Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1302781
14 / November 2020 powderbulk.com The program recognizes overall excellence in feed manufacturing operations, from companies' com- mitment to safety, quality, and regulatory compliance to employee development to overall operating efficiencies. The industry award has recognized 34 facilities during its existence. AFIA, Arlington, VA, is an orga- nization devoted to representing the business, legislative, and regula- tory interests of the US animal food industry and its suppliers. Owned by Informa Markets, Feedstuffs is a source of news, information, and analysis on the important issues affecting the business of producing food and fuel for world markets. PEMA partners with K-State Bulk Solids Innovation Center The Process Equipment Manu- facturers' Association (PEMA) and Kansas State University's (K-State's) Bulk Solids Innovation Center (BSIC) in Salina, KS, have announced a partnership. The agreement will allow PEMA mem- bers access to the BSIC's education, consulting, and testing services and the BSIC to have access to a first- line resource via PEMA members. The BSIC opened 5 years ago and is the only university facility and staff in North America dedicated to providing industrial companies with education, consulting, test- ing services, and research related to bulk solids. The center includes a 12,000-square-foot facility with laboratories, testing equipment, and room for client research projects. PEMA, Falls Church, VA, is an organization of companies that sup- ply equipment and systems that are used by the food, chemical, pharma- ceutical, wastewater treatment, and various other process industries. and other members of its workforce. The company's Ashland location employs about 300 people. The company designs and manufac- tures commercial fire suppression systems for special hazard applica- tions, and the company's solutions are used by industrial clients in manufacturing, power generation, data centers, commercial cooking, and others. The grant is part of a larger $10 million state grant awarded to 133 companies across the com- monwealth for various workforce trainings aimed at about 6,500 workers. ASSOCIATION NEWS AFIA suspends 2020 Feed Facility of the Year program The American Feed Industry Asso- ciation (AFIA) in partnership with Feedstuffs announced in August that the 2020 Feed Facility of the Year program will be temporarily suspended. The two organizations cited issues with continuing the program because of the coronavirus pandemic. The temporary suspen- sion will allow for changes to be made in the program to enable it to continue being a benchmark- ing program for the feed industry and participants. According to AFIA's Gary Huddleston, director of feed manufacturing and regu- latory affairs, "The AFIA already had plans to make necessary mod- ifications to the program so that benchmarking data would be more meaningful and attract more par- ticipation in the program across the industry, so we will suspend the program this year while work- ing with our members to hear their feedback and return with an even stronger and more effective pro- gram in 2021." Kidde Fire Systems awarded training grant to bridge knowledge gaps in its workforce Kidde Fire Systems received a workforce training grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to help train workers at the compa- ny's Ashland, MA, manufacturing facility. Kidde Fire Systems is part of Carrier Global Corp., which is a provider of HVAC, refrigeration, fire, security, and building automa- tion technologies. The $67,200 grant will allow Kidde Fire Systems to train employees, primarily engineers, technicians, and machinists, on new and revised industry stan- dards. The training will help the company bridge the gap in knowl- edge between upcoming retirees