Labor and Employment

Workforce

Heroes MAKE America Is Growing

Manufacturers employ more veterans than any other private industry, with roughly 980,000 veterans working in manufacturing in 2023. That is an encouraging number, yet there are still many more veterans who remain untapped by the manufacturing industry. And manufacturers need them: with 481,000 open jobs in the sector, companies have much to gain by exploring this promising talent pool.

That’s where the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America initiative comes in. Since its launch in 2018, it has assisted more than 42,000 members of the military community who are looking for their next career. Now, Heroes is expanding its reach via collaborations with the U.S. Department of Labor and Walmart, which will further boost manufacturers’ access to this skilled and dedicated workforce.

Walmart.org: Heroes’ collaboration with Walmart.org began in 2022, when Walmart funded the development of a model that translates military-acquired skills into competencies that are recognized by employers in the manufacturing industry, enhancing veterans’ visibility to employers.

  • The project built, tested and evaluated a platform that allows military-connected individuals to showcase their qualifications through verifiable digital badges.
  • This approach helps civilian employers recognize the skills of service members and veterans, making it easier for these job seekers to transition into high-demand roles while enhancing workforce readiness.
  • New funding from Walmart.org will further expand the translation of military skills, painting fuller pictures of job seekers’ abilities and exploring avenues to increase the usage and acceptance of digital skills and badging systems, both among users and employers.

DOL: In June, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that Heroes would become a partner of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service’s Employment Navigator & Partnership Program, which provides transitioning service members and their spouses with personalized employment assistance.

  • Through its partnership with ENPP, Heroes will extend its reach to 36 additional military installations worldwide, significantly expanding its role as a premier employment resource for the military community.

The MI says: “Our existing offerings coupled with added valuable collaborations with Walmart.org and DOL will help Heroes connect more manufacturers with military talent, supplying them with qualified, dedicated workers who will strengthen manufacturing in America for decades to come,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. 

Interested in learning more? Check out the HMA website, follow HMA on LinkedIn or send an email to [email protected].

Business Operations

Manufacturer Sentiment Declines

Manufacturer sentiment fell in the third quarter of this year, according to the NAM’s Q3 2024 Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, out Wednesday.

What’s going on: Results of the survey, which was conducted Sept. 5–20, reflect “preelection uncertainty,” NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said—but also larger economic concerns.

  • “The good news is that there is something we can do about it,” said Timmons. “We will work with lawmakers from both parties to halt the looming tax increases in 2025; address the risk of higher tariffs; restore balance to regulations; achieve permitting and energy security; and ease labor shortages and supply chain disruptions.”

Key findings: Notable data points from the survey include the following:

  • Some 62.9% of respondents reported feeling either somewhat or very positive about their business’s outlook, a decline from 71.9% in Q2.
  • A weaker domestic economy was the top business challenge for those surveyed, with 68.4% of respondents citing it.
  • Nearly nine out of 10 manufacturers surveyed agreed that Congress should act before the end of 2025 to prevent scheduled tax increases on manufacturers.
  • The overwhelming majority—92.3%—said the corporate tax rate should remain at or below 21%, with more than 71% saying a higher rate would have a negative impact on their businesses.
  • More than 72% said they support congressional action to lower health care costs through the reform of pharmacy benefit managers.

The last word: “When policymakers take action to create a more competitive business climate for manufacturers, we can sustain America’s manufacturing resurgence—and strengthen our can-do spirit,” Timmons said.

  • “This administration and Congress—and the next administration and Congress—should take this to heart, put aside politics, personality and process and focus on the right policies to strengthen the foundation of the American economy.”
News

Route 250 Diner: Testing the Power of Business

In a politically divided time, the NAM set out to answer an important question: Can businesses build trust, brighten views about America’s creators and rekindle belief in the American Dream? The answer, tested over three-and-a-half days at the Circleville Pumpkin Show in Ohio: “Yes, they can—and we probably should,” said NAM Managing Vice President of Brand Strategy Chrys Kefalas.

