VOICE NEWSLETTER: APRIL 2025
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Hello friends,
Spring is heating up with exciting developments for our industry, especially here in North Florida. From legislative buzz to groundbreaking projects, there’s plenty to unpack.
We’re thrilled about the momentum behind State Senator Keith Truenow’s proposal to create a dedicated manufacturing office within Florida’s Department of Commerce. Modeled after the “Fresh from Florida” campaign, this initiative aims to spotlight manufactured goods through an extensive marketing campaign. The proposal—carried by bills SB 600 and SB 602—would establish a Statewide Office of Manufacturing and fund promotional efforts. It’s cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development as of March 2025 and, if passed, kicks off July 1. With Florida’s manufacturing jobs up 23% since 2014 and an average wage of $28.55/hour, this push could elevate smaller firms and boost workforce pay statewide.
Locally, Jacksonville’s HOLON autonomous vehicle facility is turning heads. Set to produce self-driving shuttles, it’s projected to inject $300 million into the economy and create 1,000+ jobs over four years, per UNF’s Coggin College analysis. Construction’s rolling, promising a high-tech manufacturing leap. Meanwhile, LECOM’s new medical school at JU is breaking ground, hinting at future manufacturing ties—like medical tech—adding 600 jobs and $60 million annually by 2030. We have a lot to keep our eyes on - let us know what you're hearing and thinking at one of our upcoming events, like our pickleball social or golf tournament. Looking forward to seeing you!
Warm Regards,
Lake Ray
President, FCMA
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Showcase Your Products at FCMA
The First Coast Manufacturers Association (FCMA) is excited to invite our members to donate products they manufacture for display at our office throughout the year. This is a great way to highlight the ingenuity of your company and the hard work of your employees. We want to celebrate all the amazing items made on the First Coast!
How to Participate:
- Please donate a product that represents your company. These items will be displayed at the FCMA office for the next year or two.
- Drop off your items at the FCMA office by Friday, April 16 to prepare for our Prospective Member Open House on April 23.
- Keep in mind that items must be small enough to fit on a normal shelf, as they will be displayed there.
Important Notes:
- We prefer to showcase these items for the long term, so please only donate items that you don't need to retrieve quickly.
This is a wonderful chance to showcase your brand and connect with fellow manufacturers. We look forward to seeing all the incredible items made right here on the First Coast!
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On March 4, FCMA, in conjunction with Johnson & Johnson Med Tech, facilitated an event hosted by Jacksonville Job Corps for 10 of our member companies/affiliates. The event took place on Jacksonville Job Corps Center located on Payne Stewart Drive with approximately 26 people participating.
Jacksonville Job Corps is celebrating 60 years of student success with 260 students currently enrolled in the Career Technical Training programs on the Jacksonville campus. They are always looking for manufacturing companies that may be interested in hiring their students or partnering in other ways. The morning’s agenda include overview presentations about programs offered including Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Carpentry, Electrical, HVAC, Facility Maintenance and Computer Technology. The group also enjoyed hearing student success-story presentations as well as presentations from students in these programs during a campus tour.
Everyone was impressed with the programs being offered as well as the quality of the students enrolled. All agreed that Jacksonville Job Corps should be considered as a significant resource for companies to consider when hiring skilled trade workers in the future. If anyone is interested in learning more about Jacksonville Job Corps or making contact with upcoming program graduates, please contact Joann Manning at manning.joann@jobcorps.org or by calling her at (904) 632-5410.
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March General Meeting
Thank you to those that joined us on Monday, March 31 at for our general meeting! We are thankful to Duval Asphalt for hosting our meeting and tours that included learning how asphalt is made, learning how and why asphalt must be tested to meet specifications and requirements. Additionally, the Performance Testing & Mix Design Lab showed members how different "recipes" are needed for different paving projects and how they test the future performance of asphalt, and we got to meet "Lucy" the cold mix robot who bags and stacks pallets of EZ Street Cold Mix! What a great visit!
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Pickleball Social with President Lake Ray
April 10, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
We’re excited to invite you to an afternoon of fun and friendly competition at our Pickleball Social! Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, this is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy pickleball in a relaxed, social atmosphere.
Date: April 10, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Meet and Greet + Warm-Ups start at 3:30 PM)
Location: Queen’s Harbor Yacht and Country Club, 1131 Queens Harbor Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32225
Game Format: Round Robin, Doubles
RSVP to information@fcmaweb.com - Limited spots available, so be sure to RSVP to secure your spot!
If you’re not playing, we’d love for you to join as a line judge or part of our cheering squad. Everyone is welcome to get involved, whether you’re on the court or off! This event is a great way to meet fellow pickleball enthusiasts, enjoy some friendly competition, and unwind afterward. There will be snacks and drinks available at the club house, so come ready for a good time! Please RSVP by Tuesday, April 8 to ensure your place in the game.
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CareerSource Northeast Florida's Customized Training Webinar
Wednesday, April 30, 9 AM
Need to upskill your team? Want funding to help offset training costs?
Customized Training is designed to help employers with the cost of upskilling their workforce and ensure workers have the skills needed to be successful. Boost your employees’ skills and the bottom line.
