Hallmark Cards’ Burton Named to Manufacturers Association Board of Directors
Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers announced that Sara Beth Burton, Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain for Hallmark Cards, has been named to the NAM Board of Directors. Burton will join the NAM Board to bolster the association’s leadership in policy advocacy, legal action, workforce solutions, operational excellence and news and insights. She 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.
The NAM is a one-stop shop for manufacturers, telling the story of the industry and equipping manufacturers with invaluable resources through its news and insights channels and partnerships with the Manufacturing Leadership Council, 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 and energy security. 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.
“I am honored to be a part of the NAM Board and to advocate for policies that will ensure our continued growth and success as manufacturers,” said Burton. “Local manufacturing has been critical to Hallmark’s business for more than 75 years, and I look forward to joining our story with that of other members to advance the NAM’s mission.”
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 the number of parents who would encourage their children to pursue a career in modern manufacturing to 50% from 27%.
“Sara Beth is a recognized leader in our industry, and the NAM will be stronger thanks to her service on our Board of Directors,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Sara Beth will be a trusted adviser who guides our efforts to overcome current economic challenges and to lay the foundation for long-term growth, allowing the industry to innovate and improve the quality of life for everyone. We will work with lawmakers to strengthen supply chains, expand trading opportunities, grow the manufacturing workforce, reform our immigration system, advance energy security, defend tax reform, ensure a smart regulatory system and more. I look forward to working together to advocate for the men and women of our industry and advance the values that have made America exceptional and our industry strong—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.”
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For more than 100 years, family-owned Hallmark Cards, Inc. has been dedicated to creating a more emotionally connected world. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and employing 30,000 worldwide, the approximately $4 billion company operates a diversified portfolio of businesses. The Hallmark Global business sells greeting cards, gift wrap and related products in more than 30 languages with distribution in more than 100 countries and 100,000 rooftops worldwide, including about 2,000 Hallmark Gold Crown stores in five countries. Crayola® offers a wide range of art materials and creative play toys designed to spark children’s creativity around the globe. Hallmark Media operates three cable channels—Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama—in addition to Hallmark Publishing, a leading publisher of uplifting eBooks, audiobooks and print editions, and Hallmark Movies Now, a subscription-based streaming service. Crown Center is a real estate development company that manages the 85-acre hotel, office, entertainment and residential campus surrounding Hallmark’s headquarters.
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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 more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% 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.