News
FMA President's Letter - January 2012
It Was a Very Good Year Positive Momentum in 2011 Positions FMA for 2012
As my first President’s message, I would like to start by wishing all of you a happy and prosperous New Year! Thank you to our immediate past President, Larry Schwartz of Baron Messenger Service, for his service over the past several years. Larry’s dedication and efforts have propelled us to a level which none of us could have imagined. It is my earnest desire to build upon the work he has done. I am honored to now serve as the leader of the Florida Messenger Association. We have completed another very successful year, and we look forward to a continued bright future. Here is a brief overview of what we accomplished under Larry’s leadership…
We Started the Year Off Strong With Our Best Annual Meeting to Date
The two‐day event was held in Orlando, Florida, and attended by over 100 people, representing more han 70 member companies, and more than 30 vendors and guests. The agenda began on Thursday aternoon with a tour of Air Traffic Services, Inc. (ATS). Lance Dearborn, President of ATS, conducted an in‐depth tour of his impressive new 60,000 square foot facility. The attendees regrouped for the vening festivities which included a reception and dinner. State of Florida Senator D. Alan Hayes (R‐20) rovided an outlook on the business climate in Florida, as well as cost‐cutting initiatives at the state evel. He also provided insight to the audience regarding the importance of getting to know their egislators at both the state and national levels. Our generous sponsors provided so many door prizes, nearly everyone won something to take home.
We Had a Very Successful Federal Lobby Day In March
Twelve members of the FMA (up from four in 2010) returned to Washington, D.C. for the annual Government Affairs Day conducted by the Messenger Courier Association of the Americas (MCAA). After meeting with lawmakers and their representatives from eight offices in 2010, the Florida delegation set their sights on securing appointments with every Florida member’s office. Mission accomplished. During the daylong visit, members of the FMA met personally with Representatives Ander Crenshaw (R ‐4), Kathy Castor (D‐11), Richard Nugent (R‐5), Frederica Wilson (D‐17), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D‐20), Alcee Hastings (D‐23), and Senator Bill Nelson. Additional meetings were held with staff of each of the remaining representatives and senator. All 27 offices for Florida were visited.
A Successful State Lobby Day Occurred in April
Knowing firsthand how important it is to keep close contact with members of Congress in Washington, we reaffirmed our commitment to keeping state delegates aware of the FMA, as well. During the two day visit in Tallahassee, members of the FMA met personally with nearly a dozen state representatives and senators, as well as conducted visits with the staff of many other offices. These visits paid dividends when legislation was introduced which impacted our industry. We were able to proactively address this legislation. We made sure our legislators understood the impact for our businesses.
Looking Ahead to Another Great Year
Our winter meeting will be held on January 26 th and 27th in Orlando. We would be honored if you would join us. Our association is vital to the health of our industry. By joining together, we protect our collective interests. When I attended my first meeting, it felt a little strange to be talking to my competition, however, I quickly realized that I had so much in common with other courier company owners. These are the rare, few individuals with daily experiences similar to mine. This is an extraordinary opportunity for you tomeet and visit with so many other courier company owners in one place at one time.
The FMA meeting provides more than just networking opportunities. You will find potential customers in other members. When other courier companies need help in your part of the state, they are much more likely to call someone they know, like you, rather than just searching for any agent they can find. You will also have the opportunity to meet with dozens of vendors who can provide you with technology, services, and products which provide value. These are the best‐in‐breed vendors for our ndustry. The agenda has a couple of sessions where government officials will offer their insight on ndustry, and small business in general. We also have Rick McClelland speaking. Mr. McClelland is the ormer CEO of Dynamex, one of the largest companies in our industry. He was able to grow his cmpany to a North American powerhouse with more than $400 million in annual revenues. I am looking forward to the ideas he will give me on how to run and grow my business. Lastly, the meeting will have educational value for everyone, and each company represented will benefit from the information shared. We only conduct a meeting like this one time a year, and it would be great if you could join us.
We are a very inclusive group of people and we are focused on the health of our industry. Our association has gained significant momentum over the past two years, and we would like for all courier companies in Florida to join us. If you would like more information regarding the meeting, please see our website at www.floridamessenger.org or, you can contact me at president@floridamessenger.org, and I will send more information to you. I look forward to our association accomplishing great things in 2012.
