FIRST QUARTER 2018
PUBLIC POLICY EDITION
In This Issue: 2018 Washington D.C. Public Policy Trip RecaP .................06 White Paper Priorities SummarY ..............................08 Intern Insight on Federal Public Policy Trip ................10 Student Outlook on Federal Public Policy Trip ................12
President’s Letter • Members in Motion • Task Force Updates
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2018 Washington D.C. Public Policy Trip Recap
IN THIS ISSUE PRESIDENT’S LETTER ............................................. 05 TASK FORCE UPDATES ............................................ 12 ECONOMIC ALLIANCE IN MOTION ............................ 14 CALENDAR OF EVENTS ........................................... 16 MEMBERS IN MOTION ............................................ 17
6 White Paper Priorities Summary
MEMBER LISTING ................................................... 22
8
Student Outlook on Federal Public Policy Trip
12
About the Economic Alliance The Economic Alliance Houston Port Region, a non-profit organization created in 1985, provides professional economic development services on behalf of 16 communities surrounding the 25-mile Houston Ship Channel - home to one of the world’s most influential energy corridor and trade ports. Since 2008, the Economic Alliance has supported over 40 successful projects that has facilitated business activities creating over 4,400 new jobs and over $6.4 billion of capital investment to the Houston Port Region.
We are proud to count among our members the following Cities, Communities, Chambers of Commerce, and other government entities: Harris County
City of Pearland
Deer Park Chamber of Commerce
Port Houston
City of Seabrook
Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce
City of Baytown
City of Shoreacres
Highlands-Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce
City of Deer Park
City of South Houston
Houston East End Chamber of Commerce
City of Galena Park
Community of Channelview
La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce
City of Houston
Community of East End
North Channel Area Chamber of Commerce
City of Jacinto City
Community of North Shore
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce
City of La Porte
Community of Sheldon
Pearland Area Chamber of Commerce
City of Morgan’s Point
Community of South Belt-Ellington
South Belt-Ellington Chamber of Commerce
City of Pasadena
Baytown Chamber of Commerce
South Houston Chamber of Commerce
President’s Letter The Public Policy Committee, led by Chairman Dennis Winkler of Winkler Public Relations and ViceChair Darcie Durham of Boeing have represented the policy interests of our membership in a variety of ways. This group orchestrated and executed a productive trip to Washington, D.C. in March of 2018 that included 33 attendees and 18 meetings across three days. In DC we carried the message on: •Surface & Water Infrastructure Investment •Storm Surge Protection •Workforce Investment •Industrial Regulatory •NAFTA Modernization The region was well represented with team members from the petrochemical industry, the maritime and logistics sector, our cities and community colleges. Each of our attending members were able to attend and lead discussions in meetings with legislators and administrators. In this “off” year of our State Legislature, the Public Policy Task Force is already monitoring issues and participating in interim hearings in preparation for the 2019 Session. Issues to watch closely during this time are the hurricane storm surge protection support at the State level to continue momentum on that project as well as the Chapter 313 tool, (a school district tax incentive), which we use affectively and often in “selling” this region to potential new investors. As you can see, 2018 will be a busy and critical year on the Public Policy front. Just as each sport has its’ set of rules and ground rules, policy, (whether state or federal), provides the boundaries in which we try to make our businesses and communities prosper. It’s incumbent upon this organization as an economic development corporation to participate in the creation of those rules in a way that gives us the best chance to successfully “grow the regional economy.” With the dedicated leadership from our Public Policy Committee I’m confident we will continue to represent the region well in the arena of policy making. Very respectfully,
203 Ivy Avenue, Suite 200 Deer Park, TX 77536 (281) 476-9176 ECONOMIC ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE BOARD Chairman, Glenn Royal, The Royal Group at Merrill Lynch Immediate Past Chairman, Jim Griffin, San Jacinto College Treasurer, Steve Cote, Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates Secretary, Roger Blackburn, Wood Vice Chair, Dr. Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College Vice Chair, Karen Gregory, CenterPoint Energy Vice Chair, Barry Klein, Shell Deer Park Vice Chair, Jeff Garry, Dow Chemical Advisory, Mayor Tom Reid, City of Pearland
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Randy Boeding, Setech Consulting Solutions Melissa Botkin, Galena Park ISD Teri Crawford, San Jacinto College Patti Jett, City of Baytown Susan Smedley, Lee College Connie Tilton, ExxonMobil
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE STAFF Chad Burke, President/CEO Fred Welch, Vice President, Economic Development Bridget Yeary, Financial & Administrative Manager Dana Ramirez, Events Coordinator Marisela Contreras, Marketing & Communications Coordinator Kaitlyn Conner, Special Projects Coordinator Patti Bell, Workforce Development Manager
LAYOUT AND DESIGN Kaitlyn Conner, Special Projects Coordinator
EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS marisela@allianceportregion.com
SPONSORSHIP SUBMISSIONS marisela@allianceportregion.com
Chad Burke
To read an issue online, go to the bottom of our Homepage: www.allianceportregion.com
President/CEO, Economic Alliance Page | 5
2018 Wash Public Policy
March 19 Over the course of 3 days, groups held 18 meetings with: • • • • • • •
2 U.S. Senators 11 U.S. Congressmen Manufacturing Institute and National Manufacturers Association (NAM) American Chemical Council (ACC) Department of Energy (DOE) United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM)
Topics discussed included: • • • • •
Surface & Water Infrastructure Investment Storm Surge Protection Workforce Investment Industrial Regulations NAFTA Modernization
The team got to experience Washington D.C. weather first hand as the entire government shut down for one of the days due to 6 inches of snow. However, the Economic Alliance will be hosting conference calls with all cancelled meetings, which include: • • • • • •
1 U.S. Senator 9 U.S. Congressmen United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) Department of Transportation (DOT) Committee on Education and Workforce.
