Dear VMA Members,
We are all looking forward to returning to "normal" immediately. The novelty of remote work wore off about a month ago and the continued economic uncertainty is straining even the strongest. Public safety and economic security are not mutually exclusive public policy goals. Prolonged economic disruption will likely result in additional health-related illness and diminish the Commonwealth’s ability to effectively respond to the acute needs of all citizens directly and indirectly affected by the COVID-19 virus. It is time to get Virginia back to work safely.
In fact, the VMA submitted the "
MFG Makes Virginia Safe: Back to Work Plan
" a few weeks ago. We recommended that Governor Northam adopt a responsible plan for reopening the economy that is data driven, mitigates the risk of resurgence, protects the most vulnerable and prioritizes readiness. Many of our recommendations are reflected in the Commonwealth's
Safer at Home: Phase 1 Guidelines for All Business Sectors
. The VMA also published the "
MFG Makes Virginia Safer Pledge
" today. We are encouraging members to post this flyer in entryways, break rooms and common areas. This is another resource of the MFG Makes Virginia
Safe
campaign to highlight the amazing commitment of manufacturers and their employees to working safely through the COVID-19 pandemic. These resources and more are regularly updated on the VMA's
COVID-19 Resource Center
and
Facebook page
.
So, now that the Commonwealth is reopening the economy, the VMA is considering additional regulatory flexibility and statutory measures that will enable an economic recovery. In the coming months we will be developing proposals involving trade promotion, tax benefits, a moratorium on new environmental and energy regulation, COVID-19 liability protections, COVID-19 tracing guidance, and government transparency regulations. We encourage all members to join a VMA
committee
to contribute to this body of work.
Finally, we cannot forget about the contractors, suppliers, consultants, engineers, lawyers, accountants and service providers that keep manufacturers running. COVID-19 has cut off economic activity from many and we need to ensure that we have a strong supply chain of service providers. As such, the VMA is launching a new ambitious campaign to support the suppliers to manufacturers. It will begin with the launch of a new cloud-based platform for sourcing suppliers and a new private LinkedIn B2B service. We intend on building out additional services over the next six months including an exclusive job board for associate members, a virtual trade show and customized digital advertising to manufacturers just to name a few.
Adversity almost always generates innovation. From virtual golf tournaments to cloud-based supplier development, we are working to connect members no matter the obstacle. And, when it comes to obstacles, whether they are business or government, we pride ourselves in the ability to remove them. The VMA has been
Industry's Advocate
for 98 years and your staff looks forward to serving you every day.
Best Wishes,
Brett A. Vassey
President & CEO
Webinar
11:30 am, June 1 - VMA COVID-19 Weekly Webinar
. We will not host a COVID-19 call this Monday (5/25). We hope everyone has a safe, healthy, and socially distant (but not to your spouse or loved ones!) Memorial Day. Join us the following Monday as we pick right back up with some exciting presentations:
- Brett Vassey, VMA President & CEO - Regulatory Relief Update
- Chad Bowman, The EI Group Operations Manager - COVID-19 Drive-thru Screening Services
- Kaitlyn Crow, VMA Marketing & Communications Manager - New Associate Member Service Directory Demo
- Kimberly Noonan, VMA Member Services Director - WiM-Virginia Virtual Golf Tournament Winner Announcement
Call-in Options:
Meeting Number:
620 787 187
Password:
VMACOVID
or
Join by phone:
+1-408-418-9388 (USA Toll)
Access Code:
620 787 187
Resources
Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) -
Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
-
Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
-
COVID-19 Critical Products
Also, please provide us with details about donations of PPE or other critical products, additional production you may have put into motion, and/or new products you may be willing to manufacture to meet COVID-19 needs. We are developing a new public relations campaign to highlight these contributions made by the manufacturing sector, its suppliers and their brave employees. The MFGmakesVA campaign will be discussed on the next member COVID-19 Update webinar.
#MFGmakesVASafer
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New and Improved Courses:
Industrial Safety Readiness Training Certificate
MSI is pleased to announce that it can now offer ISRT courses in HTML, so the learner can take the training courses on the go. The Learning Management System tracks how much time the learner spends training on the curriculum, so the
courses can be done from home.
The new and improved ISRT Certificate includes:
Manufacturing/Construction Area Courses (English & Spanish Options)
- Asbestos Awareness: Do Not Disturb
- Bloodborne Pathogens: Just the Facts
- Safety Matters: Confined Space Entry
- Safety Matters: Electrical Safety
- HazCom: In Sync with GHS
- Safety Matters: Hearing Protection
- Safety Matters: Lockout/Tagout
- Safety Matters: PPE
- Safety Matters: Slips, Trips, & Falls
Non-manufacturing Area Courses (English & Spanish Options)
- Bloodborne Pathogens: Just the Facts
- HazCom: In Sync with GHS
- Portable Fire Extinguishers
- Safety Matters: PPE
- Stairways and Ladders: A Safe Step
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COVID-19 Microlearning Package
MSI's team of online learning experts is here for you. To help protect and support you,
DuPont Safety Solutions
created a series of microlearning videos now available via a new mobile app. We are available to provide guidance and technical assistance to help your employees utilize their personal devices to access these courses
in the most convenient way possible - from anywhere, at any time.
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Women in Manufacturing - Virginia Chapter
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WiM-Virginia Virtual Golf Tournament
There are still two weekends left in May to compete in this year's tournament! Use this Memorial Day to create some memories on the golf course and support women in manufacturing in the Commonwealth.
