EVANS DELIVERS BUSH ADMINISTRATION MANUFACTURING REPORT TO CLEVELAND MANUFACTURING WORKERS

CLEVELAND, OHIO - U.S. Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans today delivered the Bush administration’s manufacturing report at a business roundtable at Lincoln Electric with Cleveland area manufacturers where he outlined recommendations to address the challenges faced by the industry. Ohio Governor Bob Taft accompanied Evans at the formal announcement as well as Lincoln Electric COO, John Stropki; Ariel Corporation President/CEO, Karen Wright; and Fredon Corporation President, Roger Sustar.

“President Bush is dedicated to growing the Ohio manufacturing industry and creating new jobs. This is our strategy to remove the barriers that are holding back American manufacturers and costing jobs,” said Evans. “This report is a single step in an ongoing process: Ensuring that American companies are competitive in every part of the world.”

During the roundtable Evans announced that Grant Aldonas, Under Secretary for the International Trade Administration, would serve in an interim capacity as point person for manufacturers until Congress passes the legislation to create and fund the position of Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing and Services.

Lincoln Electric COO, John Stropki applauded the report’s recommendations and said that they will help him make informed decisions that will help his company create jobs and maintain a competitive edge internationally.

“President Bush’s concern, for the men and women who work in manufacturing, is the driving force behind this report,” said Stropki. “Manufacturers across America now have a blueprint for growth that will help them expand their business, create new jobs and help both the local and national economy.”

Founded in 1895, Lincoln Electric is the global leader for the production of arc welding machines. Lincoln is also the market leader for product innovation.

“The Bush Administration today has broken new ground acknowledging that manufacturing is vital to the nation’s economy, recognizing the unprecedented challenges to our global leadership; and recommending reforms to strengthen our manufacturing competitiveness,” said Jerry Jasinowski, president of the National Association of Manufacturers.

The report includes recommendations that will:

· Establish the President’s Manufacturing Council that will to bring to bear the resources of the Federal government to implement the recommendations in the manufacturing report. Evans will chair the Council and Aldonas will be the executive director.

· Create the Office of Industry Analysis to gather the right data to help government understand the impact of government decisions on the manufacturing sector’s ability to compete.

· Call on the Treasury Department to lead a tax simplification study – addressing depreciation and the corporate alternative minimum tax - focused on lowering compliance costs for manufacturers.

· Improve coordination of over $15 billion in economic development programs to help address the economic challenges facing distressed communities that are manufacturing-dependent communities. Coordination of these funds will help workers and families weather tough times during a down turn in manufacturing.

· Ask the Office of Management and Budget to lead a comprehensive regulatory review (assisted by the Office of Industry Analysis) to inventory existing regulations, evaluate proposed reforms and then implement those reforms on a priority basis.

The recommendations are part of a comprehensive report, Manufacturing in America that includes input from over 20 manufacturing public roundtables held last year by the Commerce Department to identify the challenges facing the American manufacturing sector. The roundtables included small, medium, and large companies from a broad range of industries, including auto parts, aerospace, biotechnology, and semiconductors. One of these roundtables was held in Columbus, Ohio in July 2003.

“This is the first time in modern history that an administration has made manufacturing in America a top national priority,” Jasinowski said. “President Bush and Secretary Evans have backed up their commitment with specific policy recommendations and organizational changes. I commend Secretary Evans for his initiative in pushing this forward, and President Bush for his expanded commitment to the health of our nation’s manufacturing.”

The report provides an overview of the domestic and international economic environment facing American manufacturing, highlights the views of manufacturers regarding the challenges they face, and puts forward policy recommendations to help ensure that government is doing all it can to create the conditions that will allow U.S. manufacturers to maximize their competitiveness and spur economic growth.
The recommendations represent an important step toward crafting the comprehensive strategy Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans called for in March 2003.

Visit www.manufacturing.gov for the full report and four-page summary.

Manufacturing in America - Full Report
(2MB PDF file)

Report Summary

Webcast of the event (Real Player version)