hington D.C. y Trip Recap
9th - 22nd Economic Alliance Members who attended and participated include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Texas State Representative Dennis Paul City of Morgan’s Point Mayor Michel Bechtel City of Seabrook ExxonMobil Global Relations Greater Houston Port Bureau Houston Pilots INEOS JSW Steel LyondellBasell Pasadena EDC Port Houston San Jacinto College 4 San Jacinto College Students Solvay Texas Chemistry Council Turner Industries West Gulf Maritime Association
Thank you to our sponsors, this advocacy trip does not happen without your support:
Glenn & Dianne Royal
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WHITE PAPER PRIORITIES SUMMARY Surface & Water Transportation Investment
Federal investment in maritime commerce and freight mobility provide a significant return to the nation’s economy. The Port Houston is just such an example. It is the largest U.S. port in foreign tonnage, second in overall tonnage, largest export port in the U.S., and the largest container port in the Gulf of Mexico. These employers and manufacturers rely on the Houston Ship Channel and the region’s freight network to remain competitive, efficient, and grow.
Supporting: • •
Increased Appropriations from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) Corps of Engineer Processes are key - Elimination of market rate fees for use of placement areas - Full use of 217b agreements with sponsors, which will return more funds to the channel project - Streamlining reports and approvals—common-sense good business practices which enable flexibility and responsive support to sponsors - Local decision making, especially for routine activities
STORM SURGE PROTECTION
The Texas Gulf Coast Region is a vital economic artery with the Houston Port region being home to the largest petrochemical complex and export port in the United States. Hurricane Ike made landfall along the Texas Gulf Coast and accounted for over $30B in damages to the region, most of which was a direct cause of storm surge/flooding. The State of Texas has invested major state funding, conducted extensive academic research, and has developed a consensus plan to protect our region.
Supporting: •
Federal Funding for Hurricane Surge Protection
Workforce Investment
The continued expansion in our region has created approximately 3,600 new jobs and is now facing the attrition of nearly 12,000 petrochemical/production jobs in the next several years. These are middle skills jobs which require an associate degree of certificate, but not necessarily a bachelor’s degree. We encourage Congress to continue investing in America’s labor force through grants with the Departments of Labor, Education, and Energy. San Jacinto College is working with the federal government to provide workforce training through the Ready to Work grant, the Carl D. Perkins Act, T-A-A Community College and Career Training grant, and the National Science Foundation STEM Talent Expansion Program.
Supporting: • • • •
Pell Grant Funding Higher Education Act Reauthorization Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (CTE) Reauthorization Veterans and Rural Colleges
INDUSTRIAL REGULATORY
Environmental regulations must promote the shared national goal of a healthy environment while preserving America’s ability to innovate and create jobs. Our considerations ensure the most fair and equitable standards are in place to continue industry investment and improve chemical process safety, assist local emergency responders in responding to accident releases and safeguard the communities living around our member companies’ facilities.
Supporting: • • • •
Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Reform TSCA Reform Pete Olson’s HR 806 on Ozone Ozone, International Emissions
NAFTA Modernization Supporting: • • • • •
Update of Trade Deal Withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement could create a tariff burden of up to $9bn on US chemical exports to Canada and Mexico, while potentially lowering chemical exports to these countries by $22bn. Instead of abandoning NAFTA, the three countries should update the trade deal to take into account changes that have taken place since its adoption in 1994. US exports to Canada and Mexico will likely reach $44bn this year, up from $13bn in 1994. They could reach $59bn by 2025. In the US, 46,000 chemical jobs now depend on this trade with Canada and Mexico, according to the American Chemistry Council.
For more information regarding our white paper or related topics, please email kaitlyn Conner at kaitlyn@allianceportregion.com or call (281) 476-9176 ext. 9 Page | 9
INTERN INSIGHT MEET OUR PUBLIC POLICY INTERN BRIAN DUBOSE, JR. Brian is a graduate student at the University of houston - Hobby School for public affairs. he will graduate in may 2018 with a masters degree in public Policy (mpp). Brian is a New Orleans Native, raised in Manvel/Houston. during brian’s time with the economic alliance, he has aided in the scheduling of congressional meetings along side the public policy task force, and has maintained an up-todate policy summary of the white paper priorities and related topics. Brian is currently working on publishing his second and third books, and enjoys spending his free time outdoors.
Brian’s Take on The FEDERAL ADVOCACY TRIP As someone who aspires to beget their own lobbying firm, it was an invaluable experience to see a project come together with the coordination of staff and members alike. The experience of successfully arranging the meetings with congressional leadership and governmental agencies alike, proved a great triumph for our Special Projects Coordinator, Kaitlyn Conner and I alike. There were moments of great reverence, standing outside of the Capitol, during our personal dinners, particularly among several service men and women from different backgrounds. Our captains and maritime officials provided an extra sense of regality. This is the spirit of the Economic Alliance, a value greater than its network of constituents. The separation of expertise into teams proved successful, and ultimately we were all team Economic Alliance. “It was nearly impossible to sleep the initial night of our stay at the Trump, as starlight was caught in the crystals of the chandeliers and the gold trimmed decor proved electric.” It seemed every moment had been accounted for. The precision of D.C. is unfathomable, as every bell, every whistle, and every siren was just one brief instance of the internal clockwork of the Hill. I genuinely believe every spec of dust served its purpose in the austerity of our Nation’s capitol. Prestigious, is an understatement, as grandiose halls are blanketed by the fire and passion of countrymen pursuing liberty in their own fashion. How noble it was to briefly reside among the loftiest amongst us.
