FCMA: A Respected Voice in Strengthening Manufacturing in Northeast Florida

First Coast Manufacturers Association is a non-profit trade association serving as the voice for manufacturers located in the Northeast Florida counties of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns. The Association’s multi-faceted programs are designed to assist members in the successful operations of their business, help educate policymakers and the public about the value of manufacturing, and its significance to the local economy. FCMA also works with its member organizations, government agencies and the community to protect the environment.             

Established in 1989, the Association today represents all types of manufacturing, from small machine shops to top selling consumer goods to international high-tech medical products.  As an effective leader and “voice for local manufacturing” FCMA continues to grow, and is currently comprised of over 300 companies. Some of its larger, more recognizable members include: Anheuser-Busch InBev, BAE Systems (Shipyards and Safariland), CSX Transportation, Maxwell House-Kraft, RockTenn Corrugated, Swisher, Owens Corning, Gerdau, Colomer USA, and our largest industrial employer, the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southeast.  

            

Its industry-centric focus is defined by the line-up of services it provides, and its mission to keep members abreast with latest tools and technologies. FCMA hosts several workshops and networking opportunities throughout the year, and has established SIGs (Special Interest Groups)so members can share their expertise and knowledge. SIG members interact monthly and are able to offer solutions to similar problems, or share resources of reliable service providers with proven performance. Currently the association has two SIGs, one for plant managers and one for maintenance and reliability. FCMA is also in the process of developing additional SIGs that have similar issues and concerns.

            

In an effort to keep members aware of each other’s production and support service needs, and to provide an opportunity for sharing best practices FCMA also conducts many plant tours. Sherri Mitchell, director of finance and education says the idea is to “keep our manufacturers updated on issues affecting manufacturing.” Partnership with local schools also play a vital role in developing relevant educational and training materials to meet the needs of local manufacturers, and in training the next generation of high skilled workers. FCMA regularly interacts with local schools and colleges, and encourages its members to develop partnerships with neighborhood schools. The Association has taken great strides to ensure manufacturing is a visible topic for discussion on the different advisory boards from the University of North Florida, to Florida State College at Jacksonville, to career academies, and local workforce boards.

            

In keeping with this goal to sustain and promote manufacturing throughout the region, FCMA is cultivating strategic partnerships with Center’s like FLATE to convey a consistent and cohesive message about the importance of manufacturing and its impact on Florida’s economy. “We all need to work together throughout the entire state to ensure the same message regarding manufacturing is getting out from all regions” said Mitchell. To get the ball rolling, FLATE and FCMA are currently working on compiling a handout highlighting local manufacturers, career opportunities and educational pathways available in the region. Once completed, the handout will be used to supplement FCMA’s efforts to build manufacturing awareness, and to showcase its impact around the state.

            

For more information on FCMA contact Sherri Mitchell at Sherri@FCMAweb.com, or visit www.fcmaweb.com. For information on FLATE, and its involvement/outreach initiatives with local regional manufacturers associations contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org, or visit www.fl-ate.org.

FLATE Ambassador Outreach Initiative--A First Hand, Behind-The-Scenes Look!

FLATE’s ambassadors are one of those behind the scenes people who play a pivotal role in raising awareness about FLATE’s state-of-the-art educational/professional development initiatives designed to promote excellence in high-tech manufacturing. You may not have spotted a FLATE ambassador at a regular FLATE event, but you might have run into them at a career fair, or spotted them at a local industry tour. FLATE’s ambassadors may not fit into the traditional corporate mould, but you will soon find out, they are equipped with a wealth of educational and professional resources.

            

Meet Sarah Lefils. Sara is a University of Florida graduate, with a degree in telecommunications. She is the wife of a peanut farmer and the mother of two children: James, age 6 and Rebecca, age 4.  The majority of her professional career has been as a preschool director at O2B Kids in Gainesville, Florida. She attained her child development associate’s certificate and director’s credential shortly after graduating from college. Sara began working for the College of Central Florida in the fall of 2010 as the “Career Pathways Coordinator” where she was also introduced to the role of a FLATE ambassador. Within this role, Sara visits all public high schools within the tri-county area (Marion, Citrus, and Levy) to speak about career and educational opportunities in the manufacturing field.

