Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) president Dennis Slater issued the following statement in support of a legislative package introduced by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.).
The package establishes a National Institute of Manufacturing within the Department of Commerce, reactivates the National Manufacturing Advisory Council and creates a website that will serve as a hub for information about federal manufacturing programs.
"The Association of Equipment Manufacturers applauds Senator Gary Peters for his steadfast leadership on behalf of the manufacturing sector and for introducing legislation that will ensure that innovation is made in America and strengthen our long-term competitiveness in the global economy," said Slater.
"Equipment manufacturers represent 12 percent of the entire U.S. manufacturing sector and support 2.8 million family-sustaining jobs across the country. Our economic prosperity and national security depend on a strong manufacturing sector, and the legislative package developed by Senator Peters will mobilize a comprehensive, coordinated, and competent national effort in support of the manufacturing sector and its workforce.
"We applaud the Senator for his bold and tireless leadership on behalf of the manufacturing sector and we urge all Democrat and Republican Senators to support this important legislative package."
"With a long and rich history of manufacturing hundreds of world class products in Winn, Michigan, we know first-hand the critical role that manufacturing plays as the engine that drives the economy by creating jobs, opportunity, and prosperity for Americans," said Brad Boehler, president and CEO of Morbark.
"In order to maintain our competitive edge in the global economy, the federal government must provide the leadership and resources we need to invest in research and development, create more family-sustaining jobs and continue to make world-class products in Michigan and across the United States.
"We would like to thank Senator Gary Peters for his ongoing efforts to prioritize manufacturing policy at the national level and ensure that the future is made in America. We hope that his colleagues in the United States Senate will join him in strengthening the U.S. manufacturing sector and guarantee the economic well-being of manufacturing communities across the country."
For more information, visit www.aem.org.
