Manufacturing

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July 5, 2010 Commerce Secretary Gary Locker Names New Members of Manufacturing Council
WASHINGTON – U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced his appointment of 24 members to the 2010 Manufacturing Council. The Council, which is directed by the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, was established on April 7, 2004 and re-chartered on July 14, 2010. Locke was joined by members of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, including Sens. Debbie Stabenow (MI), Sherrod Brown (OH), Jeff Merkley (OR) and Tom Udall (NM).

The Council’s new charter increased membership from 15 to 25 members and now includes more diverse and expansive industry representation in the manufacturing sector. The appointees represent a broad cross section of the industry and include steel, textile, superconductor and solar panel manufacturers both large and small. Their products support a diverse range of industries such as the auto, aerospace, apparel and energy efficiency sectors.

The Secretaries of Labor, Energy and Treasury have also been added as ex officio members of the Council to better collaborate on cross-cutting issues the Council will address.

“A vibrant manufacturing sector isn't just critical for the millions of Americans whose jobs depend on it,” Locke said. “Manufacturing is absolutely central to driving the innovation that fuels the American economy.”

“A strong manufacturing sector is critical to the health of the economy,” said Bruce Sohn, President of First Solar, Inc. and newly appointed chair of the Council. “I am pleased to chair this important committee and look forward to presenting the U.S. government with suggestions and direction to strengthen the American manufacturing sector.”

The Council advises the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector, and government policies and programs that affect U.S. manufacturers. The Commerce Department will schedule the Council’s inaugural meeting in the coming weeks.

Manufacturing is a key industry in the revitalization of the U.S. economy and the growth of U.S. jobs. The United States is the world’s largest manufacturing economy, employing nearly 12 million Americans in the production of $1.6 trillion in manufactured products, representing 18 percent of the world’s manufactured goods.

President Obama’s Recovery Act included more than $100 billion dollars worth of grants, tax cuts and incentives devoted to manufacturing investments.

June 25, 2010 Manufacture America: Rethink, Retool, Rebuild to Support Jobs
Manufacturing and Services (MAS), in conjunction with numerous federal, state, and local government agencies and universities, is organizing a series of conferences. These conferences will be followed by support from local, state, and federal resources shaped by the needs of the local manufacturers. The first conference will be hosted in Pittsburgh on September 27. The Manufacture America program is designed to help American manufacturers rethink, retool and rebuild their operations through exploring new products, markets, processes and sources of finance. As part of this program, a series of Manufacture America regional conferences will convene to allow manufacturers to:
- Learn how they can retool and rebuild through:
- Hear success stories from manufacturers who have successfully retooled.
- Learn about growing industries.
- Learn about export opportunities as well as how to export.
- Learn about resources and funding that are available to help rethink and retool, including technical assistance and financing.
- Discuss issues the manufacturers face with federal, state, and local governments.
- Network with representatives from other companies

June 4, 2010 America Competes Act Passes House
On May 28, 2010, the House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (H.R. 5116) by a vote of 262 to 150. The original COMPETES bill was passed in 2007 and was a bipartisan effort in response to the 2005 National Academy of Sciences’ report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm.

March 26, 2010 Tax Incentives Aim to Spur Small-Biz Manufacturers
Jobs bill and revisions to stimulus package will help midsized companies, say experts.

March 23, 2010 Congress Hears Call for Manufacturing Innovation
More investment in public-private partnerships and prioritizing key technologies are crucial if America is to avoid losing its competitive edge in manufacturing, industry and policy leaders warned Congress in recent testimony.

March 22, 2010 Women-Owned Small Business Rule Proposed
Small Business Administration (SBA) recently released a proposed rule aimed at expanding federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs).

March 19, 2010 State of Manufacturing 2010
Minnesota’s manufacturers are noticeably more optimistic about the economy than last year, but executives’ concern are mounting over further decreasing availability of credit, according to the State of Manufacturing, a major survey research project sponsored by Enterprise Minnesota and partners. More than a quarter of manufacturing executives (26 percent) anticipate economic expansion in 2010 and only 19 percent foresee a continued recession. Compared to a year ago, that represents an 18 percent jump in executives predicting growth and a 37 percent decline in those who project a continued recession. Forty-four percent expect their firm’s annual gross revenues to increase in 2010, up significantly from only 23 percent last year.

March 19, 2010 The Impact of IMPACT
Policy Matters Ohio, the Apollo Alliance, and the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) partnered to release the Impact of IMPACT. The report looks at the investment proposal “Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act of 2009” (IMPACT). Among the key components of IMPACT is the establishment of state-level revolving loan funds to support new investment in industry which could create over 52,000 new jobs in Ohio over ten years, as estimated by authors of the report.

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