Trade Associations
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from national and international trade associations influencing the debate on federal policies.
Featured Stories
National Association of Chemical Distributors Applauds Chris Jahn As Incoming President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council
ARLINGTON, Virginia, June 25 -- The National Association of Chemical Distributors issued the following news release:
Today, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) welcomed the announcement from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) that former NACD President Chris Jahn will serve as ACC's new president and CEO, following the retirement of current president and CEO Cal Dooley later this year.
Jahn served as the president of NACD from 2007-2014, during which time the organization increased its advocacy efforts in Washington on key issues related to chemical distribution; strengthened
... Show Full Article
ARLINGTON, Virginia, June 25 -- The National Association of Chemical Distributors issued the following news release:
Today, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) welcomed the announcement from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) that former NACD President Chris Jahn will serve as ACC's new president and CEO, following the retirement of current president and CEO Cal Dooley later this year.
Jahn served as the president of NACD from 2007-2014, during which time the organization increased its advocacy efforts in Washington on key issues related to chemical distribution; strengthenedthe association's commitment to environmental, health, safety, and security stewardship; and successfully grew NACD's membership programs and offerings.
Said NACD President and CEO Eric R. Byer, "Chris's tenure at NACD laid the groundwork for what we've been able to accomplish over the last five years--whether that's successfully advocating for Toxic Substances Control Act reform, strengthening the core values and implementation of the NACD Responsible Distribution(R) program, or expanding the resources we offer our members so they can run their businesses more effectively. Chris has been a friend to our industry for many years, and his track record at NACD and most recently at The Fertilizer Institute is proof that he will be a skilled and dedicated steward of the chemical manufacturer community. We look forward to working with him at ACC to advance the chemical industry's collective business and policy interests for many years to come."
Regarding Dooley's retirement, Byer stated, "For the last eleven years, Cal has been an instrumental leader in the chemical industry. His commitment to bipartisanship and advocating for sound policies that helped grow the economy and create jobs while ensuring safety and the implementation of best practices has been incredibly positive for chemical manufacturers and distributors. NACD and ACC have enjoyed a very strong partnership during his tenure to advocate for the chemical industry on Capitol Hill and demonstrate to the general public the importance of chemistry in 21st century life. While we are sad to see Cal go, we thank him for his devoted service to the industry over the past decade."
[Category: Chemicals]
Montana Farmers Union: Agriculture in the Flathead Valley Front and Center at Mid-Year
GREAT FALLS, Montana, June 25 -- The Montana Farmers Union issued the following news:
The MFU mid-year is an opportunity for members to come together to talk policy and tour the various areas of agriculture in particular regions of the state. Last year the mid-year was held at MSU Bozeman, this year MFU focused its attention on exploring agriculture in the Flathead Valley.
The event kicked off Wednesday morning with a tour of Plum Creek Timber Company. Secondly, the group traveled to Flathead Valley Community College to learn about the working farm at the college and the research conducted there.
... Show Full Article
GREAT FALLS, Montana, June 25 -- The Montana Farmers Union issued the following news:
The MFU mid-year is an opportunity for members to come together to talk policy and tour the various areas of agriculture in particular regions of the state. Last year the mid-year was held at MSU Bozeman, this year MFU focused its attention on exploring agriculture in the Flathead Valley.
The event kicked off Wednesday morning with a tour of Plum Creek Timber Company. Secondly, the group traveled to Flathead Valley Community College to learn about the working farm at the college and the research conducted there.FVCC offers a variety of Ag related programs where students learn the science and theory of farming, plants and animal science, pest management and more. Students do internships on the campus farm as part of the curriculum. In addition to academic programs FVCC holds field trials on the five acre farm.
"We grow vegetable crops and have high oxidant dirt setting that Montana State University has been conducting for the past four years around the state," said Heather Estrada with FVCC. "We have six different species of dark fruit studying yield which is sent for analysis looking at anti-oxidant value and sugar content, things like that." FVCC also does dry bean trials and wheat investigation.
Mid-year group at Purple Frog Gardens, Whitefish.
Brewing Academy of Montana
Next to the farm is the Brewing Academy of Montana. Attendees learned about the academic side of the academy, the brewing process and business side of brewing. The school has a five gallon system for students to get to know the process. "We are one of the first academic breweries able to sell their beer in the area at places like Montana Tap House," said program director Joe Byers."We brew mostly IPA's. It's a really great model for students to learn about the importance of consistency with the products that we are making. The beer we brew is what you see in craft breweries. We are really happy to be able to make and sell beer that people enjoy."
Farm-to-Table Experience
The next stop was for lunch at Purple Frog Gardens owned and operated by Pam Gerwe for an authentic farm-to-table lunch featuring local ingredients, some of which were grown on the farm near Whitefish.