A NATIONAL
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COLLEGE
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San Jacinto College is a great industry partner and supporter of Houston jobs.
THE NEXT GENERATION OF WORKERS San Jacinto College recognizes the need for well-rounded employees for the future of industry. We work side-by-side with our industry partners to provide students with the right hands-on training in real world settings to shape them into capable and certified workers.
281-998-6150 An Equal Opportunity Institution
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If you could go back and pick one person to meet with who would it be and why? U.S. Congressman Gene Green was the person I had the most desire to meet with. To hear his opinion and insight of our concerns mattered most to me because he is the Congressman from my district. Not only do his decisions have an impact on my field of study, but it will affect my community directly.
How do you plan on applying what you learned on the trip during your academic career? As treasurer of the Process Technology Club at San Jacinto College I intend to relay my experience gained during this trip to the other members of this program. By doing so, I hope to increase morale and advocacy for the Process Technology Industry.
Steven Torres Process Technology
What did you enjoy most about the trip? I found the most enjoyment from gaining perspectives of the men and women whose experience, both in life and work, was far greater than mine.
Did you learn anything from your time in D.C.? Yes! I learned so much on our trip to D.C. I learned a lot about the Port Houston, how it functions and its vital importance not only to our country, but the world. I was also able to learn how each specific topic works, its intended benefits and how they each relate to me and my future.
What did you enjoy most about the trip? I loved sitting in on meetings with individuals who are representing me. It was an honor to be able to meet and speak with U.S. Congressman Randy Weber, U.S. Congressman Gene Green, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, and U.S. Senator John Cornyn. I loved getting to see all the monuments and museums. D.C. has such a rich history and I am thankful I could experience it. Even though it was extremely cold, I really loved the weather. I have never experience “real snow,� like we did in D.C.
If you could go back and pick one person to meet with who would it be and why? I think I would go back and speak with Ted Cruz. I really loved his engagement during the meeting, especially when the students were speaking.
Hope Cory Pre-med/Physiology
Did you learn anything from your time in D.C.? Absolutely! This trip really taught me what it is like to present yourself in a professional manner. Going into the trip you feel that professionalism and respect are standard everywhere you go, but the level of both is doubled when you are in your nation’s capital.
How do you plan applying what you learned on the trip during your academic career? I plan on using the ability to clearly present your needs to your “higher ups” in order to get those needs filled. In my opinion, there really is no higher platform whether it be professionally or personally than going to your local representatives and telling them what you need. Whether it be for a raise or funding for research I feel that this trip has given me perspective on how to ask for something respectfully.
Kevin Rodriquez Molecular biology
If you could go back and pick one person to meet with who would it be and why? I wish that I could have had a visit with the president himself. I feel that if President Trump would have heard our needs I would have been able to get an idea of how far away we really are from getting our needs fulfilled.
If you could go back and pick one person to meet with who would it be and why? I would have liked to meet the President of the United States, Mr. Donald Trump. If I had the opportunity, I wouldn’t pass it up for any person with that amount of leadership over our country.
How do you plan on applying what you learned on the trip during your academic career? I plan to take every opportunity to soak in as much information from intelligent people. I now believe that I can learn anything from anybody, no matter their status, their gender, their ethnicity, their agent, or their religious beliefs. Whoever they are, I can learn something from them.
What did you enjoy most about the trip? This trip gave me a whole new look into Washington D.C. At the Orientation Dinner I was able to share a table with a vocational lobbyist who shared her experiences in policy with me. I really enjoyed seeing the government in a whole new light.
Nicole Gery Human Resources
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TASK FORCE UPDATES Economic Development Task Force The new year has brought about a new round of activity within our primary sector of downstream oil and gas manufacturing. All signals point to a second wave of new or expanded projects within the chemical sectors taking advantage of the lowcost feedstock provided by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) coming into our region. The economic development task force has focused on the logistics side of handling increased capacity along the gulf coast with recent meetings held at the Port Terminal Railroad Association and Port Houston. The PTRA hosted our February meeting with a great presentation of PTRA expansions and service along the Houston Ship Channel. PTRA manager Jeff Norwood provided an excellent overview of their operation and how they interact with their customers and the three Class I railroads serving Houston. In March the task force visited with Port Houston and received an equally impressive presentation from economic Analyst Jordan Frisby on the Port’s operation, its history and projections for growth. If you would like to be added to the economic development task force mailings and attend future meetings contact Fred Welch at fred@allianceportregion.com. The task force meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 3:00 PM either at a plant or firm within our service area or the Economic Alliance Office at 203 Ivy Ave. in Deer Park. Look at the schedule of events on the Economic Alliance Website for further information.
Transportation Task Force The Task Force met in February to: • Review and assess progress on the Prioritized Freight Project List (hear updates from TXDoT and Harris Co.) • Evaluate whether any new projects should be added to the list • Review and discuss our strategies of getting our list of projects approved and built (how can we be more effective) • Map out the strategy for promoting our Project List in 2018 Committee Co-chairs are Bob Bradshaw, INEOS Site Manager & East Harris County Manufacturers Association Chairman, and Glenn Royal, The Royal Group at Merrill Lynch & Economic Alliance Houston Port Region Chairman.