            

Over the course of two years, Sara has been working with 16 high schools in the region. She has successfully reached out to 2500-3500 students and about 350 adults, or staff comprising of teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, task force members, industry leaders, college advisors. Sara uses different videos and stories to keep students engaged and inspired with job ideas they may not have known even existed. Sara’s video presentations include everything from the FLATE video, to a quick bit on 3-D printers, to the life story of Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe. To create a hook and get students interested in STEM and manufacturing, Sarah suggests highlighting real success stories. She also likes the idea of having small brochure/handouts that highlight an individual’s occupation, the training involved in securing such a position, where the jobs/businesses are located in Florida for that position, and their potential salaries. “While the videos show real people, I think having people share where they came from, where they are now, and how they got there would make more of a lasting impression on some kids.” She points to FLATE’s postcard, handout and video as an effective tool in getting students excited about manufacturing, and FLATER as a popular item—one that peeks students’ curiosity.

            

Sara also attends school functions like job fairs, or college fairs to showcase FLATE’s resource to teachers, parents, and students. To stay connected with local educators, Sara attends Marion Technical Institute task force meetings each month which gives her ample material to educate students about local opportunities. An additional dimension to her position is providing field trips. Over the past year Sara facilitated three field trips. One of which entailed Marion and Citrus County drafting students travelling to College of Central Florida to attend an open house for the college’s new engineering lab. She has special field trips planned next year for a group of 30 high school juniors at North Marion High School. Students are expected to tour E-One, Quality Banner, SPX and Trademark Metals Recycling. Her partnership with local industry has enabled her to visit SPX Flow Technology, Quality Banner Company, Phillips Printing, E-One, Southeastern Freight Lines and Forest High School’s EMIT program.

For information about FLATE’s ambassador program, or to coordinate a “Made in Florida” industry tour for students in your area contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org. To assist/enhance Sara’s outreach efforts in the Marion, Citrus, and Levy tri county region, or to partner with Marion Regional Manufacturers Association contact Sara at lefils@cf.edu.

sTEm-at-Work Puzzle #28 ANSWER: Boiling points of mixtures of two secret perfume liquids

The Problem

A technician has measured the boiling points of various liquids made by mixing different amounts of two “we-sell-smells” company secret perfume liquids. The first measurement was the boiling point of 100% pure “Essence of Skunk”. The last liquid measured was 100% “Essence of Pearl”. Fourteen other mixture boiling points are shown on the blue curve (the bubble-point curve).

In addition, the technician used a gas chromatograph to determine the percent of “Essence of Pearl" in the vapor just above each boiling mixture. That percent vapor (gas) data is shown as the red dotted curve (Dew-point curve). The technician knew that the smell of a small liquid drop of a perfume comes from the gas just above that liquid drop. Now, the technician knows a lot more about the behavior of the two secret perfume liquids when they become liquid mixtures with different percentages of Essence of Pearl.

For example the boiling point of 100% Essence of Pearl liquid is higher than the boiling point of 100% Essence of Skunk. YES or NO.

Points for discussion

The mixture of two pure liquids to create a third liquid is extremely common. The binary systems plot below provides information about the concentration of each component in each liquid in the liquid mixture as well as the concentration each component of in the vapor of the mixture.  The idea that a liquid has a vapor may be new to your students.  Perhaps you can start with the word gas and the properties of a gas as compared to a liquid.  The word vapor is used when the molecules can be put into the liquid state or the gas state by simple changes in temperature and pressure within the normal range of values found on earth.  its.  There is no difference between molecules in the gas state and the same molecules in the vapor state.  there is no difference between a vapor and a gas however, nitrogen is not usually labeled a vapor since it is not easily changed from its gas state to its liquid state.  By contrast water is labeled a vapor since it is really easy to change water molecules back and forth from gas state to liquid state.  Other properties of binary system plots will be explored in next month's puzzle so please check in again next month.

