Midwest FoodReport Products Association Annual 2018 4600 American Parkway, Suite 210 Madison WI 53718 608-255-9946 www.mwfpa.org1 A Message FROM THE PRESIDENT Nickolas C. George, Jr. It’s been a great year. We are proud of our accomplishments in 2018 and invite you to review the associations’ successes over the year. This report highlights the association’s activities in 2018 including the distribution of our financial resources, our advocacy efforts, and member meetings. While we continue to ensure that advocacy remains the cornerstone of our efforts to help improve the economic climate for members, we provided many other services. We held high quality seminars, funded agricultural and environmental research, awarded educational scholarships, organized networking events, and continued to publish the twice-monthly Bulletin and annual wage survey. We strive to continue to be the region’s foremost voice of the food processing industry and provide value to you, our members. Thank you for your support in 2018, and we wish you a happy and prosperous 2019! Sincerely, Nick George MWFPA President 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Value of Membership Advocacy, Research & Education 4 Networking, Communication & Involvement 6 Association Report by the Numbers 8 2018 Sponsors 10 2018 Committees 12 2019 Calendar of Events 19 3 ADVOCACY he MWFPA worked on dozens of bills in the Midwest that had an impact on food processors. THere are some highlights: MWFPA supported legislation that bans product specific taxes and stops local units of government from imposing a new tax on sales or income. The legislation specified that local units of government cannot tax any item that falls under the definition of food or the containers that they come in. MWFPA helped pass a comprehensive tort reform package that contained civil litigation reforms including discovery and class action rules that will significantly reduce the cost of litigation for businesses. MWFPA opposed increased fees on vegetable processors under the producer security program and tried unsuccessfully to find alternative funding. We continue to oppose the program and funding. MWFPA worked with regulators and other food organizations on rules that attempted to regulate food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, and deli’s in a similar manner. After several month a compromise was reached and the rule was adopted. MWFPA opposed an increase in bureaucratic authority over agency rules by participating, through an amicus brief, in a lawsuit that asked the courts to end the practice of deferring to administrative agency conclusions. The court ruled in our favor and clearly defined the limit of agency authority. MWFPA works on federal legislation and rules through coalitions and focus our efforts on the Midwest delegation: MWFPA lobbied in support of federal legislation that addressed family and immigration issues including the status of the young arrivals provide a path to permanent residency for the DREAMERS while adding 65,000 green cards to employment-based visa categories. MWFPA strongly opposed the United State Department of Commerce recommendations to put tariffs on steel and aluminum which added significant costs to the shelf-stable industry. MWFPA submitted comments asking the U.S. EPA to reconsider and readjust the geographic boundaries of the proposed nonattainment zone, particularly as it relates to Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Sheboygan1 and Racine counties in Wisconsin. MWFPA asked federal lawmakers to support the “Fruit and Vegetable Access for Children Act,” that includes a provision to expand the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) to allow schools the option of serving fruits and vegetables whether they are fresh, frozen, canned or dried. MWFPA asked lawmakers to support the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act (FICALA), which would deny class actions unless the class members are able to be identified, and Counsel must also have a plan to pay class members should they win. 4 RESEARCH & EDUCATION SEMINARS • Annual Convention – 17 Learning Sessions • Ergonomics Seminar • Energy Efficiency Seminar • High Performance Leadership Training • Food Plant Sanitation Seminar RESEARCH Processors and seed companies funded research through the universities of Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This research helps the Midwest retain its position as the leader in the production of processed fruits and vegetables in the country. Assisted in research with the University of Wisconsin to address the arbitrary lowering of nitrogen loads on spray fields by WPDES permit writers. SCHOLARSHIPS Friday/Weckel Scholarships: Awarded six University of Wisconsin students studying food science or agriculture with $1,500 scholarships through the MWFPA Carleton A. Friday and Kenneth G. Weckel Scholarship funds. The annual awards are provided to worthy college undergrads majoring in food science or agriculture in the University of Wisconsin system. All recipients are invited to the annual convention. MWFPA Scholarship: These recipients are the children of member company employees and were recognized for their achievement at the MWFPA annual convention. Seventeen students were each awarded $1,000 to attend the post-secondary school of their choice. 5 NETWORKING & INVOLVEMENT Spring Summit & Scramble Annual Convention Sporting Clays Challenge DNR Field Day Seminars WFP hosted its annual golf outing, The Spring Summit & Scramble, at Trappers Turn in Wisconsin MDells. This event attracts nearly 200 members for meetings, a day of golf, and a reception. Sponsors and golfers helped us raise nearly $3,000 for the MWFPA Scholarship Fund. The Annual Sporting Clays Challenge and Scholarship Fundraiser was held in Le Sueur, Minnesota this year. We raised nearly $8,000 at the event for scholarships, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and all in attendance. Over 900 food industry experts participated in the 114th Annual Convention & 91st Annual Processing Crops Conference in Wisconsin Dells. The event attracted over 130 exhibitors and featured 30 speakers addressing such things as food safety education, drones in the workplace, strategies to find and retain talent, and water regulations, just to name a few. 6 COMMUNICATION MWFPA employs public affairs and media relations strategies on television, radio, print, online and through all of our digital platforms in support of its issues and to promote our industry. Staff maintains social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to keep our members and the general public engaged. Association staff contined to disseminate news and information to members and other food industry professionals through its electronic news bulletin, website, periodic email alerts, and special reports. Over 2,000 directories were distributed to members and policymakers with information on key industry companies and personnel throughout the Midwest. 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We are happy to share with & INDUSTRY you how you can use your membership with us to 2019RESOURCE GUIDE PRODUCTSBUYERS’ & SERVICES GUIDE MARKETPLACE& MORE network, view member only events, share your contact MIDWEST FOOD PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION 4600 American Parkway, Suite 210 www.mwfpa.org Madison WI information with other members for networking, access vital resources, [email protected] 53718 register for events, and