Sincerely,
Harold N. Boyett
President, Florida Messenger Association
2012 FMA Winter Meeting will be held in Orlando, FL on January 26th& 27th
Mark Your Calendars! Join Us in Orlando at the Doubletree Hotel Universal
Mark your Calendars! The date is set! The 2012 FMA Winter Meeting will be held in Orlando, FL on January 26th& 27that the Doubletree Hotel Universal!
This will be a meeting not to miss. It is not too late to register...
Last year, we had 106 attendees at our meeting. This year the FMA should easily pass that number. In addition to all the Florida companies that will be attending, we plan to invite companies throughout the US and Canada. Last year, we were glad to see so many courier companies visit from up North so it will be a fantastic networking opportunity for all.
For information on attending as a Courier Company or Vendor send your inquiry to info@floridamessenger.org
AGENDA
Thursday, January 26, 2012
12:00 PM to 5:00 PM – Vendor Set-Up
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Welcome Reception (Orange Room Foyer) - Sponsored by Contractor Management Services
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM – Dinner & Drinks (Orange Room) – Sponsored by Subcontracting Concepts, Inc.
6:30 PM to 7:15 PM – Special Guest Presenter – Sponsored by Subcontracting Concepts, Inc.
7:15 PM to 8:15 PM – Special Guest Presenters – Sponsored by Datex
8:15 PM to 10:00 PM – Casino Night – Sponsored by Datex
10:00 PM to 10:15 PM – Door Prize Auction
Friday, January 27, 2012
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM – Breakfast/Vendor Fair (Orange Room) – Sponsored by Verizon Wireless & Raco Industries
8:00 AM to 8:30 AM – Board Introduction/Words from the President
8:30 AM to 9:30 AM – Senator D. Alan Hays – “Florida Economics”
9:30 AM to 10:00 AM – Spotlight Courier “Comet Delivery Service”
10:00 AM to 10:30 AM – Morning Break/Vendor Fair
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM – Courier & Vendor Round Table Discussions – Part #1
- Courier Focus – “Business on a Dime”
- Vendor Focus – “Growth Potential”
11:30 AM to 12:00 AM – Spotlight Vendor “Hempstead Consulting”
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM – Lunch/Vendor Fair – Sponsored by Brightstone, Complete Innovations, & Courier Board
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM – Keynote Speaker Rick McClelland – “How Dynamic is Your Business?” – Sponsored by Blue Streak Couriers
2:30 PM to 3:30 PM – Courier & Vendor Round Table Discussions – Part #2
- Courier Focus – “The Operational Metrics”
- Vendor Focus – “Meetings & Organizations”
3:30 PM to 3:45 PM – Afternoon Break
3:45 PM to 4:45 PM – Panel Discussion – “Surviving in a Down Economy”
4:45 PM to 5:00 PM – 50/50 & Door Prizes (Must be present to win!)
5:00 PM to 5:15 PM – Final words from FMA President Harold Boyett!
FMA Announces Annual Meeting Key Note Speaker: Rick McClelland
Former Chairmain and CEO of Dynamex - Key Note Speaker at Annual Meeting
Rick McClelland has presented at the MCAA, New York State Association, and California Delivery Association meetings and the information and message he has to share is definitely worth the investment alone of attending.
Rick McClelland is an industry veteran having spent 40 years in the transportation and logistics business. Rick is the former Chairman and CEO of Dynamex Inc., the leading provider of same-day transportation services in North America. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dynamex from 1986 until 2008 and served as Chairman and a Director until 2011.
As CEO, Rick oversaw the completion of over 60 acquisitions and directed a network of operating locations throughout Canada and the United States that served approximately 20,000 clients and generated annualized sales in excess of $450 million.
He led a group of direct reports responsible for all aspects of the business including sales, operations, finance, accounting, HR, labor relations and the company's acquisition program. In total, the team at Dynamex consisted of over 6,200 drivers and inside staff. Rick is currently an advisor and consultant in the delivery industry.
