On November 16, 2010, SP held its 4th Quarter Membership Meeting at Chrysler World Headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI. Special thanks to Chrysler Group LLC and DENSO International America for hosting the meeting.
 

Pictured: Kim Korth, IRN meeting with participants at SP's 4th Quarter Meeting; SP's Chair Randy Leslie, JCI and Bill McElnea, Dept. of Commerce

Kim Korth, President, IRN Inc., gave a presentation on the New Economic Reality of the Automotive Industry including a review of the macroeconomic environment, specific outlook for the automotive industry, and key issues for suppliers.

Bill McElnea, International Economist, Office of Trade Policy Analysis, Department of Commerce gave a presentation on Commerce's Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative (SMI) and a planned Sustainable Manufacturing American Regional Tour (SMART): "Energy Efficienct, Sustainable Detroit".

The Membership Meeting also included presentations from SP members Chrysler Group LLC, DENSO International and BAE Industries; updates on SP's Work Group activities - including Chemical Issues, Energy, Materials Efficiency and, Technology and Networking; and an update on the Michigan By Product Synergy Initiative. Following the membership meeting, SP held the first meeting of its Energy and Water Utility Managers Forum.

Presentations from the meeting are now available on the SP Members Only website.

On October 7, Jimmy Gayle, Gayle Technologies Inc. gave a keynote presentation to an event that was part of the 2010 Southern Automotive Conference (SAC) in Tunica, MS.  The SAC was presented by the Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association (MAMA), in conjunction with the Tennessee Automotive Manufacturers Association (TAMA), Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association (AAMA), and Mississippi State University's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems.

Mr. Gayle made a presentation to the Southern Automotive Women's Forum chaired by Susan Brennan, Vice President Manufacturing, Nissan North America, on "The Business of Doing Business with Women in the Automotive Industry".

Presentations and an attendee list from the 2010 SAC are available online here.

The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) is pleased to announce that BAE Industries has rejoined the organization. BAE Industries offers a wide range of manufacturing services, beginning with the prototype stage and progressing to full manufacturing, production, assembly and delivery of engineered products.  We are pleased to welcome back Mark Doetsch, Vice President, Quality as BAE's representative to the SP Board. More Information.

•  SP 1^st Quarter Meeting (January 13, 2011): SP's 1^st Quarter Meeting will be held on January 13, 2011 in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI.  The meeting will be hosted by SP members Asset Recovery and Management Group and GM. Additional information will be distributed to SP members via e-mail.
• SP Energy and Water Utility and Managers Forum (January 13, 2011):  SP's Energy Work Group will be meeting directly following the 1^st Quarter Membership Meeting to discuss strategy and objectives for the Forum in 2011.
• SP 2^nd Quarter Meeting (April 2011) 
• SP 3^rd Quarter Meeting (September 2011) in Nashville, TN
   
• SP 4^th Quarter Meeting (November 2011)

Thanks to the following SP meeting sponsors for 2010.

Please contact Kellen Mahoney if your company is interested in being a meeting sponsor in 2011.

Chemical Issues Work Group: This Work Group led by Pat Beattie, Arcalis Scientific, provides a forum for discussing emerging chemical issues of potential impact to automotive manufacturers and the supply chain.  The Work Group is currently working on Phase 3 of its Materials Assessment Strategy (MAS) project, which is focused on environmental exposures from friction materials and wear debris.  

Energy Work Group: This Work Group led by Mark Werthman, Chrysler and Rahul Naik, ARCADIS, is creating a new Energy and Water Utility Managers Forum. The first meeting of the Forum was held on November 16, following the SP membership meeting and focused on refining objectives and activities for 2011. The next meeting of the Forum will be held on January 13, directly following SP's membership meeting.

Materials Efficiency Work Group: This Work Group led by John Bradburn, GM and Susanne Fredericks, Goodwill, continues to work to develop and deploy environmental technologies and programs in order to reduce environmental impacts, gain financial value, as well as promote environmental sustainability. This Work Group is working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment to create a Michigan ByProduct Synergy Initiative.  The Work Group will be making a presentation on a Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Stewardship Project at SP's 1^st Quarter Meeting.

Technology and Networking Work Group: This Work Group led by Russell Brynolf, FTS Technologies and Dave O'Ryan, Asset Recovery is providing a forum for small- and medium-sized SP member companies to determine the most strategic and effective way to communicate with OEMs and Tier I suppliers. This Work Group is working to organize a membership meeting in the Nashville area in September 2011 to introduce southern automotive suppliers and OEMs to SP.

New Online Tool Encourages Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at the Grassroots Level

Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth has unveiled a new tool for local community leaders to interact online with the state and their peers to share ideas and best practices on energy efficiency and sustainability.

Guidebook Helps Businesses Follow Environmental, Health and Safety Regulations

The 2010 "Guide to Environmental, Health, and Safety Regulations" is a joint publication of the Michigan Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, and Labor and Economic Growth. The $25 guidebook will steer manufacturers, businesses, suppliers, consultants, and regulators through state and federal environmental, health, and safety regulatory programs.

Chu says electric cars can be "competitive" with gas vehicles in five years

Speaking during the annual U.N. climate talks in Cancun, Reuters reports, Chu said that battery-powered cars will start being competitive with gas-powered ones in about five years.

WEF report calls for accelerated efforts on energy efficiency

A new World Economic Forum report developed in partnership with Accenture emphasizes the urgent need for energy efficiency to be at the forefront of the global agenda. The report, "Energy Efficiency: Accelerating the Agenda" was presented at the Green Solutions Event at COP16 in Cancun.

The next wave of green cars

The first mass-market electric vehicles are about to go on sale in selected cities, kicking off the beginning of a wave of new green vehicles hitting showrooms over the coming year.

Cancun agreements: A foundation from which to build greater international action on global warming

Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa gaveled home an agreement by over 190 countries that came together and demonstrated a renewed commitment to the fight against global warming.

New and Expanded Tax Credits Could Bring Clean Tech Incentives to Businesses

During the "lame duck" session of Congress or in 2011, Congress may consider energy policy legislation that could add $25 billion in new and extended energy tax credit incentives over the next 10 years. If enacted, these incentives could enhance returns on clean tech investments and make the US a more attractive location for clean tech production.
 

Gov. Granholm signs environmental, tax credit bills

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed bills aimed at streamlining the regulatory process for environmental cleanups and creating a new tax incentive to help small businesses in Michigan.Granholm announced Tuesday that she's signed the legislation into law.