The Butler County Manufacturing Consortium is celebrating its first birthday by holding its first major event - a health care cost seminar.

The consortium, which consists of about 20 active members, was organized with the help of Gina Rajchel, manufacture cluster coordinator for the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board.

"The consortium's mission is to bring local manufacturers together to identify common issues for manufacturers and give them the opportunity to discuss these problems, hopefully finding solutions," Rajchel said

Wednesday.

She said this type of networking could help manufacturers learn about what works and what doesn't without having to spend lots of money.

"They can talk about their problems and learn what has worked for other companies without having to go through the expense of something that doesn't," Rajchel said.

Scott Docherty, president of CID, a Buffalo Township manufacturer of residential and commercial use products, and a consortium member, said that it is important for manufacturers to band together.

"Manufacturing is a dying industry in the United States. The thing that we have found is that we all have the same problems," he said, adding that in the area of health care manufacturers face rising benefits costs and workers' compensation claims.

Bill Cully, retired owner of United Plate Glass in Connoquenessing Township, said that he believes the consortium should help manufacturers, as well as the owners of businesses in other industries, find answers to the problems all businesses face.

The consortium has identified some of the biggest problems facing business today, including:

Obtaining and keeping a skilled work force

Workers' compensation laws and reform

Tax credits

Unemployment compensation costs

Trade policies

Tort reform

Energy regulations

Environmental regulations.

The consortium also defined several goals for itself including:

Identify key short- and long-term actions to save manufacturing in Pennsylvania

Provide a voice for manufacturers in Harrisburg

Advance manufacturing concerns through larger organizations

Cooperate to use government programs to assist manufacturers

Partner with local schools to develop a skilled work force.

"We need to find out how to handle things like insurance and compensation and if we should be talking to local experts or government experts," Cully said.

He added that the informational seminars, like the one on March 30, are open to and should be beneficial to all business owners, not just manufacturers.

"We all have the same questions and together, hopefully, we can find the answers," Cully said.

The consortium's seminar being held March 30 at The Succop Theater at Butler County Community College will feature three panel speakers:

Cliff Shannon

with SMC Business Councils, which is a nonprofit organization run by its member companies and helps connect smaller businesses with people, programs and services.

Susan Degreorio

with Hewitt Associates, a global human resources outsourcing and consulting firm that helps to manage human resource and employee costs for other companies.

Kathy Lipsitz with Healthcheck, a customized health management association helping to control employee health costs through wellness programs.

IF YOU'RE GOING

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WHAT: " Cut Your Health Care Costs" seminar

WHEN: 9 a.m., March 30

WHERE: Succop Theater at Butler County Community College

COST: Free, but participants must register. To register or for more information, call Michelle at 724-282-9341 at the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board by Monday.