Same-Day Delivery Industry Lobby Day in Washington Set for 2012
MCAA Holds Fifth Annual Lobby Day on February 28th, 2012
MCAA holds a Government Affairs Lobby Day each spring which allows courier companies to voice their concerns directly with the decision makers. This event is a great opportunity to meet with federal elected officials to educate them on the importance of the courier industry and the vital role it plays in the American economy.
This year's Government Affairs Lobby Day will be held on Tuesday, February 28th, at the Washington Marriott in Washington, DC. An evening reception will be held on the evening of February 27th.
More information on registration for the meeting and hotel reservations coming soon!
MCAA Government Affairs Lobby Days include a morning education session featuring key Congressional and Washington insiders. Attendees hear how the current political landscape will affect the industry and the likelihood of legislation moving through Congress.
MCAA has been able to arrange a very impressive array of speakers and educational content for the previous Government Affairs Lobby Days. Past congressional speakers have included Congressman John Tanner (D-TN), Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI), Congressman Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Congressman Jim Barrow (D-GA), Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA), Congressman Tom Price (R-GA), Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL), and many congressional policy staffers. Other speakers have included former IRS trial lawyers, NFIB tax policy experts, and several representatives from Washington lobbying firms.
The Government Affairs Lobby Day always contains time in the afternoon for attendees to meet with their federal elected representatives. In advance of the event, MCAA schedules all Capitol Hill meetings and provides each congressional office with some background information on the Association. MCAA has typically scheduled well over 100 meetings each year. This is the highlight of the event for many members and countless valuable contacts have been made through this process.
To register, contact John Ferraro, MCAA Government Affairs Director, at 202-207-1121 or jferraro@kellencompany.com.
About MCAA
The Messenger Courier Association of America (MCAA) is the voice of the expedited delivery industry. Its members keep the wheels of commerce rolling in North America. MCAA is the largest trade association in the expedited delivery industry providing time-critical deliveries to both expediters and shippers. Since 1987, the MCAA has promoted and advanced the professionalism of the same-day delivery industry through education and advocacy. For more information see www.mcaa.com.
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Florida Messenger Association Builds Strong Momentum at Winter Meeting
Annual Meeting In Orlando Huge Success
Orlando, Florida – The Florida Messenger Association held their annual meeting in Orlando, Florida on January 27thand 28th. The two-day event was attended by over 100 people representing more than 70 member companies and more than 30 vendors and guests. The agenda began on Thursday afternoon with a tour of Air Traffic Services, Inc. (ATS). Lance Dearborn, President of ATS and Kelly Caldwell, Senior Operations Manager conducted an in-depth tour of their impressive new 60,000 square foot facility. The attendees regrouped for the evening festivities for a reception and dinner. Datex, Inc. and Brightstone Insurance Services, LLC sponsored the reception.
The Friday agenda began with opening comments by FMA President, Larry Schwartz of Baron Messenger Service, Inc. He was followed by Keynote Speaker, Sate of Florida Senator D. Alan Hayes (R-20) . His comments included an outlook on the business climate in Florida, as well as cost-cutting initiatives at the state level. He provided insight to the audience regarding the importance of getting to know their legislators at both the state and national levels.
The morning continued with committee reports. Steve Howard, FMA Treasurer and President of Esquire Express, Inc. gave the Treasurer’s Report. Larry Schwartz provided a brief report on website activities, including glowing reviews of the performance of hits and click through rates for those who are advertising on the FMA website. Steven Seltzer, GLAC chair and President of Comet Delivery Services gave the report for the Government and Legal Affairs Committee. He reported on the identical bills recently submitted in the Florida State House of Representatives and Florida Senate regarding the description of an independent contractor for business tax purposes. Steven also discussed plans for the Florida delegation to “storm the hill” on March 2ndand 3rdfor the MCAA Lobby Day, as well as the upcoming Florida Lobby Day in Tallahassee.
Chris Kane, chair of the Vendor Relations Committee and President of Courierboard.com commented on the tremendous support given by the large list of vendors who contribute to the FMA. Tim Petty, chair of the Membership Committee and President of Pettyco Express, talked about the tremendous effort and superlative results achieved in reaching dozens of new and hundreds of potential members.