Why it matters: Declining American pride is more than just a cultural shift—it’s a business problem. “When people lose faith in the American Dream, they lose faith in manufacturers and the business community’s ability to drive progress, leading to skepticism, division and fewer supporters of the environment that manufacturers and businesses need to succeed,” said Kefalas.

  • This challenge comes at a pivotal moment: America’s 250th anniversary—its Semiquincentennial—arrives in 2026. This milestone offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reignite pride and belief in the country’s future.

What we built: With funding from Stand Together Trust, the NAM and its partners developed the Route 250 Diner, a pop-up experience that combined stories about community creators, snack giveaways, career resources and service opportunities. It brought together businesses, trade groups and civic organizations to see if they could elevate creators locally and nationally while inspiring civic pride and acts of service.

The results: Nearly 4,700 visitors of many ages and political affiliations pledged to undertake service opportunities and shared overwhelmingly positive feedback. Some even contributed cash to survey boxes as a gesture of gratitude. The concept clearly resonated.

  • “We need more of this,” “Love this” and “I hope y’all be back” were frequent refrains among survey respondents. “I believe that how towns like Circleville go, so goes America,” said Circleville Mayor Michelle Blanton. “What resonates here can inspire communities across the country.”

Leading brands take part: The concept won early supporters like Snap-on, Johnson & Johnson and The J.M. Smucker Company, as well as growing enterprises like Seaman Corporation and Centrus Energy. The Honda–LG Energy Solution battery plant joint venture team participated on-site, highlighting the 2,200 job opportunities at the new plant in Fayette County, Ohio.

  • The National Restaurant Association and the International Franchise Association, which represent two vital sectors of the American economy, joined the effort, as well as state business groups The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association and the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance.

Support: The NAM set out to complement national and state efforts to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and promote civic education. The concept enjoyed the participation of the congressionally chartered, nonpartisan U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission (America 250), state-chartered America 250-Ohio, the Bill of Rights Institute and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. 

What they’re saying: Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) highlighted the initiative on social media, focusing on advancing participants’ career aspirations. “Empowered individuals and driving positive change in their communities are vital to America’s next 250 years,” said Stand Together Vice President Sarah Cross, stressing another key point of the activation.

  • NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons: “By strengthening civic pride, inspiring acts of service and deepening our connections to our communities, we can ensure that manufacturers and enterprises across the nation shape a brighter future for America.”
  • America250 Chair Rosie Rios: “The Route 250 Initiative is an important celebration of America’s creators and makers who play a vital role in strengthening our communities through meaningful acts of service as we approach America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.”
  • National Restaurant Association President and CEO Michelle Korsmo: “The Route 250 Initiative reminds us that in every community, there are people creating opportunities for themselves and others—and that’s something worth celebrating as we help more people learn how to make America’s next 250 years better than our first.”
  • Bill of Rights Institute President and CEO David Bobb: “By engaging in meaningful, constructive dialogue and celebrating the individuals who by their hands, hearts and minds are creating a better future, we can inspire a renewed commitment to those enduring ideals.”
  • America 250-Ohio Executive Director Todd Kleismit: “By sharing stories of creators and community heroes and inviting us all to learn what we’re doing to serve our community, we’re not just celebrating the past—we’re inviting people to see themselves in America’s future.”
  • The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association President Ryan Augsburger: “As we look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary, Ohio manufacturers will continue to lead the way. This diner and the Route 250 Initiative give us the chance to reflect on our past while also inspiring the next generation to shape the future—one innovation, one community, one creator at a time.”
  • Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance Managing Director of External Affairs and Government Relations Tod Bowen: “As we look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, we’re reminded of the importance of spaces like this. The diner invites us all to reflect on how we’re contributing to our communities and how, by coming together, we can make the next 250 years even better.”

The big takeaway: “At the heart of this proof of concept is a message: manufacturers, creators and communities all play essential roles in writing the next chapter of America’s story,” said Timmons. “This is a model, showing how civic pride, community service and the power of industry can renew belief in the American Dream.”

