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BMTA offers economic development support for Brevard's manufacturing and technology firms
Association is advocate for networking, education, recruitment and legislation for both large and small businesses

by Kathy Hagood
Brevard Technical Journal

The Brevard Manufacturing & Technology Association helps manufacturing and technology companies and the companies that support them work together for their common good.

Major players like Harris Corp., Northrup Grumman Corp., Dictaphone Corp. and DRS Optronics have joined forces with about 80 small and mid-size Space Coast companies to address industry concerns and issues.

The group, which is also the de facto representative for Brevard County's other 1,000 manufacturing and technology companies, works "hand in hand" with the Economic Development Commission, said Steve Sherbin, chairman of BMTA and vice president of Big Deal Marketing, Inc.

"We don't want to work at cross purposes, so we coordinate our efforts," Sherbin said.

While the EDC focuses on gaining and maintaining manufacturing and technology jobs in Brevard paying $35,000 and up, the BMTA offers its economic development support at the other end of the spectrum, he said.

"We want to make sure all the bases are covered," Sherbin said. "While we support the major players, we provide extra assistance to our small and mid-size companies because they need it. Smaller companies just can't afford the business support staff of a large company."

BMTA has changed its goals and strategies over the years as the manufacturing and technology community in the area has evolved. The not-for-profit organization, which was originally named the Brevard County Manufacturers Association, first formed about 30 years ago.

The group continues to provide a variety of programming for its membership, from plant tours to presentations by state and local lawmakers.

Last year the group's mission was redefined to provide education, communication and networking, legislative and worker recruitment and training.

"As concerns shift, we shift our focus because we want to serve our membership," Sherbin said.

The two biggest topics now of interest to association members are tax abatement and workforce enhancement. While tax abatement is more an issue of continuous advocacy, improving staffing resources is particularly challenging these days.

"With the economy heating up and defense contracts coming in, companies are really struggling to find good workers to fill skilled and unskilled positions," Sherbin said.

Part of what's aggravating the problem is that the Baby Boom generation is retiring or moving up into management positions, leaving numerous engineering and technical jobs unfilled because of the population slump of Generation X, he said. Professionals with degrees from A.A. to Ph.D. are in high demand.

"Oftentimes companies must recruit from outside the area to fill positions," he said. "That's much more costly that hiring someone already living here."

In addition, many unskilled laborers in the area are unaware that they could qualify for numerous jobs at manufacturing and technology companies. Rather than earning between $6 and $7 at a service industry job, they could be garnering between $8 and $10, Sherbin said.

"It's a process of education," Sherbin said. "We're trying to get the word out."

BMTA is working with high schools, colleges and universities to help create better awareness of opportunities offered by area manufacturing and technology companies.

One of the group's outreach activities in coordination with the Melbourne Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is the At Play Business Academy. The program targets high school students and educates them about careers in manufacturing and technology.

"To expand our manufacturing and technology base, we have to continue to expand our workforce," Sherbin said. "One of the first thing companies want to know before they relocate to an area is whether there's a good workforce to draw from."

While the workforce is the most burning issue today, ensuring tax abatements for companies that relocate or expand bringing new jobs to the area is of ongoing concern to BMTA.

"We're in competition with the rest of the country for high-paying jobs, so we've got to keep offering incentives to keep the manufacturing and technology companies we have while luring others to our area," Sherbin said.

Maintaining tax abatements requires eternal vigilance as state and local budget pressure periodically cause lawmakers to question abatements. Representatives must constantly be educated on the issue, he said.

BMTA, for example, worked with the EDC to convince the Brevard County Commission at the beginning of the year not to eliminate the ad valorem tax incentive.

"We don't want to lose our competitive edge," Sherbin said.

On the state level, BMTA joined with other groups to convince lawmakers to pass bills providing for elimination of sales tax on electricity used in manufacturing and for government-required pollution control equipment. Sales tax was reduced on equipment purchased by manufacturers expanding their businesses.

BMTA members say they appreciate what the group does to create a more productive business climate in Brevard.

Frank Biscardi, manager of business operations for DRS Optronics in Palm Bay, for example, believes that the group offers an excellent forum for the manufacturing and technology community.

"We participate because we like to keep open the lines of communication with companies in our field," he said.

By communicating and working together, the smaller and larger manufacturing companies can create a healthy environment for business growth, he said.

For more information about the association, visit www.brevardmta.com.