Customized Training helps employers meet the specific training needs of their employees. Employers select the training and training provider. CareerSource NEFL helps by reimbursing the allowable costs through this innovative program.
RSVP for this 40 min webinar by emailing information@fcmaweb.com for webinar link.
This program is not limited to manufacturers. Presented by Roben Faircloth, Industry Manager – Manufacturing, Aviation and Aerospace CareerSource Northeast Florida
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FCMA 2025 Golf Outing
Friday, May 9, 2025
Eagle Landing Golf Club * 3989 Eagle Landing Parkway, Orange Park, FL
7:30 AM Registration & Breakfast / 8:00 AM Shotgun Start
Lunch and Awards following the tournament
Inviting all members to participate in the Annual 2025 Golf Outing. This is the only fundraiser that FCMA holds in order to support education. You as a member can participate in several ways:
Play the day of the event; sponsor, or donate goody bag items (165 items with your company logo to advertise your company) or a silent auction item. Please see sign-up sheet and sponsor details attached for more information. If you have any questions, please e-mail Maria@fcmaweb.com.
Thank you to our corporate sponsors: CBX Global, Dana B. Kenyon, JP Morgan Chase Bank, LCS Staffing, WW Gay, as well as Proforma Northpoint: Hole in One Sponsor, Evans General Contractors: Goody Bag Sponsor, St. Johns River State College: Hole Sponsor
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Coca Cola Beverages Florida
cocacolabeveragesflorida.com
Jamaal Medley, Territory General Manager, jmedley@cocacolaflorida.com
Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida) is a family-owned Coca-Cola bottler. Our exclusive territory covers over 21 million consumers across 47 Florida counties, and includes the major metropolitan markets of Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Coke Florida manufactures, sells, distributes, and merchandises over 600 products of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies, including Monster Energy. Coke Florida is the third largest privately held and the sixth-largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the United States. The company is also one of America’s largest black-owned businesses. Founded in 2015, employs over 5,000 associates, and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
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DH Pace
referred by Jake McKinney, WJW Associates
DHPace.com/Florida
Jim Karlak, Commercial Sales Representative, jim.karlak@dhpace.com
We are a full-service commercial door company for retail, car dealerships, hospitals, manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, education K-12, colleges, universities, municipalities, industrial, and mining facilities. DH Pace is a dealer of virtually every door product, which allows us to service or replace almost every brand of dock and door product. We have many national accounts in retail that we service from the automatic sliding doors on the front of the building to the kitchen Impact doors, office doors, exterior doors, large dock doors and dock levelers. High Speed doors in auto dealers, pharmaceutical, food distribution, logistics centers, and parking decks are just some of the many doors our experts can service or install new. We service and sell gate operators for the security of your facility. Our Fire Check department will inspect and provide recommended needs for meeting fire safety requirements. We have 24/7 service for those emergency needs through our call center. Services are done by DH Pace employees and not a third party. Our company slogan is " Everything Doors" and it has been since our business started in 1926.
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Sharp Energy
Ty Rigney, Propane Business Development Manager, trigney@chpk.com
https://www.sharpenergy.com/locations/jacksonville-fl/
company description: Propane provider in Jacksonville and surrounding areas. Sharp Energy provides solutions to lower operating costs for businesses and puts an emphasis on safety, prompt communication, and building long lasting relationships. We work with public officials, emergency responders, customers, and safety advocates to encourage best practices and to build a safety culture within our Company and our local communities.
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Southeastern Metals
https://gibraltarbuildingproducts.com/semetals/
Rebeca Flores, HR Manager, rflores@gibraltar1.com
SEMCO is a division of Gibraltar Building Accessories Division. Manufacturers of metal roofing, ventilation, flashings and soffits. Products to perform in extreme wind, heat, humidity, and precipitation in all areas of the country.
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Truist
referred by Brad Whitchurch, Seal Shield
Noah Pozin, Vice President, noah.pozin@truist.com
https://www.truist.com/
At Truist, our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities. We achieve our purpose by providing impactful advise through banking services and capabilities.
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Florida State College at Jacksonville Job Fair
When: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Where: FSCJ Advanced Technology Center
To register, click here.
3rd Annual Second Chances Job Fair
Operation New Hope and FSCJ are partnering with CareerSource NEFL for the in-person 3rd Annual Second Chances Job Fair. Connecting returning citizens with employment opportunities.
When: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location: FSCJ Advanced Technology Center, 401 W. State St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
To register, click here.
Proforma Northpoint Tradeshow
May 20, 2025, 10:00 - 3:30
Please join us for an event showcasing "All Things Branded"
Print, promo, apparel, uniforms, awards, fulfillment, direct mail, events - 20+ vendors
Light hors d'oeuvres provided, gift bags for first 144 attendees
Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park
4812 Deer Lake Drive West, Jacksonville, FL 32246
Please RSVP to blair.wygle@proforma.com.
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LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Register now for the next offering of the FCMA Leadership Academy Front Line Supervisor I training program! The next class kicks off on 4/23/25, and the class size is limited with registrations already coming in. Don’t miss out—register now! Students can register using the following on-line link: https://fcma.memberclicks.net/2025fls1q2#!/
If you have any questions, reach out to Mike Templeton at mike@templetonms.com or (904) 651-4955.
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