Press Release

Commerce Secretary Praises Nomination of William G. “Woody” Sutton as Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services

WASHINGTON—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez applauded President Bush’s nomination of William G. “Woody” Sutton for the position of Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services. Sutton, a former U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, most recently served as President of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) – an association that represents manufacturers of more than 90 percent of North American-produced central air conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment. Once confirmed, Sutton would serve as the Bush Administration’s point person for the manufacturing and services sectors; helping them grow, create jobs and compete in the global economy.

“Our manufacturers are the best in the world. The manufacturing and services sectors need practical experience and a strong voice in Washington to continue their success in the global market place,” said Gutierrez. “Woody Sutton understands the challenges facing both sectors and knows what it will take to help them grow and create jobs. His extensive knowledge of both sectors as well as a thorough understanding of Washington will help him to deliver on the Bush Administration’s commitment to help the manufacturing and services sectors. I look forward to working with him to ensure America is the best place in the world for workers and businesses.”

As the Assistant Secretary, Sutton would advocate, coordinate and implement policies to help U.S. manufacturers compete globally. Gutierrez noted that some top issues on the agenda for the manufacturing sector include: strong economic environment, competitiveness, open markets, enforcements of trade laws and education.

During his five-year tenure at ARI, Sutton served as an officer of the National Association of Manufacturers’ Council of Manufacturing Associations, and he served on the Boards of Directors for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), North American Technician Excellence (NATE), the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute (ARTI), the Clifford H. “Ted” Rees Scholarship Foundation, and was an active member of the U.S. Chamber’s Committee of 100. In the U.S. Navy, Sutton served as Naval Aide to President Ronald Reagan and Director of Programs in the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs, in addition to numerous operational at-sea assignments including ship, squadron and group commands.

Sutton holds a Master of Science Degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Naval Engineering from the United States Naval Academy.

Background Manufacturing and Services

• Standing by itself, U.S. manufacturing would be the eighth largest economy in the world.
• The manufacturing and service sectors are significant to the U.S. economy; manufacturing accounted for 12.1 percent of GDP in 2005 (latest data) while the service industry accounted for 67.5 percent.
• Exports of goods and services accounted for 10.8 percent of GDP in 2006 with goods accounting for 7.7 percent and services accounting for 3.1 percent.
• So far in 2007, exports have grown a solid 10.1 percent from their year-ago level, including an 11 percent increase in goods exports and a 7.6 percent advance in services exports.
• The U.S. was the world's largest exporter of goods and services in 2006 (latest data from the World Trade Organization).