by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
For the past 11 years, the First Coast Manufacturers Association has been offering professional development classes for its members and representatives from government agencies that regulate members’ industries. Topics have included legal issues, legislation and lobbying, environmental ethics, efficiency in operations, management techniques and even the importance of volunteerism.
The idea started as a way to improve communication and the relationships between the manufacturing community and the various agencies they work with, said Deborah Warren, FCMA director of administration.
“A lot of employees who work for manufacturers start out in production and then work their way up to management, but they haven’t learned how to work with government agencies,” she added.
Warren also said over the years the classes have created unique experiences for all involved.
“For one class, we brought in a group of environmental regulators from the city. We did a role-playing exercise and the inspectors became the people who were being inspected. That was very interesting.”
Wednesday morning, about two dozen FCMA members and representatives from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Northeast District Office attended a day-long session at City Hall focused on community awareness and civic involvement.
Mayor John Peyton spent a half-hour with the class to give them his insights regarding the relationships between business and government.
Peyton encouraged the group to get involved in the community and in local government. He said he feels they have valuable talents beyond their jobs that can help move the city forward.
“I believe government is served best by those who come from the private sector, then go back to the private sector. I knew I had interest in Jacksonville – not in politics – but in the city. I got involved with the symphony and Greenscape and transportation. That taught me a lot about the community.
“We need to have practitioners with private sector expertise because you understand the value of competition. In many areas of government, like public services, we have no competition. The private sector understands the value of competition when it comes to improving products and services. I wish we had more people from the business community in government,” he said.
Peyton also told the class he thinks the port will be one of the key elements in the city’s future success.
“We have put Jacksonville on the international map and we’re poised to become the third-largest port on the East coast. More jobs at the port will help raise our per-capita income. We are also a distribution hub and we have the infrastructure to handle what’s coming.”
He also said he believes Cecil Commerce Center will play a major role in the city’s economic future and is an asset that must be carefully managed and protected.
“We have to defend industrial land as vigorously as we defend environmental land.”
Peyton also said, “Jacksonville has an outstanding business environment that’s poised to get better,” then added when asked how competitive the city can be in terms of attracting new businesses, “Our quality of life will be what drives future business development. The way we live and our quality of life will be our advantage.”