Florida manufacturers in June 2013, with employment of 323,341 jobs.
Employment was up 5,660 jobs (+1.8 percent) over the year.


Read the entire report here

County
Number of Establishments
Employment December 2013
Pinellas 1,297 30,317
Hillsborough 1,114 24,651
Pasco 317 3,185
Hernando 106 1,509
TOTALS 2,834 59,662


Information provided by

International Trade

Click here for the Slide Show from the tour of the
Tampa Port on May 14, 2016.


If you need information on how to sell your goods to other countries,
here are some contacts that can help you.


Dan Bjerk is a Senior International Trade Specialist at the Tampa Bay Export Assistance Center,
the local office for the U.S. Commercial Service of the International Trade Administration of the
U.S. Department of Commerce located in Clearwater, Florida.

Tampa Bay Export Assistance Center

U.S. Department of Commerce | International Trade Administration

13805 58th Street North, Suite 1-200, Clearwater, FL 33760

727.464.7347

Dan.Bjerk@trade.gov

www.export.gov

Brent Barkway joined the staff of Pinellas County Economic Development in August 2014, as a Business Development Manager specializing in Export Development, Foreign Trade Zone management, business expansion and relocation projects. He focuses on helping local companies discover new global markets for their products and services. Brent honed his economic development skills in Lee County, where he managed the relocation of Hertz Corporate Headquarters, which resulted in the creation of hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in economic impact in Southwest Florida.

Pinellas County Economic Development

13805 58th St. N., Suite 1-200, Clearwater, FL 33760

727-464-7411

bbarkway@pinellascounty.org

Lorrie Belovich is Director of International Business Development for the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and partner in the Tampa Bay Export Alliance. She is responsible for both international trade and foreign direct investment. She works closely with the international stakeholders in Tampa Bay, such as the Tampa International Airport, Port Tampa Bay, Visit Tampa Bay and the Mayor’s office, to align the international business strategy for Hillsborough Country. Lorrie also manages the official outbound trade and business development missions led by Mayor Buckhorn and other elected officials.

Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation

101 East Kennedy Blvd. | Suite 1750, Tampa, FL 33602

813.518.2654

lbelovich@tampaedc.com

Gonzalo Padron joined Port Tampa Bay as director of marketing and business development for Latin America in August 2014. Prior to joining the port’s executive team, Padron was manager of strategic customers at DHL Global Forwarding. Padron began his industry career extensively traveling the Caribbean and Latin America as a senior account executive for ocean carriers Tecmarine Lines and Seaboard Marine.

Port Tampa Bay

1101 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602

welliott@tampaport.com

office: 813-905-5150

mobile: 813-361-2892

M. Javier Zuniga’s expertise includes corporate and partnership tax compliance, partnership structures, international taxation, individual taxation and forensic accounting. Javier is also part of PDR CPAs R&D tax credit and cost segregation studies practice areas.

PDR CPA

727-785-4447

mzuniga@pdr-cpa.com


OSHA

The OSHA presentation from January 22, 2015

Click the logo to view the presentation





Bay Area Manufacturers Association

1936 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 428

Wesley Chapel, FL  33543

727-536-5809

admin@bama-fl.org

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