Workforce Development Task Force The first meeting of 2018 began with opening remarks by Chairman Dr. Allatia Harris, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives, San Jacinto College on February 15 at 3:00 P.M. in the SBDC Board Room at the Economic Alliance located at 203 Ivy Avenue, Deer Park, Texas. A panel of front line operations mangers from the petrochemical industry and craft trades were the featured speakers. David Gosnay, LyondellBasell, Drew Laney, Dow Chemical, and Carla Thompson, Turner Industries addressed the theme of the meeting “Hiring the Workforce for Tomorrow Today” by answering questions from facilitator Dr. Harris. Discussion on how they are recruiting, hiring, and onboarding, what talents, skills, and qualities they are looking for when they hire, what trends they are seeing in the talent pools, what their challenges are as they build the workforce for the future and how their challenges and demands impact economic opportunities in our region. The next meeting for 2018 will be held at 3:00 on April 19 in the SBDC Board Room of the Economic Alliance offices in Deer Park. Subsequent meetings will be on June 21, August 16, and October 18.
Quality of Life Task Force The Quality of Life Task Force mission is to enhance our region’s marketable image and quality of place, including assets marketed to attract both tourists and corporate relocation. Right now, the committee is working on Mini Mural projects. If you are interested in the mini-murals project but don’t know where to start, we’re here to help! Contact Economic Alliance Marketing & Communications Coordinator Marisela Contreras at 281-476-9176, or Quality of Life Task Force Chair Kristin Edwards at 281-709-8658 to learn more. We are currently conducting one-on-one meetings with interested partners to answer questions and provide examples from other Texas cities. The Quality of Life Task Force committee meeting is scheduled to meet on Monday, April 23rd at 3:00pm. This committee meets every other month on the 4th Monday of that month.
Business Growth Task Force The Business Growth Task Force committee is Chaired by Councilman Natalie Picha, Vice President with The Royal Group at Merrill Lynch and City of Seabrook meets the first Wednesday of every month at 9 a.m. Our member spotlight has been implemented during the monthly meeting to highlight what their organization does and any projects coming up the pipeline. B2Bcfo was highlighted in the month of February by Linda Hammons. The committee held its 1st quarter Business Education Luncheon at the Houston Yacht Club where over 80 people attended to hear Lara Forde of ePlace Solutions and Lynn Sessions of BakerHostelter discuss Cyber Security in the workplace. Our next event, we will host the Industrial Procurement Forum Breakfast in June at the Pasadena Convention Center.
Gulf Coast Industry Forum Task Force The 2018 Gulf Coast Industry Forum (GCIF) is scheduled for September 19th & 20th and will once again be held at the Pasadena Convention Center. The committee is hard at work on all aspects of the conference including logistics, attendee interaction, vendor selection and speaker confirmations. To date, we have 20 speakers confirmed and it will be another power-packed lineup for both days. Special thanks to our GCIF Chairman Roger Blackburn of the Wood.
Workforce Development Task Force 2018 has started off with 14 presentations connecting with 1784 students, teachers, parents, and community at the time of publication. There are currently seven events scheduled for March and April. We are looking for volunteers to come to events and speak about their jobs in the petrochemical industry. If you can help, email Patti at patti@allianceportregion.com
Save the Date September 19th & 20th REGISTER TODAY! www.allianceportregion.com/gcif Page | 15
ECONOMIC ALLIA DIDI participates in the JA Inspire event
Deer Park State of the City
Dream It. Do It. participated in the JA Inspire event on February 5, 6, 7 at the Berry Center in Cypress Fairbanks ISD where approximately 8,000 students were exposed to guest speakers and industry representatives from a wide variety of industries at their exhibits.
Bridget Yeary, Marisela Contreras and Kaitlyn Conner attended the State of the City Luncheon for the City of Deer Park on Thursday Feb 22nd. Thank you to the Mayor, city council and all city officials for the work you do for our community!
DIDI attends the Women in Industry Conference
ACC/TCC Hurrican Harvey: Lessons Learned
On February 22 Dream It. Do It. Southeast Texas attended Women in Industry in Galveston with over 800 women in attendance where they could speak with industry representatives.
Economic Alliance President/ CEO, Chad Burke, moderating a panel on Houston Port Infrastructure, with Texas State Senator, Larry Taylor, Texas State Senator, Brandon Creighton, Port Houston Commissioner, Roy Mease, and Captain Kevin Oditt, Sector Commander, US Coast Guard Houston - Galveston at the ACC/ TCC Hurricane Harvey: Lessons Learned, Monday, March 5th hosted at the HASC.
CERA Week
2018 Annual Banquet
Economic Alliance leadership team enjoyed CERAWeek and had the opportunity to meet with Senator John Cornyn. Pictured from left to right: Glenn Royal - The Royal Group at Merrill Lynch, Roger Blackburn – Wood, Jeff Garry – DOW Chemical Company, Chad Burke - Economic Alliance, Senator John Cornyn, Ryan Cramer – City of La Porte, Mayor Michel Bechtel – City of Morgan’s Point, Fred Welch – Economic Alliance and Chancellor Brenda Hellyer – San Jacinto College.
On Thursday, February 8th Economic Alliance Houston Port Region held its Annual Banquet at the Sylvan Beach Pavilion. We were honored to have 2017 Houston Astros - World Series Champions - Radio Broadcaster Steve Sparks as the special speaker for the night. 2018 Board members were sworn in by Senator Larry Taylor the rest of the evening was filled with great music, food and dancing.
ANCE in MOTION Thank you to our Interns!
During the first quarter of 2018 the Economic Alliance has hired two students to assist in Data Entry, and Public Policy. Roberto Olivares, our Data Entry Intern, is a Senior at Deer Park High School ready to graduate in May. Brian DuBose, our Public Policy Intern, is a graduating Graduate Student at the University of Houston – Hobby School of Public Affairs. We appreciate all of their hard work over the past couple of months and hope to see what they can accomplish in their future careers.
Responsive.
