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 The MWFPA Bulletin is underwritten in part by Focus on Energy | | |
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| MWFPA Backed Regulatory Reform Passes in WI | |
The WI State Senate approved an MWFPA supported regulatory reform bill last Thursday on a party line vote of 18-14. The Senate made technical changes in the bill sending it back to the State Assembly which passed the measure the previous week.
The Assembly is expected to pass the amended version of the bill soon and send it to the Governor's desk to be signed into law.
Under the proposal, new regulations could not be created by state agencies without the approval of Wisconsin's governor. The proposal also includes restricting rule making authority, cost-benefit analysis requirements and allowing rules to be challenged in any county in the state.
MWFPA has supported the reform effort hoping it will aid in improving Wisconsin's business climate by adding more certainty and predictability to the state's regulatory process. It will also assist in limiting "regulatory creep." Broadly defined, regulatory creep is the tendency of regulations to grow - creep - into areas that the Legislature never intended for them to address.
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| MN House Passes Regulatory Reforms | |
The MN House passed HF 1, a bill that would streamline environmental permitting by setting 150-day goals for permit approval; remove judicial review of environmental assessments and environmental impact statements from district courts to the Court of Appeals; and allow project proponents to hire consultants directly to complete environmental review rather than go through a third party regional government unit.
The bill passed 82-42 with some bipartisan support and is expected to be sent to a conference committee in the Senate. MWFPA has been supportive of this legislation and believes it will encourage business growth in Minnesota and will reduce regulations and costs for many businesses.
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| WI Wind Rule May Be Stopped | |
The WI Legislature's Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules took its first steps toward suspending the WI Public Service Commission's (PSC) recently-adopted rules regulating siting of wind energy turbines.
A ten hour public hearing was held on Feb. 9. The Joint Committee may suspend the current rule in the near future, keeping open the possibility of modifications to the PSC rule in the future or passage of legislation during the current legislative session.
The rule was given final PSC approval in late December. It is set to become effective March 1, unless it is suspended by the Legislature prior to that time. The Administrative Rules Committee can suspend rules currently in effect or it may object to rules not yet given final agency approval. In either case, the committee must introduce a bill in each house of the Legislature to sustain the committee's action.
MWFPA obtained changes in the rule as originally proposed to recognize problems caused by wind turbines in the aerial application of crop treatments.
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| MN Tackles Tort Reform With Cheeseburger Bill | |
A bill has been introduced in the MN Legislature that would bar people from suing restaurants and food manufacturers for causing them to gain weight. Referred to as the "cheeseburger bill" the tort reform initiative would shield restaurants and those in the food business from frivolous litigation.
SF 160, introduced by Sen. Hann (R- Eden Prairie), and HF 264 introduced by Rep. Urdahl (R-Grove City), are supported by MWFPA.
Twenty-three other states have passed similar laws. It is a response to lawsuits brought against food manufacturers and restaurants by people who had become overweight after years of eating certain kinds of foods.
The proposal would still allow lawsuits based on marketing and other areas where a state or federal law is broken and the weight gain is the result of that marketing or other area.
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| IL Brings Back BPA Bill | |
As expected, legislation banning BPA in children's reusable food and beverage containers has been introduced in the IL General Assembly. Sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Des Plaines), the BPA-Free Kids Act is similar to a bill that failed to pass the Legislature last session. MWFPA opposed that legislation and will oppose the recently introduced measure.
HB 1269 currently has no cosponsors and has been assigned to the Environmental Health Committee. Numerous American and European government studies have indicated that BPA is not harmful to adults or children.
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| Focus On Energy Training Courses | |
For those seeking ways to save energy and reduce operating costs at their business, Focus on Energy is providing training events to fit your needs! New training courses for 2011 are available! View these new training opportunities here.
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| Food Safety Conference Is Upon Us! | |
The Food Processor Safety Conference, cosponsored by Midwest Food Processors Association and the Wisconsin Safety Council, is set to take place on February 16 & 17, 2011 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. MWFPA and WSC members will receive a 10% discount for multiple attendees.
The keynote session will feature Mr. Bob Emmerich, President of Safe Con LLC speaking on identifying and preventing hazards in the food processing industry. Mr. Emmerich will cover many of the basic safety issues in the food processing industry that create the primary hazards and will demonstrate some of the more common safety issues in the industry including ways to protect you and your employees from those hazards.
A Professional Development Course (PDC) covering incident investigation is on the second day of the conference -- February 17. Participants will receive Supervisor Safety Certification and Advanced Safety Certification.
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| MWFPA Seminar To Help Create A Safety Culture | |
How can you prevent incidents that cause personal injury or worse? What can you do to foster a safety culture?
On March 23, 2011, these and other questions will be answered at a MWFPA seminar for managers and front-line supervisors to be held at the Holiday Inn in Tomah, WI. MWFPA's "Creating A World Class Safety Culture" will educate participants on the importance of creating a mindset in your organization that all incidents are preventable, all employees must continuously work toward injury prevention, and, most importantly, that everyone is accountable for safety.
