VOICE NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2025
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Manufacturing is more than production; it is innovation, opportunity, and the backbone of our region’s growth. Each year, the FCMA Excellence Awards remind us that the true strength of North Florida manufacturing lies in the people and companies who lead with vision, perseverance, and passion.
On Friday, October 17, 2025, we will gather at the UNF University Center to celebrate those who exemplify excellence in our industry. This evening is not simply about recognition; it is about inspiring all of us to raise the bar, embrace new possibilities, and ensure manufacturing thrives for generations to come. There is still time to nominate your employees or your company! Learn more here.
Our celebration continues with the FCMA Fall Golf Outing on Wednesday, November 5, at St. Johns Golf & Country Club. More than a day on the course, it is an opportunity to strengthen relationships, grow our community, and invest in the future together. Together, we are building a legacy of excellence! See you soon.
Let's Make It Here,
Lake Ray, President
First Coast Manufacturers Association
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Bowen, Miclette & Britt Insurance of Florida
Contact: Mat Glas, mglas@bmbinc.com
company description: For over 40 years, Bowen Miclette & Britt has demonstrated a commitment to excellence, innovation, and service in the intricate field of commercial insurance products, surety bonds, human capital management, and risk management. Our clients trust in our knowledge, vision, accountability, and dedicated service.
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Speck Pumps Pool Products Inc
Referred by Lisa Crowley, PNC Bank
Contact: David Schilkofski, Controller, d.schilkofski@speck-pumps.com
https://usa.speck-pumps.com/
company description: For over 100 years Speck Pumps continues its industry leading and high-quality product design, development, production, and customer service excellence. Speck Pumps manufacturers’ complete lines of world-renowned high-quality pool pump products that are used in spas, residential and commercial swimming pools as well as vanishing edge pools, fountains, waterfalls, and aquaculture applications. We are your resource for SPECK Industrial replacement pumps and SPECK industrial pump parts that are sold worldwide. With a dedicated customer service team, a global distribution network, and world-class product availability – we’ll assure you get your replacement pumps and parts quickly! In addition to our extensive line of swimming pool pump products, professional products, and SPECK Industrial replacement pumps and SPECK Industrial replacement parts, we also offer a line of economy and premium filters, equipment packs, and our world-renowned water treadmill – the BADU® SwimJet System.
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2025 FCMA EXCELLENCE AWARDS
FCMA annually recognizes outstanding individuals and companies for contributions to manufacturing excellence. The event is one of our most esteemed and recognized activities of the year. We host a banquet dinner, complete with special awards to recognize our members’ outstanding employees and companies.
Friday, October 17, 2025 • 5:30 PM Reception • 6:00 – 9:00 PM Program
UNF University Center, 12000 Alumni Drive, Jacksonville, FL
Nominations due September 19th
Application for Individual Award
Company Awards Reservation Form
Company Awards Criteria
MOTY Interivew Form
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2025 FCMA FALL GOLF OUTING
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
St. Johns Golf & Country Club
205 St. Johns Golf & Country Club, St. Augustine, 32092 (Phone: 904-940-3200)
11:30 AM Registration, 11:30 – 12:00 BBQ lunch with the Board of Directors
12:30 PM (following lunch) Shotgun start
$350 Individual Players, $750 per team (savings of $650)
Signature Sponsors – $1,000 (2 available)
Includes a Foursome
Your company name and logo will have “Top Billing” on all printed promotional/advertising materials.
Your company website linked to all e-mail event reminder notices
Recognition in the Voice, FCMA’s monthly newsletter
Social media promotion
Corporate Sponsors- $600 (6 available)
Your company name and logo will be featured on all printed promotional/advertising materials
Website linked to all e-mail event reminder notices
Recognition in the Voice, FCMA’s monthly newsletter
Social media promotion
Putting Contest Sponsors – $650 – (1 available)
Opportunity to have your company representatives greet ALL players as they putt for your provided prize.
Sign with your company name and logo on the green
Website linked to all e-mail event reminder notices
Recognition in the Voice, FCMA’s monthly newsletter
Social media promotion
Lunch Sponsors – $1000 (3 available)
Includes a foursome (Bring your clients! Only 1 player needs to be an FCMA member).
Website linked to all email event reminder notices, including the on-line newsletter.
Social media promotion
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2025 FCMA Holiday Social
December 11, 2025 @ 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Beach Bowl, 818 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach
Cost: $75.00
Contact: Stephanie Starling, 9042969664
Sponsorships Available
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Annual Symposium 2025 – Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Thursday, August 28, at the World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine Resort for our Annual Symposium!
