Virginia Manufacturers Association

Virginia Manufacturers Association
Name	Virginia Manufacturers Association
Formation	1900s
Type	Trade association
Headquarters	Richmond, Virginia
Region served	Virginia
Leader title	President & CEO

Virginia Manufacturers Association

The Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) is a statewide trade association representing manufacturing firms across Virginia, including small family-owned facilities and large multinational plants. The organization engages with industrial firms in regions such as Hampton Roads, the Richmond metropolitan area, the Shenandoah Valley, and Southwest Virginia to support competitiveness, workforce development, and regulatory engagement. VMA maintains relationships with industry groups, educational institutions, and policy bodies to influence manufacturing policy and promote investment in production infrastructure.

History

The organization's origins trace to early 20th-century industrial networks in Richmond and Newport News that paralleled developments around Chesapeake Bay, Appalachian Mountains, and the rail hubs of Norfolk, Virginia and Roanoke, Virginia. Over decades VMA interacted with national bodies like the National Association of Manufacturers and regional associations such as the Southeast United States Manufacturers Coalition while responding to major events including the Great Depression, the industrial mobilization of World War II, the postwar expansion of the Interstate Highway System, and the deindustrialization waves of the late 20th century. In recent decades the association adapted to globalization marked by trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the rise of advanced manufacturing technologies associated with initiatives similar to the Manufacturing USA institutes. VMA’s archives reflect engagement with workforce shifts tied to programs at institutions like Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech.

Mission and Activities

VMA’s stated mission aligns with objectives pursued by other trade groups such as the American Institute of Steel Construction and the National Tooling and Machining Association: to promote manufacturing growth, protect competitiveness, and expand skilled labor pipelines. Activities encompass policy advocacy at the Virginia General Assembly and coordination with federal agencies including the Department of Labor (United States) and the Department of Commerce (United States). The association organizes conferences that echo formats used by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and convenes roundtables with leaders from companies similar to Newport News Shipbuilding, Altria, Dominion Energy, and multinational firms with facilities in Virginia. VMA also collaborates with workforce programs tied to the Pell Grant framework and state workforce boards.

Membership and Structure

Membership spans manufacturers of metal products, advanced materials, food processing, aerospace components, automotive suppliers, and chemical producers, with firms comparable to Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell International Inc., and regional processors. The association’s structure typically mirrors that of trade organizations like the National Association of Manufacturers: a board of directors, sector-specific councils, and regional chapters covering Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, the Eastern Shore, and Southwestern Virginia. Membership tiers range from corporate members and small-business affiliates to academic partners such as Christopher Newport University and technical partners like Patrick & Henry Community College. Committees address safety standards, environmental compliance, export controls under regimes like the Export Administration Regulations, and supply-chain resilience.

Advocacy and Policy Positions

VMA’s advocacy portfolio addresses taxation, infrastructure, workforce training, trade, and regulatory certainty. The association has taken positions parallel to those of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and state-level business lobbies concerning corporate tax reform, transportation funding for corridors such as the I-95 corridor, and incentives for capital investment similar to enterprise zones in states like North Carolina. It has weighed in on labor-related matters intersecting with agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and has advocated for vocational education models akin to the German dual education system adapted by several community colleges. VMA also advocates for policies to support defense-related suppliers engaging with programs run by Naval Station Norfolk and federal procurement reforms affecting contractors such as General Dynamics.

Programs and Services

VMA offers programs in workforce training, safety accreditation, and supplier development modeled after initiatives from organizations like the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council. Services include recruitment partnerships with workforce boards, apprenticeship frameworks similar to those endorsed by the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and grant support navigation for state economic development incentives administered by entities like Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The association runs technical seminars on topics including lean manufacturing, additive manufacturing exemplified by collaborations with Oak Ridge National Laboratory-like research entities, and cybersecurity for industrial control systems, reflecting concerns raised by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Leadership and Governance

VMA is governed by an elected board that includes chief executives and plant managers from member firms, following governance practices comparable to organizations such as the Conference Board and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation. Executive leadership coordinates with advisory councils comprising representatives from academic institutions like James Madison University and state agencies such as the Virginia Community College System. Annual meetings convene stakeholders in venues across the state, often inviting speakers from federal bodies including the Small Business Administration and private-sector leaders from corporations like Siemens and Caterpillar.

Category:Trade associations based in Virginia Category:Manufacturing in Virginia