The seminar will be presented by Jim Lehrke, President and CEO of Safety Connections, Inc., who has over 35 years of experience in industrial safety and health including work as a corporate safety specialist with a Fortune 200 company. He is afforded affiliations with several safety councils including the Wisconsin Safety Council, is a frequent conference speaker, and has been president of the Sheboygan Area Safety Council.
Put this one on your calendar and register now! View the seminar brochure and registration form here.
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| Employment Opportunities -- Food Processing Industry | |
Seminis seeks a Vegetable Seed Sales Representative to join the Northeast US Commercial team. This position will be based in Michigan, mainly covering Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. The primary responsibilities are managing sales of pickling cucumber, bean and pea seeds to processors and their raw product suppliers as well as managing sales to Home Garden dealers located in the territory. Ideal candidate will have ag-related degree, at least three years of experience in ag-business; seed, produce, processing or related field. Aptitude for business and ag, coupled with strong interpersonal skills and willingness to work hard is the winning combination. Some air travel is required. Extensive driving is required. Clean driving record. Zero tolerance for drug use.
To apply, please visit monsanto.com/careers and complete an on-line application as soon as possible. To search for the position, use requisition number 003K2.
Red Gold currently has a position open for a human resource manager. The position is responsible for all HR responsibilities pertaining to a non-union food processing facility with 300 full-time employees. It is also responsible for recruitment of 300 seasonal workers for pack. The reporting structure to this position is two to three assistants. Ideal candidate is bilingual in Spanish. Degree required with 5 to 7 years experience. Position located 35 miles north of Indianapolis. Please send resume to Elizabeth Swadener, eswadener@redgold.com.
Lakeside Foods' Plainview, MN facility has an opening for a general manager. The position is responsible for all operational systems in canned and frozen operations. This consists of acquisition of raw materials, agricultural planning, product processing , warehousing, quality assurance, safety, human relations and shipping of quality finished products.
Please send a resume, including salary history, to:
Dave Greenwood
Director of Human Resources
Lakeside Foods, Inc.
P.O. Box 1327
Manitowoc, WI 54221-1327
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| 2011 Membership Dues Reminder | |
Membership dues for 2011 were mailed and emailed in December to all current MWFPA members. Thanks to all of you who have already sent in your dues. Those who have not are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. If you need a copy of your invoice or would like to discuss your membership, please contact Robin Fanshaw at 608.255.9946 or robin.fanshaw@mwfpa.org.
Mail your payments to:
4600 American Pkwy., Suite 110
Madison, WI 53718-8334
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| MWFPA Calendar of Events | |
February 16-17, 2011: MWFPA Safety Conference. Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI. A tremendous opportunity for safety and health conscious individuals to gather and learn from experts and peers how to best address today's safety, health and compliance issues. The hottest topics affecting industrial safety will be covered. The 1 to 1-1/2 hour session formats allow time for a thorough understanding of each subject, in addition to questions and answers. Register here. March 23, 2011: Creating A World Class Safety Culture. Holiday Inn, Tomah, WI. This seminar is designed to allow participants to create a safety culture in their company and understand the substantial cost of a minor injury and its impact on the bottom line. The seminar is limited to 30 participants and each attendee will receive a certification document upon course completion. Online registration is available at www.mwfpa.org. May 4-6, 2011: GMA Consumer Complaints Management Conference. Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, Chicago, IL. This conference provides consumer affairs and complaint management specialists with the roadmap for effective complaint management. Conference attendees will gain crisis management insights and enhanced knowledge of today's consumer and their expectations of customer service. Consumer affairs professionals working in food manufacturing, retail and foodservice cannot afford to miss this valuable training event. For more information, click here.
June 1-2, 2011: MWFPA Golf Outing. Evening reception on June 1st is planned for the Hilton Garden Inn. On June 2nd, a day of golf (scramble format), lunch and cash prizes at Trapper's Turn in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Details to follow. November 28-Dec. 1, 2011: MWFPA 107th Annual Convention and 84th Annual Processing Crops Conference, Wisconsin Dells, WI, Kalahari Resort and Convention Center. Mark your calendars now! Don't miss this invaluable opportunity to gain exclusive insights from some of the industry's most innovative and knowledgeable representatives and to make meaningful contacts with clients, prospects and referral sources.
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| MWFPA Educational Opportunities | |
March 7-11, 2011: University of Wisconsin Better Process Control School. Crowne Plaza Hotel in Madison, WI. This course will help employees of food companies meet the safety requirements set by the Code of Federal Regulations for safe canning of foods. This USDA- and FDA-approved training is required for supervisors of thermal processing operations in the canning and retortable flexible container industries. Detailed information, including a brochure, enrollment form, and a link to online registration is available through the University of Wisconsin-Madison CALS Conference Services: http://www.cals.wisc.edu/ccs/Current%20Programs.html. A draft schedule of the week's events is available at http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/better_process.html.
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The MWFPA News Bulletin is published twice monthly or as developments warrant, and is intended for a general audience of manufacturers and suppliers of food and agricultural products. |
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