Saturday, February 16, 2013 —
Raleigh, North Carolina – After 25 years of advocacy for North Carolina’s manufacturing community, the Manufacturers & Chemical Industry Council of North Carolina (MCIC) has changed its name to the North Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (NCMA).
The organization was originally founded as the Chemical Industry Council in 1988 by 10 North Carolina chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Following a merger with the North Carolina Pulp and Paper Council in 1994, the Council changed its name to MCIC. In 2003, the organization expanded its membership to include a limited number of “business partners” who provide services to member companies. Today the Alliance represents manufacturers with more than 130 sites and approximately 60,000 employees.
“The celebration of our 25th Anniversary presented the perfect opportunity to change our name to one that better reflects the diverse membership we serve today,” noted NCMA President, Preston Howard.
“Our mission, to promote the interests of manufacturers in North Carolina, remains the same.” Membership in NCMA is open to any North Carolina manufacturer.
NCMA has had many accomplishments benefitting North Carolina’s manufacturing industries throughout its history. Most recently, the organization led efforts to substantially reform several of the state’s air quality rules to remove duplication with similar federal programs and align North Carolina’s air quality program with other southeastern states. In addition, NCMA worked with members of North Carolina’s General Assembly in the development of regulatory reforms to improve the state’s business climate and generate jobs.
Steve Curl, who represents member company Reynolds American Inc. and currently serves as Chairman of the NCMA Board of Directors, stated, “We are excited to be celebrating 25 years of successful advocacy and service to the state’s manufacturing industries and look forward to continuing that success into the next 25 years.”
As the leading voice for manufacturers in the state, NCMA works with its member companies, the North Carolina General Assembly, state regulatory agencies, and other partners to develop prudent environmental, health, safety, energy and taxation policies. NCMA also hosts a popular series of annual training workshops focused on keeping manufacturers compliant with North Carolina’s air, water, and hazardous waste regulations and laws. In addition, NCMA will be hosting its 12th Annual Environment, Energy, Health and Safety (EEHS) School in August. The workshops and EEHS School are open to all. For more information about NCMA visit www.myncma.org.