Economic Alliance Welcomes Iasi Romanian Delegation to Texas
Resourceful | Reliable
A delegation from the city of Iasi Romania visited our region on March 11-14. The Economic Alliance hosted a reception for this group of business and government leaders giving an overview of our mission and how we might work with them to assist in bringing industry from Romania to the US and our region. Several good contacts have been made as a result of this visit. Thanks to Harris County Judge Emmett’s International Trade Office for bringing this delegation to the Economic Alliance.
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CALENDAR of EVENTS April
June
Business Growth Task Force Wednesday, April 4th 9:00am - 10:00am
Business Growth Task Force Wednesday, June 6th 9:00am – 10:00am
Gulf Coast Industry Forum Committee Meeting Tuesday, April 17th 3:00pm – 4:00pm Board & Membership Meeting Tuesday, April 18th 3:30pm - 5:00pm Meeting 5:00pm - 6:00pm Reception Workforce Development Task Force Thursday, April 19th 3:00pm - 4:00pm Public Policy Task Force Tuesday, April 24th 3:00pm - 4:00pm Economic Development Task Force Wednesday, April 25th 3:00pm - 4:00pm Quality of Life Task Force Monday, April 27th 3:00pm - 4:00pm
May Business Growth Task Force Wednesday, May 2nd 9:00am – 10:00am Gulf Coast Industry Forum Committee Meeting Tuesday, May 15th 3:00pm – 4:00pm Public Policy Task Force Tuesday, May 22nd 3:00pm – 4:00pm Economic Development Task Force Wednesday, May 23rd 3:00pm – 4:00pm Economic Alliance Office Closed Memorial Day Monday, May 28th
Industrial Procurement Forum- Breakfast Thursday, June 7th 7:00am - 10:00am Gulf Coast Industry Forum Committee Meeting Tuesday, June 19th 3:00pm – 4:00pm Workforce Development Meeting Thursday, June 21st 3:00pm - 4:00pm Quality of Life Task Force Monday, June 25th 3:00pm – 4:00pm Public Policy Task Force Tuesday, June 26th 3:00pm – 4:00pm Board & Membership Meeting Wednesday, June 27th 3:30pm - 5:00pm Meeting 5:00pm - 6:00pm Reception Economic Development Task Force Wednesday, June 27th 3:00pm – 4:00pm
July Economic Alliance Office Closed Independance Holiday Wednesday, July 4th Business Growth Task Force Wednesday, July 11th 9:00am - 10:00am Gulf Coast Industry Forum Committee Meeting Tuesday, July 17th 3:00pm - 4:00pm Workforce Development Task Force Thursday, July 20th 3:00pm – 4:00pm Public Policy Task Force Tuesday, July 24th 3:00pm - 4:00pm Economic Development Task Force Wednesday, July 25th 3:00pm - 4:00pm
MEMBERS in MOTION Terracon Cares
Success for West Mermis, PLLC
Terracon is a leading consulting and engineering firm providing Environmental, Geotechnical, Material Testing and Facility services. We are uniquely positioned to serve many sectors including our Industrial, Education, Commercial, and Public clients from our 20 offices/laboratories in Texas.
Economic Alliance member West Mermis, PLLC, a Houston-based law firm that represents construction, energy, and manufacturing companies in litigation and arbitration throughout Texas, recently saved its client $30 million.
Terracon maintains our commitment to safety daily through our focus on being Incident and Injury-Free (IIF) which impacts our employee’s and client’s safety in a significant way. Our safety and community involvement are core values for us. Recently, Terracon awarded $50,000 National Grants to both the Society of Women Engineers and Girl Scouts of the USA. Numerous community and university grants were also awarded by the Terracon Foundation. Locally, Terracon consistently works to support our communities. Our offices continue to support Harvey Relief in many ways. We support local food drives benefitting Houston Food Bank, supply drive for the Star of Hope, blood drives for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and support many other charitable organizations.
Recently Completed Project – Texas Carpenters & Millwrights Training Center
A real estate developer filed a lawsuit against its general contractor seeking $30 million in damages. Hurricane Dolly damaged its project, and the developer blamed the general contractor. The general contractor hired West Mermis to defend it. Following a trip to the Texas Supreme Court and a week-long arbitration hearing, the arbitrator ruled that the developer could not recover $30 million from the general contractor. It was landmark case and tremendous victory for West Mermis and its general contractor client. Contact West Mermis to see what it can do for you. Joshua W. Mermis at jmermis@westmermis.com
Shell Welcomes New Operators
At Shell Deer Park, we are proud to manufacture the energy products that fuel our world and are the solutions for our future, all from the historic birthplace of Texas. Turner Duran Architects recently completed the Texas Carpenters & Millwrights Training Center in Pasadena, Texas. This former large retail box was reconfigured and renovated to provide a variety of learning, training, and administrative spaces for the local chapter of a nationwide trade union. The finished 50,000 SF building houses a new entry pavilion, interior classrooms, offices, mock-up spaces, and construction methods laboratories.
“During our onboarding experience, our operators recently spent time learning the site’s values of caring, family, teamwork, winning and fun,” said David Sparks, Learning Analyst. “With the rich history Shell Deer Park has, we’re excited about shaping our future together with these new employees who are bringing numerous years of industry experience to our site. Now they will begin learning the specifics about each of their production units, a challenge they’re both excited and prepared for.”
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MEMBERS in CAT-i USA has opened a new office
Dow gives Community Grants
Communication and Training Inc USA has opened a new office in Deer Park Texas to better serve a rapidly growing industry need. CAT-i USA products and services include: Training, Procedure Services, Usability Certification. Usability Engineering focuses on user stress loads, cognitive limits, and emotional drivers to support well researched human behavior patterns. This minimizes the risk of performance errors and increase safety. About CAT-i: CAT-i is an international corporation serving clients in the oil and gas, mining, medical, manufacturing, and legal industries worldwide. We envision the day when no operator anywhere in the world has to perform a procedure that does not follow the principles of human cognition and behavior.
