EVANS KICKS OFF NATIONWIDE MANUFACTURING MEETINGS
Jobs Are Key Focus of Week-Long Blitz

Commerce Secretary Don Evans today announced the beginning of an intensive week of roundtable discussions on manufacturing and jobs to be held across the country. To help address the challenges and job losses facing American manufacturing, in March of this year Evans outlined an aggressive Administration agenda to cement the role of manufacturing as a driving force in increasing productivity, growing the economy and creating jobs.

As a part of that agenda, Evans asked Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Grant Aldonas and other Commerce officials to take a comprehensive look at the challenges and opportunities facing American manufacturers today by meeting with manufacturers around the nation.

“President Bush has made economic growth and job creation a top priority of this administration, and he understands that you can’t address those two priorities without taking a serious look at manufacturing,” said Evans. “Manufacturers have always reflected the best of American business, showing resiliency and high productivity. This administration will do all it can to ensure that manufacturers can compete and win in the global economy.”

In the next week, officials from the Commerce Department will visit New Britain, Conn.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Columbus, Ohio; Trenton, N.J.; Troy, Mich.; Naperville, Ill.; Des Moines, Iowa and Minneapolis, Minn. Another roundtable discussion is scheduled for New Orleans, La., later this month.

Commerce officials have already completed meetings with manufacturers in High Point, N.C.; San Jose, Calif.; Rockford, Ill.; Manchester, N.H.; Milwaukee, Wis.; St. Louis, Mo.; Summit, N.J. and Washington, D.C. Under Secretary Aldonas will review the findings of all of the discussions and present a report to Evans with recommendations at the end of the summer.

The manufacturing sector in America is the foundation for much of the U.S. economy. Census Bureau statistics show that manufacturing generates 16 percent of the national gross domestic product and directly employs 18 million Americans, 14 percent of all workers. In addition, American manufacturers are a major driver of the rest of the economy. Manufacturing accounts for approximately two-thirds of private research and development expenditures, and employs some of the best and brightest scientific minds.

For more information on the Bush Administration's manufacturing agenda, click here.

 

DATE	PLACE	HOST	INDUSTRY FOCUS
July 7	New Britain, Conn.	Assistant Secretary of Commerce Linda Conlin	Aerospace/Machinery
July 7	Los Angeles, Calif.	MBDA National Director Ron Langston	Minority and Small Manufacturers
July 8	Columbus, Ohio	Under Secretary of Commerce Grant Aldonas	Metals/Tires/Plastics
July 8	Trenton, NJ	Assistant Secretary of Commerce Linda Conlin	Chemicals
July 9	Troy, Mich.	Under Secretary of Commerce Grant Aldonas	Auto Parts Suppliers
July 10	Naperville, Ill.	Under Secretary of Commerce Grant Aldonas	High Tech
July 11	Des Moines, Iowa	Under Secretary of Commerce Grant Aldonas and MBDA National Director Ron Langston	General
July 14	Minneapolis, Minn.	Under Secretary of Commerce Grant Aldonas	Medical Devices
July 22	New Orleans, La.	Assistant Secretary of Commerce William Lash	Oil and Gas/Machinery/Maritime Transportation