WASHINGTON, DC, June 13, 2017
- Today the VMA announced the formation of the Virginia Chemistry Council. The Council will operate as an affiliate of the VMA and serve as the exclusive state affiliate of the American Chemistry Council. Chemical and allied products is the second largest manufacturing industry in the Commonwealth. One of the founding principles of the Council is to improve the public's understanding of the societal and economic benefits that modern chemistry creates at the state and national levels.
The formation of the Council is also part of the VMA's Vision 2020 strategic plan. VMA Director and Evonik Corporation's Senior VP & GM, David DelGuercio, said about the Council, "I believe this is in the best interest of both the VMA and ACC for the chemical industry in Virginia."
Chris Caldwell, Senior Manager, DuPont Government Affairs stated that "Virginia's chemical industry generates over $1 billion in payroll across 163 establishments and pays $110 million in state and local taxes." As an incoming Co-Chair of the Virginia Chemistry Council, Caldwell went on to say, "We are going to work collaboratively with the ACC to raise awareness about issues that affect the manufacturing business climate, assure responsible care within our companies, foster a culture of safety training, and build a robust talent pipeline that will help our industry grow."
According to the American Chemistry Council, Virginia's chemical industry provides 14,186 direct jobs and another 15,030 related jobs. The average wage is $76,672, which is 33% higher than the average manufacturing wage. The industry is also investing $383 million to build and update equipment and facilities.
"We are excited for the Virginia Manufacturers Association to join ACC as our newest advocacy network partner. In recent years, we have had the opportunity to work closely with the VMA on a number of key legislative issues. We have seen the beginnings of a manufacturing renaissance across the nation, and Virginia is no exception. Since 2012, there have been $300 million in announced investments across 14 plastic processing projects in Virginia alone. We look forward to continuing to work with them on issues important to the business of Chemistry to bring more investment and the related jobs to Virginia," said Rudy Underwood, Vice President for State Affairs and Political Mobilization, American Chemistry Council.
The Virginia Chemistry Council will organize itself over the next six months in preparation for the 2018 Virginia legislative session. Some of the initial resources it intends on expanding to its membership is in Federal and State political advocacy, production best practices, safety training, environmental management, and workforce development. For more information, go to
www.vamanufacturers.com
or
www.americanchemistry.com
.