Special recognition went to Kim Ganoe of Datex and Chris Kane of Courierboard for their contribution. Harold Boyett, FMA Vice President, and President of Blue Streak Couriers is the also the chair of the Public Relations Committee. He asked all members to become a fan of the FMA Face Book page and shared the vision for promoting the importance of customers doing business with FMA members. Harold was followed by the spotlight presentation conducted by Lance Dearborn of Air Traffic Services, Inc. Lance captivated the audience with the incredible story of how the company began as a local hot shot, on-demand service provider that grew into a regional powerhouse.
The second featured speaker of the morning was Forest Kragten, Vice President at Network Global Logistics. Mr. Kratgen spoke about the importance of business valuation and the various concepts involved in knowing how to properly asses a business’ worth. Kim Ganoe from Datex followed with a brief description on how her company can help members of the Florida Messenger Association. Lunch was sponsored by Complete Innovations, a leading global provider of mission critical operational solutions for mobile workforce and transportation-related companies. Stephen Nesbit, Senior Account Executive for Complete Innovations, spoke to the group after lunch and he received a standing ovation at the end of his comments.
Daniel Kirk, Chief Executive Officer of Big Dog Logistics, then highlighted best practices for a courier company to position itself as a provider of choice for third party logistics companies (like Big Dog.) His story was full of examples of how successful partnerships have been forged with companies throughout the country. He shared the history of his company including how it received its name.
John Benko, of MANKO Delivery Systems, Inc. spent a few minutes updating the group on the activities of the MCAA. In particular, he urged everyone to be involved with National Lobby Day on March 2ndand 3rd. Brian Jungeburg and Howard Schlactus introduced the new Brightstone Insurance Services, LLC. They talked about the new, larger, stronger organization and the ability to serve the FMA members better than ever before.
The last presentations of the day included “Dr. FMA,” the resident expert on health. He showed the members of the audience how to perform a “health check” on their company. Thomas Jowers, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Advantage Delivery and Logistics followed with a presentation on the four “P’s” of marketing.
The sponsors should be commended for their generous donations of door prizes. The list of prizes included a forty-seven inch flat screen television, a Wii game console, two laptops, ipods, American Express gift cards, a Kindle, 3 Blackberry devices, a high speed air card and a certificate to be used toward medical courier training.
Thank you to all of our sponsors: AT&T, Avalon Risk, Brightstone, Complete Innovations, Courierboard.com, CXT, Datatrac, Datex, Integrity Medical Courier Training, SCI. Nearly half of the attendees left with some type of door prize.
The meeting committee did an excellent job. Tim Petty, President of Pettyco Express, Kim Ganoe, of Datex, Inc., and Chris Kane of Courierboard.com, performed an organized and powerful phone campaign to reach dozens of companies who would otherwise not have known about the meeting.
The Association would like to express a very special thanks to Thomas Jowers, of Advantage Delivery and Logistics, as he worked tirelessly to put together and amazing meeting.
If you missed this meeting, you really missed it.
Esquire Express Purchased 6 Scanning Units from Datex
Newsflash!!!
I recently purchased 6 scanning Units from Datex. They are much better than my old vendor, so spread the word. They are local (Tampa based), their prices are much better than most, and they sponsor and support the FMA. What else can you ask for?
Steve Howard, President
Esquire Express, Inc (305)530-9580
Florida Messenger Association Launches Website
created by Bumblebee Design & Marketing LLC
Florida Messenger Association Launches Website
MIAMI, FL– Larry Schwartz, President of Baron Messenger Service and President of the Florida Messenger Association is proud to announce the launch of the association’s website, www.floridamessenger.org.
The website, created by Bumblebee Design & Marketing LLC, not only allows members and visitors to stay abreast of important industry news, but includes a search engine that will quickly highlight member companies via an alphabetical list, by cities served or by airports served.
The mission of the Florida Messenger Association is to improve and advance the common business interests of messengers, couriers, and transportation services, and their companies in the State of Florida for the benefit of the public need for such services.
In doing so, the goals of the organization are four-fold:
- To promote the provisions of effective, quality messenger, courier and transportation services.
- The development of a business league and trade association of messenger, courier and transportation companies.