                                                                               

The Answer

The boiling point of 100% Essence of Pearl liquid is higher than the boiling point of 100%  

Essence of Skunk.  NO

Volusia Manufacturers Association Defines What It takes to be a Leading Voice for Local Manufacturers

Regional Manufacturers Associations play a significant role in reflecting the interests and translating the needs of local manufacturers. Volusia Manufacturers Association (VMA), located in Ormond Beach FL, has been a leading voice in promoting manufacturing through education, training, outreach and networking opportunities. Since 1980, the organization has served as a focal point in providing tools to help manufacturers succeed in a local and national arena.

What defines VMA is its extended array of outreach initiatives, and its cohesive network of partnerships with local industry leaders and educators. The organization enjoys 37% market penetration whereby access to a local manufacturer, education facility, or legislator is almost instantaneous. Jayne Fifer, president and CEO of VMA says the organization has developed a strategic plan of action that is geared to address the national and local shortage of skilled laborers in manufacturing. Fifer says the plan centers on building awareness among young people, and propagating the message that “manufacturing still exists in the USA” and is thriving in Volusia and Flagler counties.

           
To kick start its strategic plan of action, VMA has a pipeline of outreach projects and has partnered with local engineering and manufacturing related academies. The “Poster Project” at the Advanced Technology College, for example, is designed to showcase manufacturers and their products. Participants are currently working on designing large posters that tell who they are, showcase their products and list all the careers and jobs it takes to run the company. The posters will be unveiled during a special unveiling ceremony at VMA’s general membership meeting in August. The “Adopt an Academy” program is yet another outreach initiative for local manufacturers to adopt a local manufacturing-related academy.

        

In keeping with its goal to foster education and community awareness initiatives, VMA has devised a structured outreach campaign targeted to raise awareness among students, educate the educator about manufacturing, and connect them with local manufacturers. The organization is a member of the Career Connections Cadre which represents a partnership between Volusia County Schools, area business and industry, the Center for Business Excellence and Volusia colleges and universities.VMA is currently actively involved with Volusia County Schools and the Cadre in charting a five year strategic planning process targeted to bring more business input into the development and redesign of its career and technical education programs. The initiative is also geared to help career academies “keep pace with demands of the business community.” Other VMA initiatives include monthly plant tours, meetings and seminars that emphasize business growth, human resource issues, excellence in manufacturing technologies, financial and accounting issues.

           

“Raising awareness of manufacturing is a grassroots effort” says Fifer.  In keeping with this, VMA has organized a Manufacturers Speakers Bureau whereby members are scheduled to give several presentations to teachers at local engineering/manufacturing related academies, ERAU engineering classes and DSC STEM classes. A total of 22 presentations have been scheduled for June 19. Fifer outlines the initiative as a pathway to inform teachers and help them raise awareness about manufacturing and the tremendous opportunities it provides. The expectation, she says, is if students, teachers and parents hear about manufacturing in a focused campaign, they will share their ideas with others.  In essence the idea is to “win one person at a time, producing a ripple effect.”

           

To keep industry continually engaged with its efforts VMA has also planned a “Manufacturers Mentoring Day” in September. Each academy is set to send six students to participate in a two hour, job shadowing experience with a local manufacturer. VMA has also planned a manufacturers’ expo to increase visibility of manufacturers in the community, and to connect them to the community at large. The expo will be held in October at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, FL.   

            

Given its array of programs and partnerships, VMA enjoys a robust partnership with FLATE in promoting manufacturing education and excellence in Florida. In 2008, VMA actively participated in the FLATE-led campaign to produce three 30 second public service announcement to showcase and educate the community at large about educational and career pathways in high-tech manufacturing in Volusia County. Fifer commends FLATE in taking the first step to create state of the art programs for local manufacturers, and equipping local manufacturers with resources to help them succeed.

For more information about VMA contact Jayne Fifer at jayne.fifer@vmaonline.com, or visit www.VMAonline.com. For information about FLATE’s partnership with regional manufacturers associations in Florida, and its outreach initiatives kit designed to promote regional manufacturing activity contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org, or visit www.madeinflorida.org and www.fl-ate.org. 


Snapshot of the 2011 VMA Expo