  • “Some argue that no single narrative can unite the American people, but the Route 250 Diner and manufacturing’s story in America prove otherwise,” Kefalas added. “The question isn’t if we can find a unifying narrative—it’s who will step up to lead it, and that’s why we tried to show the way forward.”

What’s next: The NAM will evaluate the full results of the proof of concept with its partners and other key stakeholders, continuing to look for ways of using America’s 250th anniversary to strengthen the industry and the country.

In the news: POLITICO Influence covered the launch announcement, and The Scioto Post of Pickaway County, Ohio, previewed the experience.

More: Watch highlights of the grand opening event.

Policy and Legal

NAM: Biden’s LNG Ban Threatens 900,000 Jobs

The liquefied natural gas export industry has turned the U.S. into a powerhouse of cleaner energy, benefiting its trading partners around the world. The Biden administration’s ongoing ban on new LNG export licenses, however, is throttling an industry that could produce many more billions in revenue and a startling 900,000 jobs by 2044.

The data: A new study from the NAM and PwC shows that the U.S. LNG revolution could extend its upward climb, as shown on the graph above. Today, the industry is a huge source of jobs and profit:

  • U.S. LNG exports support 222,450 jobs, resulting in $23.2 billion in labor income.
  • The LNG industry contributes $43.8 billion to U.S. GDP.
  • And lastly, federal, state and local governments receive $11.0 billion in tax and royalty revenues, thanks to U.S. LNG exports.

But that pales in comparison to the industry’s potential over the next two decades. The study projects the likely growth of the industry through 2044, showing all that is at stake if the ban remains in place until then:

  • Between 515,960 and 901,250 jobs, resulting in $59.0 billion to $103.9 billion in labor income, would be at risk.
  • The ban would also stifle between $122.5 billion and $215.7 billion in contributions to U.S. GDP during the same period.
  • Between $26.9 billion and $47.7 billion in tax and royalty revenues meant to benefit communities across the United States would also be at risk in 2044.

Public opinion: The American public is squarely behind the LNG export industry, showing overwhelming approval in an NAM poll taken in March.

  • Eighty-seven percent of respondents agreed the U.S. should continue to export natural gas.
  • Seventy-six percent of respondents agreed with building more energy infrastructure, such as port terminals.

The last word: “With LNG exports, we do not have to choose between what’s good for the economy and good for the planet. Today’s research shows the massive opportunity America has when we unleash our economic and energy potential,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

  • “Building LNG export facilities and expanding natural gas production are not just good for our industry—they also cut emissions and help power manufacturing around the world.”
Workforce

MFG Day 2024: The MI Goes to Kansas

That’s another success for the books! Last week, manufacturers and their supporters nationwide celebrated MFG Day 2024, rolling out the red carpet for students, educators and jobseekers and showcasing modern manufacturing’s diverse career paths.

What’s going on: The Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate, was on the ground in Kansas for multiple plant tours and conversations.

Visiting Bradbury Group: On Thursday’s tour of the Bradbury Group’s plant in Moundridge, Kansas, about 400 students got a firsthand look at how roll-forming and coil-processing equipment is made.

  • The company—whose CEO David Cox is an NAM board member—set up stations where attendees could learn about its many career tracks. In addition, local education and community training partners were on-site to showcase job-training initiatives.
  • MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee participated in the events, touring Bradbury’s facility with approximately 70 students from Newton High School in Newton, Kansas.

Touring with Heroes: On Friday, Lee visited four McPherson, Kansas, manufacturing plants with participants from Heroes MAKE America, the MI initiative that makes connections between the military community and the manufacturing industry.

  • The companies were piping-systems manufacturer Viega, insulation and commercial roofing maker Johns Manville, downstream equipment maker Plastics Extrusion Machinery LLC and sustainable construction materials manufacturer CertainTeed.
  • At Viega on Friday, Lee spoke with local high school students viewing the facility at the same time as the HMA participants.

Focus on veterans: Friday’s events also featured a networking lunch for HMA participants, including transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses, with human resources representatives from McPherson manufacturers.