We were honored to hear from an incredible lineup of speakers, including Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia, Florida Department of Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly, Cathi Canfield (Employbridge), Sheridan Morby (Florida Chamber Foundation), Greg Gutkowski (UNF Coggin College of Business), and Jamie Smith & Teri Sowder (Forvis Mazars).
A special thanks to our FCMA panelists—Abe Alangadan and Joe Metzger (AM Synaptix), Dray Doddington and Amber Shaver (Stellar Energy), and Taft Stone (PRIDE Enterprises)—for sharing how Kaizen training is benefiting members.
This year’s sessions covered timely topics such as tax updates, Florida’s economic landscape, manufacturing and workforce trends, the Blue-Collar Report, and AI in manufacturing. We are also deeply grateful to our sponsors and exhibitors for making this event possible:
Gold Sponsors: ARCO Design/Build, CMC Steel FL, Forvis Mazars, FPL, Stellar Energy
Silver Sponsors: Dana B. Kenyon, Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Bronze Sponsors: AM Synaptix, Boeing, CareerSource Northeast Florida, Evans General Contractors, Foresight, PNC Bank, PRIDE Enterprises
Exhibitors: Adams Corp, Dana B. Kenyon, Dimension Works LLC, Highlander Consultants, JAXPORT, JEA, SNS Enterprise Group
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LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
FCMA’s Leadership Academy’s next offering of our 1-day Leadership Essentials program is scheduled for 9/10/25 taking place at Medtronic from 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM. The program targets high performing front line employees who positively impact and influence teammates but have had little, to no, formal leadership training. This program will introduce participants to foundational leadership skills which align to the other FCMA Leadership Academy Programs.
The first offering of this program in April was a tremendous success with 49 very energized participants from 14 different companies spending the day learning about communication styles and how to connect with others more effectively. 100% of the participants said they would recommend this program.
The one-day program cost is $650 per student for member companies and $845 per student for non-member companies. There are no restrictions for how many seats your company can secure, but class size will be limited to the first 50 participants, and the class is filling up! Online registrations are open using the following link: https://fcma.memberclicks.net/leadershipessentialsq3#!/
FCMA’s Leadership Academy’s offering of the final Front Line Supervisor I training program for 2025 will kick off on 10/15/25. This program continues to receive excellent reviews from participants and their companies, with multiple examples of students who have earned promotions at their company after completing the program! We expect to have another full class of 20 students. Do not wait—please register your participants now! Online registrations are available using the following link: https://fcma.memberclicks.net/2025fls1q4#/
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Friends and Partners of FloridaMakes: Join us in Jacksonville, FL from September 29 – October 1, 2025, for the 6th Annual Florida Supply Chain Summit! FloridaMakes Partners can use the Sav100Florida Promo Code and save $100 off of the Full Summit Registration, hosted at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Downtown Jacksonville.
Meet top executives from CSX, Winn Dixie, Fanatics, and many more from our Florida supply chain industry, Dive into panel discussions on port operations, intermodal, ocean shipping, tariffs & manufacturing, Enjoy a welcome reception aboard a St. John's River dinner charter yacht, Royal Princess, Network with hundreds of peers across logistics, transportation, academia, and economic development sectors.
Register today or find more info at www.FloridaSupplyChainSummit.com
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PRIDE currently operates 36 job training programs across 18 Florida state facilities. With such a broad footprint, we offer a wide variety of job opportunities. If you're passionate about reducing recidivism and promoting purposeful work, we want to hear from you.
- Supervisor - Park Furniture Department of Lumber Products: Responsible for safety, quality, and production in the Park Furniture Department of Lumber Products. Supervise and train the assigned inmate workers in the safe and efficient use of machinery, equipment, and tools in the Department to meet the industry’s sales, net income, and mission goals. Responsible for supervising, training, directing, and accounting for Inmate Workers in the processing and packaging of food items.
- Part Time Production Supervisor: Responsible for supervising, training, directing, and accounting for Inmate Workers in the processing and packaging of food items.
- Dental Sales Representative – Statewide: Sales Representative for Dental Lab. Call, email, and face to face with new potential customers as well as a 6-month face-to-face follow-up with current customers. Provide Customer support and problem solving through email and telephone communications. Supervise inmates to ensure your assigned area is efficient. Work with Industry and Production managers in maintaining and improving dental processes that will positively impact the production team. Dental Sales experience is required.
PRIDE Enterprises offers eligible full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental insurance, flexible spending plans, group life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, nine (9) paid holidays, accrued PTO, and 401(k) plans. All applicants must pass a Level II Background Check and a Drug Test. Click here to learn more and apply.
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