Discuss Manufacturing Issues at Annual Grassroots Meetings Environmental Groups Attempt to Halt Port Expansion Climate Change Legislation Moves to Senate June Unemployment Rate Holds at 12.1 Percent Sponsorships Available for Silver Crescent Manufacturer of the Year Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the 8th annual South Carolina Fastest-Growing Competition. Click here to learn more.

Discuss Manufacturing Issues at Annual Grassroots Meetings
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce members and local area chambers of commerce are gearing up for a successful legislative session by participating in open-forum sessions to discuss 2010 legislative priorities. Make sure the issues facing South Carolina's manufacturing community are heard by attending a Grassroots Meeting near you. Your feedback will help the South Carolina Chamber form the business community’s 2010 legislative agenda. The statewide meetings begin Monday, August 17 in Columbia. To register for a meeting near you, visit www.scchamber.net, or contact Julie Scott at 803-255-2628.

Environmental Groups Attempt to Halt Port Expansion
The Coastal Conservation League and Southern Environmental Law Center asked for an injunction last week to halt construction of a new port terminal at the former Navy Base in North Charleston. Permits for the project were issued more than two years ago. The South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) in response said, “The federal permit was issued in April 2007 after four years and $5 million in studies, totaling 5,000 pages. Obviously, the Corps of Engineers and the cooperating agencies working on the permit took a hard look at this project. They thoroughly evaluated and addressed all the impacts of both the project and the alternatives. Every state and federal environmental and natural resource agency that reviewed this project signed off on it. The result is a project that is good for the economy, the community and the environment. It not only meets the standards, it exceeds them.”

In related news, the General Assembly overrode Governor Mark Sanford’s veto of S.351, legislation restructuring the SCSPA, making the bill law. The initiative removes the governor's at-will power, calls for five and 20-year strategic plans, sets qualifications for serving on the port board and lowers the board terms from seven years to five years, giving the governor the opportunity to appoint more members. The bill also calls for the expeditious completion of the Charleston port expansion and the development of the Jasper port and allows proceeds of land sales at Daniel Island to revert back to the Ports Authority. The business community strongly supported overriding the veto to allow the SCSPA to operate more like a business and believes the legislation will allow port board members to make good, long-term business decisions that are in the best interest of the port and economic development in South Carolina.

The SCSPA Board of Directors has voted unanimously to hire James (Jim) Newsome III as president and chief executive officer, effective September 1. Newsome, 53, brings more than 30 years of global shipping experience to the ports of Charleston and Georgetown. He is only the fifth leader of the SCSPA in its 67-year history.

“The selection of a strong leader to head one of our state's most powerful economic engines will ensure South Carolina remains globally competitive," said Otis B. Rawl Jr., president and chief executive officer of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. “Our state's port system has numerous advantages, which set us apart from other ports in the nation, including some of the deepest water on the East Coast. This announcement is a step forward in creating a world-class port system that is second to none.”

Climate Change Legislation Moves to Senate
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, legislation to curb U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions, passed the House of Representatives June 26 and is now headed for the Senate. According to The Wall Street Journal, it is unclear how much of the House bill will survive the Senate, where moderate Democrats and Republicans could form a majority that supports less ambitious action. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) lobbied against the bill, with the U.S. Chamber cautioning that the legislation is an unrealistic approach that could further harm the economy and cost American jobs.

According The Los Angeles Times, the 1,200-page climate change legislation’s centerpiece is a cap-and-trade program that would “set limits on carbon dioxide and other emissions that scientists say are a major factor in global warming.” The legislation imposes 397 new federal regulations and 1,060 new mandates on businesses already burdened with extensive federal legislation. The Senate bill also may include provisions to encourage alternative energy sources, including wind and solar power.

June Unemployment Rate Holds at 12.1 Percent
According to the State Employment Security Commission, South Carolina’s unemployment rate was virtually unchanged in June at 12.1 percent. The national unemployment rate was 9.5 percent in June, up slightly from 9.4 percent in May. In South Carolina, the manufacturing industry experienced a loss of 1,600 jobs.

Sponsorships Available for Silver Crescent Manufacturer of the Year Awards
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the Silver Crescent Foundation are honoring outstanding manufacturers with the Silver Crescent Manufacturer of the Year Award September 22. Click here to view the list of nominees. Join us in honoring South Carolina's hardworking manufacturers at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SIMT) in Florence. Various sponsorship levels are still available that can expose your business to hundreds of representatives in the manufacturing community. Please contact Tish Anderson for sponsorship information, or click here to register.