  • The Bradbury Group—the parent company of four manufacturing businesses in addition to the Bradbury Company, which has participated in MFG Day for nine years—was represented at the lunch by one of its employees, a U.S. military veteran.

Made possible by: This year’s activities were made possibly by generous support from sponsors Union Pacific, Dominion Energy, Johnson & Johnson, Novonesis, UKG, the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation, Lutron Electronics Co. Inc, Winnebago Industries, Alfa Laval (US), Intertek Alchemy, the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing and Seaway Bolt & Specials Corp.

Stay tuned: MFG Day events will continue across the U.S. throughout October and beyond. You can find the full list of registered events, and a handy map, here.

The last word: “MFG Day is the prime opportunity for manufacturers to demonstrate firsthand the vast career opportunities that exist in industry,” Lee said. “While students, parents and educators remain our primary focus, it’s also a great time to engage other career-seeking groups so that they, too, can see themselves in manufacturing.”

Press Releases

Manufacturers: Boeing Strike Is Poised to Have Significant Economic Consequences Across the Entire United States

Washington, D.C. – As a strike of 33,000 Boeing workers continued into its 20th day, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“The potential economic impact of this strike cannot be overstated. The aerospace industry directly supports more than 500,000 manufacturing workers in America, and the ongoing strike at Boeing’s Puget Sound facilities is poised to have significant economic consequences, not just in the Pacific Northwest but across the entire United States.”

The ongoing strike of 33,000 Boeing workers could total a regional economic loss of more than $1.65 billion after just 20 days, according to NAM calculations.

Timmons added, “This disruption will resonate far beyond Washington state. The aerospace supply chain and manufacturers in the U.S. are interconnected deeply, and a continued halt in production will have devastating effects on our country.”

-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 $2.87 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% 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

Workforce

A Veteran and His Spouse Forge New Careers in Manufacturing

Finding a civilian job after serving in the military can be daunting. For former Army cavalry scout Jose Gallegos, the task was even more complicated because his spouse, Aleksandra Balinska-Gallegos, also needed a new position. Through Heroes MAKE America—a Manufacturing Institute program that builds connections between the military community and the manufacturing industry—both Gallegos and Balinska-Gallegos found rewarding roles in Pennsylvania with food and industrial manufacturer Cargill.

The program: Heroes MAKE America provides integrated certification and career-readiness training in partnership with local community colleges to prepare transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard members, reservists and military spouses for rewarding careers in the manufacturing and supply chain industries.

  • “The program not only introduces you to the manufacturing world—it prepares you for everything that is around it,” said Balinska-Gallegos. “How to correctly write your resume, how to match a military background with civilian life, how to translate military vocabulary to civilian vocabulary. And from writing a resume to emailing with potential employers and preparing for interviews—it was a little bit of everything.”

The benefit: The program helped both spouses at the same time—a huge benefit for Gallegos, who was looking for opportunities in the civilian world, and for Balinska-Gallegos, who had arrived with Gallegos from Lithuania and was worried about navigating the U.S. job market.

  • “I was a completely new fresh military spouse,” said Balinska-Gallegos. “When Jose told me that there was an opportunity not only for him to go to the manufacturing program, but to also take his spouse—I was over the moon.”

Working nearby: Although they work in different plants—Gallegos as an operations and management associate at a meat production plant, and Balinska-Gallegos as an administrative assistant at a plant producing chocolate—their mentors at Heroes MAKE America helped ensure that the couple would work at the same company and in the same location.

  • “He’s at a meat plant, and he loves beef. I’m at a chocolate plant, and I love chocolate,” said Balinska-Gallegos. “It’s perfect.”

Finding success: Although Gallegos’ work in the Army was very different from his role at Cargill, his supervisors have already noticed his leadership skills. While the approximately 60 other associates recruited this year are all college graduates, it’s Gallegos who has been called to take on bigger tasks.