- To advance and improve business conditions in the messenger, courier and transportation industry.
- To serve as a liaison between the members and relevant government agencies.
For more information, please contact:
Larry Schwartz, FMA President
Baron Delivers - Miami, FL
800-227-6648
Harold Boyett, FMA Vice President
Blue Streak Couriers - Jacksonville, FL
hboyett@bluestreakcouriers.com
866-258-7875
Florida Messenger Association Convenes in Tallahassee for Lobby Day
The Florida Messenger Association (FMA) held their first annual Lobby Day on Thursday, April 15, 2010. The event began on Wednesday night with a dinner meeting where Tim Giuliani, the Director of Corporate Outreach and Development for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, addressed the group. He shared insight regarding current pending issues in Tallahassee, as well as protocol for meeting with legislators and their staff. Harold Boyett, of Blue Streak Couriers, presented talking points followed by a Question and Answer session for the participants. John Benko, of Manko Delivery Systems, Inc. and Boyett conducted a role play to demonstrate a typical conversation with the office of a legislator.The group was honored with a visit from Sandra Adams, State Representative from District 33, covering parts of Orange, Seminole, Volusia and Brevard Counties. She complimented the group for taking the initiative to conduct a Lobby Day. Representative Adams said, "It is great to see how well informed and proactive your group is with regard to the impact of legislation on your businesses." She then commented, "The government does not create wealth, businesses do. Your group should be commended for your efforts."
Representative Adams is a pro-business legislator who reads every bill before she votes on it and is committed to the success of businesses in her district. She asked the group to keep her informed of any pending legislation which could potentially impact the same-day delivery industry. She ended the visit by thanking everyone for the opportunity to address the group.
Knowing the state of Florida has numerous statutes in place providing clear direction for the same-day delivery industry, the primary objective for Lobby Day was to reinforce those guidelines and to create awareness of the impact of the industry on Florida's economy. FMA's group of sixteen attendees divided into five smaller groups which met with legislators from their area of the state.
The north Florida group consisted of Christie Morgan of Blue Streak Couriers in Tallahassee, John Ellison of Stealth Courier in Tallahassee, Tim Petty of Pettyco Express in Jacksonville, and Harold Boyett of Blue Streak Couriers in Jacksonville.
The Tampa group consisted of John Benko of Manko Delivery Service, Inc., John Amato of N-E-Where Transport Inc., and Robert Barnard of Bush Truck Leasing.
The first south Florida group consisted of Larry Schwartz of Baron Messenger Service in Miami, Steve Seltzer of Comet Delivery Services in Miami, and Rose Thomashow of Express Messenger Service in Boca Raton.
The second south Florida group consisted of Paul Bravo of South Florida Express Bankserv, Toni Pompa of TriCounty Courier Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Andre Stewart of TriCounty Courier Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, and Steve Howard of Esquire Express in Miami.
The Orlando group consisted of Brian McKenzie of Alpha Logistics Service and Lance Dearborn of Air Traffic Services.
A total of 44 appointments were made in advance of Lobby Day. While some of the visits were conducted with the Member's senior staff, most were conducted directly with the Senator or Representative. By all accounts, the FMA delegation was met with open arms. A common theme was a curiosity to learn more about our industry. Marti Coley, the Representative from District 7, covering several counties in the Florida panhandle said, "I thought you were the people delivering envelopes downtown on bicycles." Nearly all meetings had an element of education regarding the same-day delivery industry. The legislators and their staffs were inquisitive about the different types of services provided by messenger and courier companies, and were very impressed with the effort put forth by the members. Several legislators offered advice on which elected officials could help us most, based on the committees which potentially impact the industry.
The capstone appointment was the 45th visit conducted with Kathy Mears, the Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Governor Charlie Christ. John Benko, Larry Schwartz, Lance Dearborn, and Brian McKenzie were led by Harold Boyett in their visit with the Governor's office. Ms. Mears was appreciative of the visit from the group and complimented their efforts. She inquired to learn more about the FMA perspective of the same-day delivery industry, as she was already very informed on the topic. Ms. Mears said, "The Governor is an advocate for the business community, and your group should be applauded for showing the initiative to come to Tallahassee to meet with your elected officials."
