CAWA Connections (10/16/13)

Michael Antonelli of Vantage Marketing Global Inc., Has Been Elected as the 2014 Secretary to the CAWA Board of Directors
At their September Leadership Meetings, the Board of Directors elected Michael Antonelli as their 2014 Secretary to the Board. Mike has served on the Association's Manufacturers Advisory Council (MAC) and Board of Directors for the past 3 years, chairing the MAC since 2012. Antonelli has worked in the automotive industry for more than 35 years, beginning his career with GM, Ford and, in 1999, as founder of Vantage Marketing Global Inc. The company is a resource management and global sourcing firm serving the automotive supply chain at the national and international levels. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and lives in upstate New York. He will take office on January 1, 2014.

Still Time to Register for CAWA's Annual Dinner Meeting

The event will raise money for CAWA's scholarship program and will present Dan Askey, President of NAPA, as the keynote speaker. See you in Las Vegas on November 3rd beginning at 6:00 pm at the Paris Hotel Las Vegas. Click here for registration information and contact our President & CEO, Rodney Pierini, at 800.332.2292, ext. 1 or [email protected] for additional information.

Top 10 Ways to Get the Most Out of This Year's AAPEX/SEMA Shows
For those of you going to AAPEX/SEMA this year, here are some planning tips you might want to consider. See the enclosed article (here) presented by the Marx Group.

The Federal Government Has Designated Sections of Several California Communities as Renewal Communities, Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities
The cities of Fresno, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, San Diego, San Francisco, Orange Cove, Parlier, and the counties of Imperial and Riverside have designated RCs, EZs or ECs. Benefits to businesses locating or expanding in these areas include: (1) Employer wage credits of 20 percent for the first $15,000 in wages paid to an individual who resides in the EZ up to $3,000; (2) Section 179 deduction allowing businesses to deduct all or part of the cost of eligible property (machinery, furniture, equipment, computers) up to an additional $20,000; (3) Availability of low interest rate tax-exempt private activity bonds to finance industrial projects typically between $1-3 million (some zones have substantially larger limits), often with fewer restrictions than those normally associated with tax-exempt bond financing; (4) Possible city business tax exemption; (5) Postponement of capital gains on the sale of EZ/EC assets. For more information go to: //www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/economicdevelopment/programs/rc/index.cfm

Employers Take Notice: Poster Update in 2014

Your business could incur significant fines for not posting the most current state and federal posters. For example, in California, the minimum wage increase and pending notice changes mean you'll need a new employment notices poster in 2014. Remember, as a CAWA member, you have FREE access to HR 360, a human resources library. Call toll free, Nicole Wagner of Armstrong & Associates (our insurance partner) with questions at 866.340.2247.

California Eases Burden of Frivolous Prop. 65 Lawsuits for Businesses - Supported by CAWA

California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law provisions to alter requirements for filing Proposition 65 lawsuits for the public and minimizing the penalties businesses could face for a first-time violation. California's Prop 65, aka the "Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986," created a list of roughly 800 chemicals that businesses of 10 employees or more must "provide a 'clear and reasonable' warning before knowingly and intentionally exposing anyone to a listed chemical." The warning can be a label on a product, a notice in a workplace or other reasonable notifications. The amended law now contains the following restrictions:

The party alleging the violation must provide proof the violation exists in order to have their claim certified as having merit.
If the business receiving the claim is experiencing their first claim of that certain type of
violation or if it is the first alleged violation at that facility, they can end the suit by providing
proof of coming into compliance. The business has 14 days from receipt of the complaint.
The maximum penalty to be paid if compliance is met within 14 days is $500. This must be
paid within 30 days of providing the proof of compliance.
Seventy-five percent (75%) of the $500 must go to the California Safe drinking Water and
Toxic Enforcement Fund.
If compliance is met, no other civil settlements can be sought by the alleging party.

For more information, contact our Director of Government Affairs, Jennifer Zins, at 916.871.0603 or [email protected]

CAWA Connections (10/16/13)

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