EIS hires Ping Hu Economic Incentive Services, LLC (EIS) announces the addition of Ping Hu to augment its Enterprise Zone (EZ) incentive services. Ping has been the EZ program manager and subject matter expert for the Texas Comptroller for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing all EZ refund applications and audits, Ping was responsible for training Comptroller field auditors and formulating all EZ technical papers, agency policies and rules. EIS has an outstanding history of EZ services, including a 100% success rate on client applications. Ping brings additional credibility to the firm’s EZ services in Texas, as well as other states which offer EZ or sales tax incentives. EIS offers site selection and government incentive negotiation/compliance services to corporate clients. You can learn more about EIS at www.edicentives.com
IDS Promotes Key Roles IDS Engineering Group, a Houston-based, employee-owned civil engineering and surveying firm has promoted the following employees. Each of these individuals have played a key role in our firm’s success and are committed to client service and will continue to collaborate and utilize their expertise to move our companies’ goals and projects forward. To learn more about IDS, please visit www.idseg.com. Travis Sellers, P.E. – Senior Vice President, Eric Johnson, P.E. – Vice President, Jason Hajduk, P.E. – Vice President, Matt Carpenter, P.E. – Vice President, Marcel Khouw, P.E. – Senior Project Manager, Carol Harrison, P.E. – Senior Project Manager, Coy Custer, P.E. – Project Manager, Isaac Muñiz, P.E. – Project Manager, Brice Stanford, P.E. – Project Manger, and John Herzog, P.E. – Project Manager
“Dow Houston Operations awarded fifteen local organizations with funding totaling over $100,000, through the 2017 Dow Gives Community Grants Program. Through grants from Dow, local nonprofit groups can implement projects that improve the quality of life for the residents of East Harris County and the Galveston Bay Area. Recipients include: Clear Lake High School PTSA, College of the Mainland Foundation, Deer Park Education Foundation, Fatima Education Foundation, Food for Kids, Inc., Galveston Bay Foundation, Galveston County Food Bank, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Gulf Coast Monarch Project, La Porte Education Foundation, San Jacinto Community College Foundation, San Jacinto Museum of History Association, Santa Fe Texas Education Foundation, Texas City ISD Foundation for the Future, United Way Galveston-County Mainland.”
Mobil Steels Adds Experienced Project Manager to Management Team
Mobil Steel International, Inc. announced the return of veteran steel industry manager Rick Johnson to Mobil Steel’s management team. Johnson, who returns to Mobil Steel as project manager and project engineer, has steel fabrication industry experience as general manager, project manager and project engineer. A degreed engineer and trained estimator, Johnson will help Mobil Steel bid and manage projects, and focus on customer service, marketing and business development. Johnson previously worked as project manager, engineer and estimator for Mobil Steel before serving the past four years as general manager for a local metal fabricator. “Rick’s project management, estimating and customer service skills will help us continue to meet customer deadlines on budget during high demand for steel fabrication,” said Leonard A. Bedell, President and CEO.
n MOTION H+M celebrates 30th Anniversary
LyondellBasell Named One of the World’s Most Admired Companies HOUSTON, March 6, 2018 -- LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB), the operator of several sites in the Houston area including the Houston Refinery and its Bayport, Channelview and La Porte manufacturing facilities, has been named to Fortune Magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” for 2018. This is a first-time achievement for LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies.
H+M Industrial EPC is celebrating its 30th year in business! The company looks forward to providing quality service to the industry for many years to come. H+M attributes this accomplishment to an unwavering commitment to safety, their desire to ensure mutual success between itself and their clients, and the encouragement of employee development. Founded in 1988, H+M strives to help clients in the chemical, petrochemical, and oil and gas industries achieve their vision. The goal is to execute all jobs on budget and schedule while exceeding expectations. http://hm-ec.com/
Richmond Equipment has been awarded the Club Carline Carry All
Richmond Equipment has recently been awarded the Club Car line of utility and multi passenger electric and gas golf cars. The Club Car Carry All is well known in the commercial and industrial market for its aluminum frame and aluminum utility box. The aluminum features are a huge benefit in our Gulf Coast region. Our demonstrator units will be arriving soon! Call today to schedule a FREE on-site demo at 281-341-7755 or visit our website: www. RichmondEquipment.com
Raba Kistner Announces Gaurav Tripathi, Senior Project Manager, Environmental Compliance Services Mr. Tripathi serves as Sr. Project Manager, supporting, developing and overseeing Environmental Consulting in the Houston Marketplace. In this role, he works closely with the environmental services staff managing environmental permitting and compliance projects throughout the Houston area. Mr. Tripathi has more than 11 years of experience working with clients in variety of industries, including chemical manufacturing, refinery, terminals, natural gas compressor stations, and oil and gas processing. He has vast experience working with clients providing development and oversight of environmental regulatory compliance, including obtaining air, water, waste permits and completion of regulatory reporting. He can be contacted at: gtripathi@rkci.com or 713-9968990.
LyondellBasell CEO Bob Patel noted, “This recognition can be 100 percent attributed to our teams in the Houston area and around the world who are setting the benchmark for excellence in the chemical industry every single day. They are humble, hungry and focused on delivering on the promise of being the best operated, most valued company in our industry.” The list, which is voted on by industry peers, including executives, directors and financial analysts, sought feedback on the company’s performance in nine key areas – the ability to attract and retain talent, the quality of management, social responsibility, innovation, quality of products and services, use of corporate assets, financial soundness, long-term investment value and global competitiveness. More information on Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list can be found here.