Pam operates a weekly vegetable and flower CSA. The lunch was a true farm-to-table experience and enjoyed immensely by the group!
After lunch we toured the Scott Hops Farm just down the road from Purple Frog Gardens. Kevin Scot runs a family owned five acre Hops farm. The family contracts with a distiller in Whitefish who turns the hops into oil. Kevin said the idea to start the farm was not planned."They were doing a hop harvest at a local hops farm and my dad had a couple of beers and was like we can do this. We had our first family meeting ever and about soon after became Hop farmers."
Using a sophisticated system with strings made of coconut and paper the hops climb off the ground away from moisture and vine killing fungal disease. Strings allow them to seek out sunshine during the growing season. The plants then produce cones filled with the Lupulin which gives beer flavor and aroma.
On a daily basis the hops use a gallon of water and grow about six-to-nine inches. The Scott family plans the harvest schedule by drying out a small amount of hops which shows the moisture content. "When the moisture content hits about 80 percent we harvest. Once the vines are cut you have twenty four hours to turn the hops into whatever form you are looking for. If you don't meet this time frame the moisture content is not there for processing. A Hops plant has a lifespan of 20-25 years. "They are like a weed. We were really cautious with them the first year. You can't kill these things."
AACT Biorefinery Aims to Reduce Carbon Footprint
After the hops farm the next stop was the AACT Biorefinery which uses wood chips to grow algae and convert it into methane and electricity. AACT is located on the property of F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company. Michael Smith is the president and cofounder of AACT. Smith says the technology will help reduce the carbon footprint of the timber industry. "It's a closed loop system. Carbon dioxide is captured and used as a nutrient for the algae and then the algae are fed into bio-reactors which consume organic matter and produce methane which is eventually converted into electricity."
Value-Added Agriculture: Tabletree Juice
Gary and Susan Show of Tabletree Cherry Juice and Bruce Johnson with the Flathead Cherry Grower Cooperative discussed the cherry market in the Flathead Valley. The Snows told the story of how they brought Tabletree Cherry Juice from British Columbia in 2015 and started producing cherry juice in 2016. Now the facility they use to make the juice is in Finley Point which is located in Lake County.
"Our juice is an amazing standalone beverage that can be used anywhere from salads to main course dishes through desert." said Gary. "It's great with beer and spirits and has fabulous anti-inflammatory properties. With cherries if you don't lose it in your process there are huge medicinal benefits of cherries and we have not lost that in our process." The Snows are talking with a company in India to open up that market for their juice.
Panel on the CSKT Water Compact
In addition to talking about value-added agriculture the conference hosted a panel on the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe Water Compact which is waiting ratification by Congress. Panelists included area producer Susan Lake, State Representative Dan Solomon, Dick Erb and Arne Wick with the DNRC.
Wick, a member of the CSKT Compact Team, provided an overview of the compact. Dan Solomon talked about the legislative process the CSKT Water Compact went through at the state level and Susan Lake shared her perspective as a producer.The event concluded with a membership discussion on policy looking forward to the 2019 state convention and lunch with speakers Ron de Yong, Kalispell and Jenny Hopkinson with National Farmers Union.
[Category: Agriculture]
Infectious Diseases Society of America: Reauthorization of Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act Builds Foundation for Public Health Readiness
ARLINGTON, Virginia, June 25 -- The Infectious Diseases Society of America issued the following news release:
The reauthorization of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act signed by the president Monday includes measures that are critical to ensure that our nation has the resources and expertise needed to confront, control and combat emerging public health threats. Key to that is a provision supporting the development of a trained and ready public health workforce with medical education loan repayment opportunities for individuals serving in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
... Show Full Article
ARLINGTON, Virginia, June 25 -- The Infectious Diseases Society of America issued the following news release:
The reauthorization of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act signed by the president Monday includes measures that are critical to ensure that our nation has the resources and expertise needed to confront, control and combat emerging public health threats. Key to that is a provision supporting the development of a trained and ready public health workforce with medical education loan repayment opportunities for individuals serving in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionEpidemic Intelligence Service, a program that provides expert responders and trains future public health leaders.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America, which led efforts to develop the EIS loan repayment provision and to strengthen the reauthorization of the Act with its inclusion, is proud to have played a role in building a need-driven and proactive foundation on which to build critical and effective emergency public health responses. The ability to offer loan repayment to EIS officers should help CDC to better recruit physicians to this important public health role, a challenge in recent years with rising rates of mounting medical student debt driving new physicians to career paths offering higher financial compensation. As responses to infectious diseases outbreaks are a central focus for EIS, this opportunity will be particularly meaningful for infectious diseases physicians.
