Industry Leaders Join Forces to Protect Composites Industry
With the stroke of a pen, Congress and government regulators can destroy a business that has taken years to build said Tom Dobbins, chief staff executive of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) , during a COMPOSITES 2010 session entitled Selling Your Products to your Legislators.
Dobbins, along with moderator Charlie McClaskey of Marshall Composite Systems and Monty Felix, CEO of Alaglass Pools urged a crowd of composites business leaders to become proactive in lobbying congress to protect the interests and profits of the industry.
Dobbins said, “It’s easy to understand why business leaders are hesitant to engage with their Congressional representatives. You’re in business because you’re self reliant. You’re the kinds of people who take charge of your destiny and do not ask for handouts or help,” he said. However, everyone in the composites industry needs to become active advocates for their businesses—and that includes using their Congressional representatives.
One important issue on the horizon is styrene, which is now under scrutiny by the EPA as a possible carcinogen. Dobbins compared the substance to the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield because it gets no respect. “Styrene, for all the wonderful things it does for our industry is much maligned,” he said. “The objections and concerns are not based in science. Forty years of research has shown that the substance is not a carcinogen and is relatively harmless.”
Other issues where the industry may come under fire include dust and open molding and fire suppression; each of which could result in costly regulations. All these issues require defensive measures to protect businesses, but in other areas, proactive lobbying could expand markets and improve conditions.
The group also addressed business leaders need to educate lawmakers on the advantages composites bring to industry and the environment. “They improve infrastructure in a cost effective way, advancing wind energy production and providing improved building materials,” said Dobbins. “Lawmakers on the state and national level, once enlightened to the advantages of composites, could introduce building codes that would enhance the ability to use new materials.”
Felix next addressed businesses ability to influence lawmakers. “You and I are important to our elected representatives for two reasons; one we vote, and two, we have money,” he explained. “Using that power to influence Congress is a legitimate endeavor, and if composite industry leaders don’t make the effort to state the industry’s case, it won’t get raised. “You cannot sit on the sidelines. If you sit on the sidelines, you’ll lose,” Felix said. I recommend starting with your Congressional representative because districts are small and one business leader can have considerable influence on a local election.”
However, Felix stressed the importance of visiting your representative in Washington D.C. “It makes a big impact as well as campaign contributions–even a small one,” he said. “Industry leaders can leverage their time, money and influence by joining the ACMA political action committee that combines contributions to influence lawmakers on behalf the industry.”
Dobbins pointed out that association members can write letters and make phone calls (both important ways of being heard), but even more effective are plant visits. “As a former congressional staffer, I have seen the influence that industry leaders can have on decision makers,” he said. “Specifically, I encourage you to travel to Washington D.C. on April 13-14 for the National Composites In the Capital Fly-In to meet with the staff of some of the 28 representatives involved in the Composites Congressional Caucus.
More information on the fly-in, the PAC and other ACMA legislative and regulatory efforts are available at www.acmanet.org.