Every appointment concluded with an invitation for the elected official to speak at a future FMA meeting and to take a tour of a facility of an FMA member. A point-of-contact for maintaining the schedule of the elected official was obtained for the purpose of scheduling future visits and speaking engagements. Representative Martin Kiar, district 97, representing parts of Broward County, is very interested in speaking at the next FMA meeting in south Florida in the fall.
Since several of the state legislators are running for U.S. Congress positions, a potential by-product of Lobby Day is that relationships developed could extend to a national level. In fact, one group of FMA members met with the office of Ted Deutch, former State Senator from District 30, covering parts of Broward and Palm Beach County. Deutch was recently elected to fill the position for U.S. Congressional District 20 seat which was recently vacated by Congressman Robert Wexler.
After all meetings were completed, a debriefing was conducted and suffice to say, the experience was enjoyed by all attendees. Following are several quotes from FMA members:
Lance Dearborn: "The FMA Lobby Day was a great opportunity to meet our local representatives. These are the Senators and Representatives who live in our neighborhoods, shop at the same stores, and know the same people. The opportunity to meet with them and discuss important issues in our industry was a great experience for me."
Brian McKenzie: "I was impressed by the cooperation and willingness of most of the people we met with to give us their time to listen to what we had to say."
Steve Howard: "I have never participated in a Lobby Day before so I did not know what to expect. I was surprised at how accessible our lawmakers are. It was very encouraging to see that they were very receptive about our association coming to Tallahassee to inform them about our industry at the very least, we now have contacts in Tallahassee with whom we can have an open dialogue."
The FMA Membership recognizes Larry Schwartz, President of the FMA, and John Ferraro, Director of Government Affairs for the MCAA for organizing the incredibly successful event. It could not have been made possible without their efforts.
Florida Messenger Association 0 to 60
Florida Messenger Association 0 – 60 … and More
ORLANDO, FL – Zero to sixty is traditionally the benchmark for performance cars. The same now can be said for the performance of the Florida Messenger Association.The FMA – originally established in 1989 – used to consist of a dozen members meeting for dinner at south Florida restaurants. While the group accomplished several agenda items throughout the nineties, activity waned during the past decade.Fast forward from 1989 to the present and some of those original members – whose companies are now bigger and stronger, with much more at stake – decided it was time to regroup. Spearheaded by Larry Schwartz, President of Baron Messenger Service of Miami, a meeting was called last June to discuss the reorganization of the FMA. It was attended by 25 individuals, mostly owners or principals from courier and transportation companies across the state.
In this era of economic and legislative uncertainty, many in the group felt that a well-informed and focused group would be critical to their business interests.The tentative idea of a few to jump start the group was met with resounding agreement by all, and the reinvigorated FMA convened in Orlando in September 2009. During that meeting, more than 60 attendees met to discuss exactly how to best capture the excitement of the “new” group and continue the momentum.While in Orlando, the following board members were elected by the general membership: President – Larry Schwartz, Baron Messenger Service of Miami; Vice President – Harold Boyett, Blue Streak Couriers of Jacksonville; Treasurer – Steve Howard, Esquire Express of Miami; Secretary – Rose Thomashow, Express Messenger Service of Boca Raton; and Members At Large Tim Petty, Pettyco Express in Jacksonville; Daryl Cook, Sonic Systems Inc in Tampa and John Amato, N-E Where Transport in Tampa.The winter meeting, concluded in Tampa in January, saw nearly 100 attendees from 70 member companies and related vendors. “I am very impressed with the level of professionalism and expertise offered by members of the FMA and am confident this group will continue to grow and accomplish great things,” said Schwartz.“The big picture for everyone involved is to ensure the viability of our industry by leveraging technology, sharing best practices and continually seeking more efficient methods of operation,” added Harold Boyett.“We could not have been more impressed with the meeting and the display of enlightened self-interest by FMA members. I hope FMA’s experience over the past six months can be effectively communicated to other industry associations on the state and even national level to boost participation and encourage volunteers,” said Peter Schlactus of KBS International.