ExxonMobil hosts Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
Recently, 180 eighth grade girls from Barbers Hill ISD and Goose Creek CISD visited ExxonMobil Baytown for Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. The event provided an opportunity to interact with successful women who work in STEM and provided a sneak peek through fun activities into problem-solving. The program’s goal is to promote curiosity among female students and ultimately shrink the gender gap in STEM fields. The students participated in hands-on activities including creating prosthetic hands from straws, modeling clay and string. The girls also tried their hand at chemical engineering by making bath fizzies. Their final activity introduced an element of friendly team competition of building a tower that was tall and could also support weight.
LBC Houston has relocated LBC Houston has successfully relocated its US Regional Offices to an offsite location. Our new address is 2625 Bay Area Boulevard Suite 200, Houston Texas 77058. The move was completed in February 2018 and is a result of our greenfield expansion project plan at the LBC Houston terminal. Currently LBC is constructing Phase II of the Master Plan with an anticipated commissioning date of July 2018. An additional project, Phase III is also included in the Master Plan which necessitated the relocation of our Regional Offices. This relocation is a direct result of our business strategy which is to build out, expand, and optimize our business.
MEMBERS in Patients Medical Center achieves five-star rating from CMS
LyondellBasell employees and Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing Dan Coombs to celebrate the opening of the three-story building during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This building investment represents our commitment to putting safety first in everything we do,” said Coombs. “As a company, we are always seeking ways we can improve the safety of our sites. This building, with its enhanced safety features and new location, showcases our continued focus on this effort.”
CHI St. Luke’s Health—Patients Medical Center (Patients Medical Center) has achieved a five-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). With more than 4,500 hospitals participating in the federally-funded healthcare program, Patients Medical Center was one of only 337 hospitals nationwide and 33 in Texas awarded a five-star rating. Five stars is the highest rating a hospital can receive through the Hospital Compare overall rating scale. Publicly reported on the Medicare.gov website, the overall rating scale utilizes individual hospital data from up to 57 quality measures across seven quality group categories, including mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging. “We continually strive to offer the highest quality care while providing a superior patient experience,” said Steven Foster, president, Patients Medical Center. “Receiving a five-star rating, the highest possible from CMS, further confirms that the physicians and staff of Patients Medical Center offer exceptional healthcare to their patients and the community.” Hospital Compare was created by CMS to assist patients and their families when making decisions about where to receive healthcare. Additionally, the program encourages hospitals to improve the quality of care provided through on-going monitoring of quality data. For more information about the program, visit Medicare.gov/HospitalCompare.
The new building is located away from operating units and features a number of safety and work enhancements for the site, including on-site security, security card-access to offices and improved fire suppression systems. It also has an on-site Health Center and a room for new mothers. Kim Foley, Channelview Complex site manager, remarked, “This project creates a safe environment for our employees, contractors and visitors as well as improves the process safety of our site by relocating our control rooms and other critical functions.” The building will house over 300 employees and contractors including site management, human resources, accounting, process safety, operations, engineering and medical personnel. Employees at the complex will have access to a workout facility and gymnasium as well as a newly renovated meeting and event venue located next to the new administration building. “I am pleased to share in this celebration with LyondellBasell. This is another example of the ongoing investments they are making in the Houston area,” said Commissioner Jack Morman. “This new building represents more than just bricks and mortar, it represents a better approach to safety at our industrial facilities.”
Gulf Coast Authority Promotions and Retirements
LyondellBasell Channelview Completes $70 Million Administration Building
The Channelview Complex of LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB), one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, recently opened the doors to a new, state-ofthe-art administration building. The site began construction of the $70 million, 96,347 square foot building last year as part of ongoing safety enhancements for the complex. Harris County Precinct Two Commissioner Jack Morman and several other local community leaders and residents joined
Gulf Coast Authority (GCA) is proud to announce that Brianna Morales has been promoted to Superintendent of Municipal Services (SMS). In her new role, she will serve as the manager of GCA’s municipal wastewater treatment facilities. She filled a vacancy left by Jerald Landis upon his retirement in January after serving 27 years with GCA. Brianna previously served as GCA’s Municipal Operations Supervisor responsible for managing the operational and maintenance related activities for their municipal facilities. Terri Strachan, GCA’s Texas City Operations Manager, is retiring in mid-March after 27 years of service to GCA, and Diane Maloy, longtime GCA Central Laboratory manager, has been promoted to fill that position. Diane has been with the Authority for 37 years and previously served in several laboratory positions. Doris Hayden, also with GCA for 37 years, will be elevated from Assistant Lab Manager to Central Lab Manager upon Diane’s move. We extend both Jerald and Terri best wishes in their retirement and congratulate Brianna, Diane and Doris on their well-deserved promotions.
n MOTION INEOS pledges $250k for Petrochemical Center
INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA (INEOS) pledged a $250,000 cash donation in support of the San Jacinto College Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology. The Center is poised to become the largest petrochemical training facility in Texas. INEOS has demonstrated its commitment to an up-and-coming workforce and to ensuring student training aligns with industry needs. As a major sponsor of the Center, INEOS will receive naming rights for one of the Center’s skills labs. INEOS is also an active member of the San Jacinto College Petrochemical Advisory Council, formed by Dr. Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College Chancellor. Sponsorship of the Center is a natural complement to the many other local workforce and education outreach initiatives of INEOS, including apprenticeship and internship programs and various science and career fairs. Read more at sanjac.edu/article/ineos-donation. Download photo at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ sanjacintocollege/24297523687/sizes/l.
