Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers announced that Daniel R. Dwight, president and CEO of the Cooley Group and vice chair of the NAM’s Manufacturing Leadership Council, has been named to the NAM Board of Directors. Dwight will join the NAM Board to bolster the association’s leadership in policy advocacy, legal action, workforce solutions, operational excellence and news and insights. He will help the industry advance a manufacturing competitiveness agenda that promotes opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.

Founded in 1895, the NAM, guided by its Board of Directors, is the largest industrial trade association in the United States, with more than 14,000 members. The NAM is the nation’s most influential manufacturing advocate, and its membership includes some of the world’s most iconic brands and many of the small manufacturers that power the U.S. economy. Approximately 90% of the NAM’s members are small and medium-sized businesses. Executives on the NAM Board, which comprises leaders representing companies of all sizes in every industrial sector, are the driving force behind the NAM’s efforts.

The NAM is a one-stop shop for manufacturers, telling the story of our industry and equipping manufacturers with invaluable resources through our news and insights channels and partnerships with the MLC, the Manufacturing Institute and the Innovation Research Interchange.

The NAM and its members are at the forefront of every important policy debate, focusing on solutions to help the industry compete in the global economy and to help the country address challenges ranging from supply disruptions and inflation to the workforce crisis, immigration, permitting, tax policy and energy security.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the NAM Board to ensure our industry’s long-term growth and success,” said Dwight. “Nearly 13 million people earn a living in our industry, and virtually everyone is impacted by the products we produce. In addition to my social responsibility and environmental stewardship efforts in my capacity as president and CEO of Cooley Group and vice chair of the MLC, I look forward to working with the NAM to be an advocate for our manufacturing colleagues while continuing to invest in our communities to create jobs and improve the quality of life for all Americans.”

Board members play a key role in the NAM and the MI’s Creators Wanted campaign, a member-driven initiative to inspire, educate and empower more Americans to pursue careers in modern manufacturing—and to shift perceptions about careers in the industry. The campaign, which supports MI programs for students, women, veterans and other underrepresented communities and features a first-of-its-kind mobile experience and tour, seeks to cut the skills gap by 600,000 workers by 2025 and increase the number of students enrolling in technical schools, vocational schools and apprenticeships by 25%, as well as increase the number of parents who would encourage their children to pursue a career in modern manufacturing to 50% from 27%.

“Dan is a leader in our industry, and the NAM will be stronger thanks to his service on our Board of Directors,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. Dan will be a partner in the NAM’s efforts to advance a competitiveness agenda that grows our economy. We will work with policymakers to tackle immigration reform, fix our permitting process, expand trading opportunities, build on the 2017 tax reforms and reject top-down federal regulations that impact manufacturers’ ability to invest in America. I look forward to working together as advocates for the men and women of our industry and to advance the values that have made America exceptional and our industry strong—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.”

-Cooley Group-

Cooley Group designs, develops and manufactures high-performance, sustainable geomembranes for healthcare, liquid containment, waterproofing, print media, sign & shade, and custom applications. Headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and with multiple manufacturing facilities in North America, Cooley Group markets and distributes its technology in more than 50 countries and works with multinational partners to develop proprietary products and solutions. Cooley is committed globally to the three pillars of sustainable growth: environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic prosperity. For more information about the Cooley Group, please visit www.cooleygroup.com.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.81 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

-MLC-

The National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Leadership Council is the world’s first member-driven, global business leadership network dedicated to helping manufacturers adopt the digital model of manufacturing. The MLC’s mission is to help senior executives define and shape a better future for themselves, their organizations and the industry at large by focusing on the intersection of critical business and technology issues that will drive growth today and in the future. The MLC offers an extensive portfolio of leadership networking, research, thought leadership content and professional development products, programs and services—including the MLC website, an online global business network.