In This Issue
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VMA Group Benefits Plan - Census is Due March 15, 2019
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VMA Insurance Services is preparing to add health, dental and vision coverage to its services this year.
We need 2,000 lives in a completed census of members by March 15, 2019.
To participate in the census
click here. For more information, please contact Ian Ginger, VMA Business Development Director, at
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VMA-VA Israel Advisory Board
Defense & Security Industry Trade Event
March 28, 2019
Fairfax, Virginia
16 Israeli manufacturers, the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Israeli Manufacturers Association will meet with Virginia companies for DoD contract collaboration
For a list of Israeli companies or to RSVP, email
17th Annual Virginia Environmental Health and Safety Conference (VEHS)
September 18 -19
Hilton Hotel & Spa
12042 West Broad St.
Richmond, VA
Virginia Competitiveness Forum
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2nd Annual VMA STEP Ahead Recognition Luncheon
November 19
Williamsburg Lodge Conference Center
310 S England St.
Williamsburg, VA
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VOLUME 2 | Edition 9 | February 2019
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| Letter from the President & CEO |
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Dear Members:
The Virginia General Assembly adjourned on Sunday. Although they were a day late (session was scheduled to end on February 23), they were certainly not a dollar short. Despite the political scandals, the General Assembly produced the largest tax reduction in over a decade, funded key priorities (education, infrastructure, transportation, public safety), and avoided raising taxes through the budget.
VMA leaders and members did an outstanding job with aggressive "grass roots" advocacy this session. We needed your help ensuring that the diesel fuel tax was not increased 119% and the truck registration fee was not raised 100% through the budget - you responded. We needed your help ensuring that Interstate 81 was not turned into a toll road - you responded. We even needed you to give us direction on what type of funding mechanism we could support to improve Interstate 81 and, again - you responded. This enabled us to communicate clearly and with conviction that we would support a regional fuels tax dedicated to Interstate 81 safety and capacity improvements.
Despite the demagoguery and political shenanigans of our opponents, we were successful in defending against the most regressive Interstate 81 toll road proposal in over a decade and the largest diesel and truck registration fee increase in history. Now, the hard work begins in developing practical solutions that will fairly and transparently raise the necessary funding to improve Interstate 81 safety and capacity as well as other essential transportation infrastructure corridors around the Commonwealth. This task will certainly take us the rest of the year.
Transportation funding, tax reform, workforce training, affordable energy and regulatory balance will all be topics of conversation in the upcoming VMA Committee meetings and VMA MFG Town Halls. We will unpack the wins, losses, and politics of this legislative session as well as the ramifications of the upcoming elections on Virginia's business climate.
Thank you for your membership and leadership.
Best Wishes,
Brett A. Vassey
President & CEO
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The Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) is only as strong as its members. Member committees drive the work of the VMA on critical manufacturing issues as well as create the foundation of our "grass roots" advocacy. Committees are central to the government affairs function of the VMA, but they also drive our professional development, networking, regulatory and outreach services. Involvement in VMA committees is the best avenue to directly affect change, get involved and stay informed.
All Full and Associate Members are encouraged to participate in committees of interest. For more information about VMA Committee, please contact Kimberly Noonan, Director of Member Services, at
[email protected].
Upcoming Committee Meetings:
- Water Subcommittee - March 21
- Energy Resources Committee - March 26
- Safety Committee - April 4
- Air Subcommittee - April 17
- Workforce Solutions Committee - April 18
- Virginia Chemistry Council - May 8
- Environmental Health & Safety Committee - May 8
Click here to view a full list of all committee meetings and meeting details.
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Thank You For Another Great VMA Day on The Hill!
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Your voice matters and legislators listen. 2019 was another terrific turnout and members carried the message of manufacturing competitiveness to over 40 legislative visits.
Click here
to view the 2019 Day on the Hill Photo Gallery.
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2019 MSI Workforce Symposium
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August 8, 2019
9AM - 4:30PM
Liberty University, School of Business
Lynchburg, Virginia
The 2019 MSI Workforce Symposium will be held at the new School of Business at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. This 78,000-square-foot building is scheduled for completion later this spring. It will feature a number of innovative spaces, including stock trading simulation rooms with ticker boards, information technology labs, networking and data centers, a 500-seat auditorium, and the Center of Entrepreneurship, which will serve both the campus and local communities. Attendees will be the first to tour the new School of Business by former Congressman Dave Brat, now Dean of the Liberty University School of Business, before it officially opens to students.
This year's Workforce Symposium will center around best-practices in industry, academia and NGOs across the United States. You do not want to miss this event.
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Member Benefit: VMA Group Benefits Plan
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Over the past two years, the VMA has been working tirelessly to devise a comprehensive insurance program to help our members in optimizing their benefits offering to employees.
The goal of this offering will allow companies to:
- Participate in a plan negotiated with the strength and size of the VMA
- Access a plan that is unique to the VMA
- Gain stability from predictable plan pricing for coming years
- Have a voice in plan design and benefit cost
Next Steps
In order to make the plan viable, the VMA needs to complete an initial census collection and reach a minimum level of commitments from manufacturers like you.
For additional information on how you can help us reach our goal, please complete the following inquiry form:
VMA Group Benefits Plan Information Request.
Plan Details
Plan options will be offered through Anthem BCBS and Anthem Life:
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- Life/Voluntary Life
- Short and Long Term Disability
- Accident Coverage
- Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity
- Discounted FSA/HSA Accounts
For additional information or questions, please contact Ian Ginger, Business Development Director.
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| VA MFG Sector Economic Impact Study |
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The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) recently published the "Economic Impact of Virginia's Manufacturing Sector" for the first time in four years. VEDP's President, Stephen Moret, unveiled the report on January 28 at the VMA Day on the Hill at the State Library of Virginia.
Some of the study's highlights are as follows:
"The direct economic output of the manufacturing industry in Virginia is estimated at $112.3 billion in 2017. The direct economic output generated an estimated additional output of $85.9 billion, meaning that every $1 in direct economic output in the manufacturing industry generated an additional $0.765. In total, $198.2 billion in economic output could be traced back to the manufacturing sector in 2017."
"The manufacturing industry also makes a significant contribution to state and local revenue. Based on 2017 employment data, Virginia's manufacturing sector, its employees, and the industries they support generated an estimated total of $7.6 billion in tax revenue. This includes $3.3 billion in State tax revenue (including income tax) and $4.4 billion in local tax revenues, with property taxes making up $3.8 billion and sales tax $500 million."
The VMA encourages all members to share this report with your colleagues and community leaders. To review the full report, click here.
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