9th Annual Strides for School Fun Run
Shell is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Deer Park Education Foundation 9th Annual Strides for Schools Fun Run, on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at Clyde Abshier Stadium. The Deer Park Education Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds outside of the Deer Park Independent School District’s normal operating budget to award Teacher Enrichment Grants. As presenting sponsor, Shell underwrites the cost of the event meaning that every dollar raised through registrations and additional sponsorships goes towards teacher grants. Shell also matches registrations, doubling the impact of all those that register. Last year, with over 1,760 registrations, Fun Run successfully raised $144,000 in funds and rewarding 138 grants – not to mention raising the bar for 2018! Interested in participating in the festivities? Find out more. www.shell.us/about-us/projects-and-locations/
City of La Porte hires new Economic Development Coordinator
The City of La Porte has hired Ryan Cramer as their new Economic Development Coordinator. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s in public administration in 2014 Ryan worked for the City of La Porte as a Planning Technician for two years before being promoted into his new role.
RELIABLE REGIONAL TURNKEY WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Since the early 1970s, GCA has helped Texas industry operate profitably and focus on their core business by providing regional wastewater treatment and other services.
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Gulf Coast Authority Protecting the waters of the state of Texas
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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES NEWSLETTER SPONSORSHIPS
Quarterly publication sponsors will recieve: - A sponsor ad in print and online versions of the publication commensurate with the level of sponsorship. - A link to the sponsor company website from the electronic version of the publication Based on the structured space we have within our publication, there will be a limited number of sponsorships available. Your Sponsorship will allow us to continue to broaden our reach and to maintain and improve the visual quality of the publication and written content. We have some exciting themes planned for 2018 and look forward to continuing to highlight the impressive accomplishments of our members and region.
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Join Our Growing List Of Members Partner Members
Stakeholder*, Corporate, and Proprietorship Members Adaptive Tech Services Air Products Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemical LLC AL Law Group Amegy Bank American Acryl Apache Oil Company Arete Advisors Arkema Inc. Armand Bayou Nature Center Association of Bayport Companies AT&T B.J. Superior, Inc. B2BCFO Baker Ripley Barbara Walling Bartlett Cocke Industrial Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Baytown/West Chambers Economic Development BB&T BBVA Compass Bank Beacon Federal Credit Union Belt Harris Pechacek, LLLP Bendel Tank & Heat Exchanger BGE BIC Alliance Brady Chapman Holland and Assoc. BrandSafway, LLC Capital One Bank CAT-I Cedar Capital, LLC Cenikor Foundation CenTech Staffing, LLC Certified Safety, Inc. Channel Biorefinery & Terminals, LLC Check-6 International Cherry Companies Chevron Phillips Colliers International Comcast Comerica Bank Community Bank of Texas Core Occupational Core Trucking of Texas Corporate Memory Solutions D&C Inspection Services Dannenbaum Engineering Corp. DeLane’s Ad Specialties Denbury Resources Inc. Dianal America, Inc. Dimension Energy Services, LLC Dixie Chemical East Harris County Manufacture Association (EHCMA) ECC Alliance Economic Incentive Services, LLC Empire Torque Tools Energy Edge Consulting Environmental Rental Services
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Equipment Depot Exel Logistics Fishbone Safety Solutions Flint Hill Resources Frost Bank Gateway Printing & Office Supply, Inc. Global Relations Great Western Valve Greater Houston Manufacturers Association (GHMA) Greater Houston Partnership Green Bank Gulf Coast Authority Gulf Winds International, Inc. Gulfex, LP H+M Industrial EPC Haldor Topsoe,Inc. Ham, Langston & Brezina, LLP HDR Engineering, Inc. Houston Pilots Association Houston Yacht Club HTS, Inc. HUB International Insurance Services Hunter Buildings & Manufacturing IDS Engineering Group ILA #1351 Industrial Packaging System Innovative Alternatives, Inc. ISTC I.T. Works John Manlove Marketing & Communications JSC Federal Credit Union Kaneka North America LLC Kenco Bucket Trucks Kinder Morgan Knudson LP Les Ellard Insurance Agency, Inc. Liquid Capital Business Funding LJA Engineering Lubrizol Magnus & Company McDonough Engineering Corporation McKim & Creed Meador Staffing Services Mobil Steel International Monument Chemical Moody National Bank Mosher Seifert & Company, CPA National Property Holdings Nissan Chemical Houston Corp Noltex, LLC OSI Soft, LLC Oxyvinyls Pfeiffer and Son,Ltd. Phelps State Farm Insurance PKF of Texas, P.C. Pollution Systems Priority Power Management, LLC PV Rental, LLC Qualified Properties, Inc.
Raba Kistner Consultants Richmond Equipment Robert Half RUS Industrial San Jacinto River and Rail SETECH SGS Galson Shafaii Party and Reception Center Inc. Shell Federal Credit Union Single Point Carrier Services Skanska USA Building Solvay Southwest Shipyards, L.P. Springhill Suites by Marriott Baytown Springhill Suites by Marriott Seabrook Star of Hope Statesman Business Advisors, LLC Stockstill & Associates Structure Tone Southwest Swagelok Southeast Texas Systran Inc. T & T Construction, LP TC Global Commercial Real Estate TD Waterproofing Team Services LLC Tekplan Solutions Terracon Consultants, Inc. Texans Citizens Bank Texas Industrial Medical Texas Lawn & Sprinkler Texas Molecular Limited Partnership Texas Security Shredding Texas Southern University Texas-IBI Group The Drake Companies The Royal Group at Merrill Lynch The Stewart Organization TIMEC Titan Companies Tolunay-Wong Engineers,Inc. TPC Group Trustmark National Bank Turner Contruction Co. TurnerDuran Architects University of Houston-Clear Lake University of Houstson - Central VCFO Weeks Marine, Inc. Welcome Group, LLC West Gulf Maritime Association West Mermis, PLLC Winkler Public Relations Wood
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