The bill approved today by House members also addresses urgent IDSA priorities by supporting additional important initiatives through the Department of Health and Human Services Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to address antimicrobial resistance including with strategies to drive the development of new drugs.
The leadership and members of IDSA applaud congress and the administration for enhancing this essential legislation and bringing it to fruition, and we offer our full support and guidance toward its implementation.
[Category: Medical]
American Staffing Association Jobs Edge Up Again in June
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, June 25 -- The American Staffing Association issued the following news release:
Staffing jobs for the week of June 10-16 edged up 0.1% from the prior week, according to the ASA Staffing Index. The index value was just above 95 for the second consecutive week. Staffing employment was 2.5% lower than the same week last year, but remains on par with the average levels seen for the comparative week during the prior four years.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average has remained steady at a value of 94 since late April. Temporary and contract staffing employment for
... Show Full Article
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, June 25 -- The American Staffing Association issued the following news release:
Staffing jobs for the week of June 10-16 edged up 0.1% from the prior week, according to the ASA Staffing Index. The index value was just above 95 for the second consecutive week. Staffing employment was 2.5% lower than the same week last year, but remains on par with the average levels seen for the comparative week during the prior four years.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average has remained steady at a value of 94 since late April. Temporary and contract staffing employment forthe four weeks ending June 16 was 2.6% lower than the same period in 2018.
This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the June monthly employment situation report that will be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on July 5.
The ASA Staffing Index is reported nine days after each workweek, making it a near real-time measure of staffing employment trends. ASA research shows that staffing employment is a coincident economic indicator.
About the American Staffing Association
The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.
[Category: Human Resources/Personnel]
American Institute of Architects: 'Out in Architecture' Event Highlights LGBTQ Identity in the Workplace
WASHINGTON, June 25 -- The American Institute of Architects issued the following news release:
* * *
- Event is third in a series that advances equity, diversity and inclusion within the architecture profession.
* * *
Leaders from architecture organizations will gather in Chicago tomorrow for an event co-hosted by The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and AIA Chicago.
Part of a series that explores the imperative of expanding diversity in the architecture profession, the "Out in Architecture" event examines LGBTQ identity in the workplace.
Panelists include Yiselle Santos, Assoc. AIA,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 25 -- The American Institute of Architects issued the following news release:
* * *
- Event is third in a series that advances equity, diversity and inclusion within the architecture profession.
* * *
Leaders from architecture organizations will gather in Chicago tomorrow for an event co-hosted by The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and AIA Chicago.
Part of a series that explores the imperative of expanding diversity in the architecture profession, the "Out in Architecture" event examines LGBTQ identity in the workplace.
Panelists include Yiselle Santos, Assoc. AIA,director of equity, diversity & inclusion at the Washington, D.C. office of HKS; Chris Morrison, FAIA, managing director at the Washington, D.C. office of Perkins+Will; Katherine Georgeson, FAIA, founding principal of Stage Architects in Milwaukee; and Dan Earles, AIA, founding principal of Earles Architects in Chicago.
The "Out in Architecture" event is supported by the AIA Chicago LGBTQI+ Alliance, which seeks to advance and advocate for LGBTQI+ designers through programming, educational opportunities, community involvement, and more. The Alliance is the only AIA organization of its kind in the United States at this time.
The "Embracing Our Differences. Changing the World." speaker series launched in February with an event co-hosted with the National Organization of Minority Architects in celebration of Black History Month. Future events will be announced throughout 2019.
The event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. CDT, will be hosted at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 224 South Michigan Avenue, and will be streamed via Facebook Live to the AIA National Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/AIANational/).
AIA is committed to broadening equity, diversity and inclusion to create a stronger profession. To support that mission, AIA has developed a number of programs and resources. Learn more on AIA's website (https://www.aia.org/resources/24301-equity-diversity-and-inclusion).
[Category: Architecture]
American Coalition for Ethanol Applauds Bipartisan Senators' Letter Urging EPA to Update Ethanol Science
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, June 25 -- The American Coalition for Ethanol issued the following news:
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) applauds the letter a group of bipartisan Senators sent today urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publicly announce its intent to review and incorporate the latest "Greenhouse gas and Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET)" modeling into an updated life cycle assessment for corn ethanol. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,
... Show Full Article
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, June 25 -- The American Coalition for Ethanol issued the following news:
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) applauds the letter a group of bipartisan Senators sent today urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publicly announce its intent to review and incorporate the latest "Greenhouse gas and Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET)" modeling into an updated life cycle assessment for corn ethanol. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,led the effort in advising EPA to update its outdated environmental analysis on ethanol. ACE CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement applauding the Senators for urging EPA to formally adopt these changes without further delay:
"ACE extends our gratitude to Senators Durbin and Grassley for leading this bipartisan effort to hold EPA accountable on this important issue. Unlike the Argonne GREET model, EPA has not reviewed or updated their original 2010 corn ethanol greenhouse gas (GHG) assessments. Current data from the GREET model indicate that corn ethanol's carbon intensity is almost 50 percent less than petroleum gasoline providing significantly more GHG reduction benefits than when the RFS was enacted a decade ago. Last year, ACE published "The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol" recommending, as is stated in the Senators' letter today, that EPA refer to the latest U.S. Department of Energy GREET model for life cycle analysis of corn ethanol.