The ensuing groundswell of participation and eagerness to continue the mission, especially from the political perspective, was evidenced by two recent trips.First, several FMA members visited Capitol Hill for meetings with the Florida Congressional and Senatorial delegation. The efforts were coordinated in conjunction with the Government Affairs Day conducted by the Messenger Courier Association of the Americas (MCAA).The purpose of the trip was to discuss pending legislation that could have a direct impact on the same-day transportation industry, which contributes billions of dollars to the national economy.“This was a tremendous opportunity for the group and it was definitely worth the investment of time and energy. I am confident that the discussion about our industry was well received,” said Schwartz.
In addition to Schwartz, other attendees from the FMA included Harold Boyett, John Benko, and Lance Dearborn.During the daylong visit, members of the FMA met personally with Rep. Gus Bilirakis and the legislative staff of fellow Florida Reps Ander Crenshaw, Alan Grayson, Kathy Castor, Vern Buchanan and Kendrick Meeks. Meetings were also held with representatives of Senators Bill Nelson and George Lemeiux.“It was amazing to spend the day visiting with members of the legislative branch of our government. Everyone in Washington welcomed our group and truly wanted to hear about our industry,” said Harold Boyett, Vice President of the FMA. “This was my first time attending this annual event and I am incredibly enthusiastic about how the day progressed. I strongly encourage everyone in the FMA to make the trip in the future.”
The second trip saw some of the same members – along with others – participate in the state of Florida’s Lobby Day, Thursday April 15, 2010. “After being with members of the FMA in Tallahassee and Washington, it is very clear to me that we’ve really started something big,” said Schwartz. Plans are being made now to conduct the next FMA meeting in conjunction with the MCAA’s Executive Leadership Series in Hollywood, FL in the fall of 2010.“I wouldn’t say we’re at top speed quite yet, but we’re certainly not content in setting the cruise control either,” quipped John Benko of Manko Delivery Systems of Tampa.The mission of the Florida Messenger Association is to improve and advance the common business interests of messengers, couriers, and transportation services, and their companies in the State of Florida for the benefit of the public need for such services. Please visit our website, http://www.floridamessenger.org/
For more information, please contact:
Larry Schwartz, FMA President Baron Delivers - Miami, FL
larry@barondelivers.com 800-227-6648
Harold Boyett, FMA Vice President Blue Streak Couriers - Jacksonville, FL
hboyett@bluestreakcouriers.com 866-258-7875
Florida Messenger Association Delivers Perspective to Washington
Members of the Florida Messenger Association (FMA) recently returned from Capitol Hill after meeting with the Florida Congressional and Senatorial delegation. FMA's efforts were coordinated in conjunction with theGovernment Affairs Day conducted by the Messenger Courier Association of the Americas (MCAA).
The purpose of the trip was to discuss pending legislation that could have a direct impact on the same-day segment of the transportation industry, which contributes tens of billions of dollars toward the nation's economy annually.
"This was a tremendous opportunity for the group and it was definitely worth the investment of time and energy. I am confident that the discussion about our industry was well received," said FMA President Larry Schwartz,
President of Baron Messenger in Miami.
In addition to Schwartz, other attendees from the FMA included Harold Boyett, Vice President of FMA and President of Blue Streak Couriers of Jacksonville; John Benko, President of MANKO Delivery Systems, Inc. of
Tampa; and Lance Dearborn, President of Air Traffic Services of Orlando.
During the daylong visit, members of the FMA met personally with Rep. Gus Bilirakis and the legislative staff of fellow Florida Representatives Ander Crenshaw, Alan Grayson, Kathy Castor, Vern Buchanan and Kendrick
Meeks. Meetings were also held with staff of Senators Bill Nelson and George Lemeiux.
"It was amazing to spend the day visiting with members of the legislative branch of our government. Everyone in Washington welcomed our group and truly wanted to hear about our industry," said Harold Boyett, Vice President of the FMA." This was my first time attending this annual event and I am incredibly enthusiastic about how the day progressed. I strongly encourage everyone in the FMA to make the trip in the future."
The mission of the FMA is to improve and advance the common business interests of couriers, messengers and transportation providers throughout the State of Florida for the benefit of the public need for such services.