Tournament details:
- $30 registration fee per 2-person team
- Open to women AND men - play with your buddy, spouse, or child at any 18-hole course you choose.
- Play in a "Scramble Format"
- Tournament runs until May 31.
- After your round, submit your score to the virtual Leaderboard.
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Women in Manufacturing (WiM) Hall of Fame Nominations
While we won't be meeting in-person for a while, the WiM (national) is accepting nominations online for their Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame. This award honors women who have made outstanding contributions during the course of their established careers in manufacturing.
Click here
to view more and nominate an amazing woman in manufacturing.
The deadline to make a nomination is June 15, 2020.
Monthly Virtual Learning Series
A core function or the WiM-Virginia Chapter is to provide customized learning and professional development opportunities for females in industry, whether their career goal is to join the C-Suite, senior management or middle management role. In light of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, providing members with quality online professional development resources that they can access from their home or office has become a top priority.
The WiM Virtual Learning Series has been expanded from bi-monthly to monthly in 2020.
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Virginia alcohol makers form statewide consortium to get sanitizer to first responders
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The Virginian-Pilot | May 8, 2020 -
"...up to now, distilleries offering sanitizer locally have been mostly been a catch-as-catch-can effort, with some distilleries going in and out of stock with each batch. Hospitals and fire departments have had to cobble together their own contacts with a relatively small list of distilleries making sanitizer, whether Chesapeake Bay Distilling in Virginia Beach or Blue Sky in Smithfield. Now, a consortium in Virginia is trying to make that process a lot easier. The Virginia [Craft] Brewers Guild, the Virginia Association of Cider Makers, The Virginia Wineries Association and the Virginia Manufacturers Association have banded to help produce and distribute hand sanitizer to first responders and government entities."
Richmond startup awarded $354 million federal contract to make ingredients for COVID-19 drugs
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Richmond Times-Dispatch | May 19, 2020 -
"A new Richmond-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company has received a $354 million federal contract to help build a strategic, national reserve of essential medications and to make active ingredients for more than a dozen medicines used to treat patients with COVID-19. And the ingredients will be made at a pharmaceutical plant in Petersburg, which could create about 350 jobs."
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Expanding Our Associate Member Benefits
As we all struggle to deal with cancelled events, remote work, government mandates, and the everyday COVID-19 challenges, the VMA has been working hard to produce dynamic business development opportunities for our members that transcend static face-to-face meetings, sales calls, and in-person trade shows.
As a result, we are excited to announce the following enhancement to our Associate Member benefits - a new Services and Contractor Directory. The new cloud-based and interactive system will be renamed and rebranded with the following updates:
- Enhanced company profiles and brand visibility
- Lead generation opportunities
- Dynamic search functionality
- Company reviews & testimonials
- Company Safety, Diversity, and Certification designations
- Digital platform for B2B interaction - posting RFPs and RFQs
- User portal so members can manage their own content
The new platform is a blend of ThomasNet and Angie's List for suppliers to manufacturers. Join us at 11:30 am on June 1 during our COVID-19 Webinar for a "sneak peek" and demo of the new platform.
Monthly Associate Spotlight
Starting with the June edition of
The Virginia Manufacturer
, we are rolling out a Monthly Associate Member Spotlight featuring three members. See below for more details:
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Manufacturing Skills Institute 9th Annual Workforce Symposium
August 6
Talley Workforce Center
John Tyler Community College
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Virginia Environmental Health & Safety Conference
September 23 & 24
Hilton Richmond Hotel & Conference Center
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Virginia Competitiveness Forum & WiM-Virginia Recognition Luncheon
November 17
Williamsburg Lodge
Conference Center
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VMA Committee Meetings/Webinars
WiM-Virginia Professional & Youth Outreach Working Group Meeting
June 18, 2020
2:00PM - 3:00PM
Recruiting talent to industrial career pathways is one of the core functions of the WiM-Virginia Chapter. If you are passionate about promoting our industry and encouraging young females to pursue a career in manufacturing and STEM, please join us. Tiffany New-Courtney (AdvanSix) is the Team Leader for this working group. Contact
Kimberly Noonan
for WebEx call-in information.
Virginia Chemistry Council Meeting
June 23, 2020
10:00AM - 1:00PM
This meeting will tentatively be held in person at AdvanSix, though WebEx webinar information is available upon request. Contact
Kimberly Noonan
for WebEx call-in information.
Click here
to register for this meeting.
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VEDP Webinar Series
Each week, VEDP’s International Trade team hosts a webinar designed to help you think through various aspects of international trade during this new and disruptive period. We hope you will join VEDP for these free webinars each Thursday.
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Omega Protein Open House
10:00AM - 3:30PM
July 22, 2020
Omega Protein - Reedville Facilities
Smith Building
610 Medhaden Rd.,
Reedville, VA 22539
All VMA members and friends are welcome!
Now in their 142nd year of continuous operation in the Commonwealth, Omega Protein’s Reedville facilities remain a key economic driver of the community and of the Northern Neck of Virginia. The facilities include fish processing and a Health and Science Center and Oil Refinery, millions of dollars of new processing equipment, innovative product storage, and significant environmental improvement initiatives that have been implemented in recent years.
Guests at this Open House will meet at Omega Protein’s newly-renovated Smith Building on the waterfront. Guests will also learn about the health and regulation of the menhaden fishery.
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