"Given the all hands-on deck nature of the climate change problem, agricultural and biofuel stakeholders continue to believe that governmental policies need to properly acknowledge the role that agriculture and biofuel can play in providing near-term solutions to offsetting U.S. GHG emissions. One of the most direct ways to capitalize on agriculture's ability to mitigate GHG emissions is to properly acknowledge the role U.S. farmers and ethanol producers are playing to dramatically reduce life cycle GHG emissions from corn ethanol by improving efficiencies, investing in technologies, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices.
"U.S. farmers are under tremendous financial stress from collapsing net farm income, rising expenses, ongoing trade tensions, weather-related disasters, and the undermining of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) with demand destroying small refinery waivers. Updating EPA's decade-old modeling would be a step in the right direction to underpin the scientific and economic opportunity for ethanol use to increase via low carbon fuel markets."
ACE's White Paper titled "The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol" is available online by visiting https://ethanol.org/ethanol-essentials/low-carbon-benefits-of-corn-ethanol.
[Category: Energy]
American Chemistry Council: Chemical Activity Barometer Is Flat in June
WASHINGTON, June 25 -- The American Chemistry Council issued the following news:
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), was flat (0.0 percent change) in June on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis, following three monthly gains. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer is up 0.3 percent (3MMA).
The unadjusted measure of the CAB retreated 0.2 percent in June and fell 0.3 percent in May.
The diffusion index rose to 65 percent in June. The diffusion index marks the number of positive contributors relative
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 25 -- The American Chemistry Council issued the following news:
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), was flat (0.0 percent change) in June on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis, following three monthly gains. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer is up 0.3 percent (3MMA).
The unadjusted measure of the CAB retreated 0.2 percent in June and fell 0.3 percent in May.
The diffusion index rose to 65 percent in June. The diffusion index marks the number of positive contributors relativeto the total number of indicators monitored. The CAB reading for May was revised downward by 0.38 points and that for April by 0.22 points.
"The slowing economy and rising trade tensions have weighed on business confidence and investment, resulting in mixed manufacturing activity," said Kevin Swift, chief economist at ACC. "In summary, the CAB reading continues to signal gains in U.S. commercial and industrial activity through late 2019, but at a moderated pace."
The CAB has four main components, each consisting of a variety of indicators: 1) production; 2) equity prices; 3) product prices; and 4) inventories and other indicators.
Production-related indicators in June were slightly positive. Trends in construction-related resins, pigments and related performance chemistry were mixed and suggest further slow gains in housing activity. Plastic resins used in packaging were positive, while those for consumer and institutional applications were mixed. Performance chemistry and U.S. exports were mixed. Equity prices rebounded this month, while product and input prices rose. Inventory and other indicators were positive.
The CAB is a leading economic indicator derived from a composite index of chemical industry activity. The chemical industry has been found to consistently lead the U.S. economy's business cycle, given its early position in the supply chain, and this barometer can be used to determine turning points and likely trends in the wider economy. Month-to-month movements can be volatile, so a three-month moving average of the barometer is provided. This provides a more consistent and illustrative picture of national economic trends.
Applying the CAB back to 1912, it has been shown to provide a lead of two to fourteen months, with an average lead of eight months at cycle peaks as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The median lead was also eight months. At business cycle troughs, the CAB leads by one to seven months, with an average lead of four months. The median lead was three months. The CAB is rebased to the average lead (in months) of an average 100 in the base year (the year 2012 was used) of a reference time series. The latter is the Federal Reserve's Industrial Production Index.
The CAB comprises indicators relating to the production of chlorine and other alkalies, pigments, plastic resins and other selected basic industrial chemicals; chemical company stock data; hours worked in chemicals; publicly sourced, chemical price information; end-use (or customer) industry sales-to-inventories; and several broader leading economic measures (building permits and new orders). Each month, ACC provides a barometer number, which reflects activity data for the current month, as well as a three-month moving average. The CAB was developed by the economics department at the American Chemistry Council.
[Category: Chemicals]
