Southwest Florida Manufacturing
You didn't start a manufacturing company to fight these battles alone.
Rising costs. A shrinking labor pool. Tax code that doesn't work in your favor. Every manufacturer in Southwest Florida is fighting the same fights — most of them alone, from the same industrial park down the road from someone who's already solved it.
SRMA exists so you don't have to fight alone.
Think about the last time you needed something — a machinist, a supplier, an answer on a tax question, a lead on a grant, a person to call about hiring. Chances are you Googled it, called around, or just muscled through it yourself. Meanwhile, somewhere within twenty miles, another manufacturer already had the answer. You just had no way to reach them.
That's the actual cost of going it alone — not just the wasted hours, but the decisions made with less information than you should have had.
What Changes When You Join
Before SRMA
You find out about a tax exemption, a grant deadline, or a policy change months after it would have mattered — if you find out at all.
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After SRMA
You're in the room where it's decided — or at minimum, the first call when it changes.
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Before SRMA
You're recruiting into a labor market you don't fully understand, competing for talent you can't find.
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After SRMA
You're plugged into the schools, apprenticeship pipelines, and workforce boards already building your next hire.
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Before SRMA
Your one voice on a bad piece of tax legislation gets lost. Nobody in Tallahassee hears it.
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After SRMA
Your voice joins a regional coalition that's already changed the law once — commercial lease tax, cut from 5.5% to 2% in 2024.
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~$1M
Real refund one member recovered after SRMA flagged an unclaimed sales tax exemption
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1981
The year SRMA started fighting for manufacturers — this isn't a new idea, it's a proven one
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5
Counties covered — Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee — one connected network
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"SRMA is more than a membership. It's a collective effort to strengthen manufacturing across the region — and your participation makes that voice louder."
— Dr. Phil Wright-Grant, Executive Director, SRMA
The Four Pillars
What Membership Actually Gets You
Advocacy
Representing manufacturers on the legislative issues that hit your bottom line directly.
✓ Sales tax elimination on equipment
✓ Working to repeal the Tangible Personal Property Tax
✓ Pushing for a Buy Florida Act
✓ Commercial lease sales tax reduced 5.5% → 2% in 2024
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Workforce Initiatives
Upskilling your current staff while building the pipeline of who comes next.
✓ Leadership training, Lean Six Sigma certifications
✓ K-12 and local college partnerships
✓ Apprenticeship programs & Employer of Choice Awards
✓ MakeMore Summit & FLATE Manufacturing Pipeline
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Networking
Real peer relationships with people solving the same problems you are.
✓ Process best-practice discussions
✓ Expert-driven educational events
✓ Plant tours of fellow SWFL manufacturers
✓ Social events built for genuine connection
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Assessments & Resources
Practical, often free, help — not just another newsletter.
✓ Free business assessments for members
✓ Discounted consulting rates
✓ Connex Florida discovery & connections
✓ CMMC / DFARS cybersecurity certification support
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You already know the answer.
The only question is whether you keep solving these problems by yourself, or plug into a network of manufacturers, educators, and advocates already solving them together.
Join Southwest Florida's Manufacturing Network
Pick the track that fits your organization, and SRMA staff will walk you through the rest.
SRMA · Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association of Florida