  • “After my first month, they started giving me supervisor responsibilities,” said Gallegos. “I’m shadowing managers and superintendents so I can learn from them, so … I can be in different areas of the plant.”

The last word: “I would have been very scared to start working in the U.S. without this kind of background, and I’m not sure what [Jose] would have done after leaving the Army if he didn’t go through the Heroes MAKE America program,” said Balinska-Gallegos. “That course prepared us immensely for this new life.”

Learn more: Find out more about Heroes MAKE America and the Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education affiliate of the NAM, here.

Photo: Jose Gallegos and Aleksandra Balinska-Gallegos with MI Director of Heroes Program Execution Rachelle Wolford (left). 

Transportation and Infrastructure

Mapping the Impact of a Port Strike

Policy and Legal

Texas Court Blocks FTC Noncompete Ban

The Federal Trade Commission does not have the authority to enact the sweeping noncompete ban it finalized in April, a federal judge ruled Tuesday (The Wall Street Journal, subscription).

What’s going on: “U.S. District Judge Ada Brown ruled that the commission’s authority to police unfair methods of competition couldn’t be used to issue substantive regulations that ban an entire category of conduct. ‘The role of an administrative agency is to do as told by Congress, not to do what the agency thinks it should do,’” she wrote, adding that the ban was “unreasonably overbroad without a reasonable explanation.”

  • The rule—which had already caused companies’ costs to increase in anticipation of the Sept. 4 effective date—sought to prohibit noncompete agreements between employers and their employees.

The NAM’s role: In May, the NAM’s Legal Center filed an amicus brief asking Brown’s court to stay the rule on the grounds that a ban on noncompete agreements would “hamstring innovation in the manufacturing sector and damage the competitiveness of American industry.”

  • Brown issued a limited stay in July. Her ruling this week—echoing the NAM’s argument that the rule is  “not reasonably explained”—prohibits enforcement of the FTC rule nationwide.
  • “The NAM expressed concerns throughout the rulemaking process, and a 2023 NAM survey showed that a broad noncompete ban would disrupt most manufacturing operations in the U.S.,” NAM Director of Transportation, Infrastructure and Labor Policy Max Hyman said following Brown’s ruling this week.

What’s next: The FTC is considering an appeal of the decision, a spokeswoman told the Journal.

  • But “[i]f lower courts remain split as the litigation moves through the legal system, the matter might ultimately fall to … [the] Supreme Court, [which] has taken a dim view of government agencies invoking new regulatory powers from long-ago statutes.”

This post has been edited. 

Business Operations

Meet the Manufacturing Leader of the Year

If you’re looking for insights on digital transformation, cultural change and what’s ahead for manufacturing, it pays to consult an industry leader. Dan Dwight, president and CEO of Cooley Group, fits the bill.

Dwight was named the 2024 Manufacturing Leader of the Year in the Manufacturing Leadership Awards, presented by the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the NAM. Additionally, Cooley Group won the Small/Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year and the Manufacturing in 2030 Award.

Recently, Dwight sat down for an Executive Dialogue interview with the Manufacturing Leadership Journal to share his secrets to success. Below are excerpts from the interview.

What leaders need: When asked what qualities manufacturing leaders need in the digital era, Dwight says that they must be willing to undergo big changes, but must also keep their teams in the loop. 

  • “Successful leadership in the digital era demands, among other things, a higher level of transparency,” he explained. “Your team needs to see the road map in front of them because successful and sweeping transformations are extremely time consuming with a lot of jagged edges that the leadership team needs to address.”

How cultures should change: As for the wider cultural changes that will help a company through its digital transformation, resiliency and adaptability are crucial, Dwight said.

  • “Cooley’s digital transformation began with a cultural transformation built around becoming more agile and adaptable,” he noted. “Every decision we make places long-term resiliency and cross-functional collaboration as our operational North Star.”
  • “Cooley decentralized our decision-making structures, eliminating hierarchal instruction and empowering team members to communicate transparently and more frequently,” he added.

Small manufacturers’ advantage: When asked whether small and medium-sized manufacturers are at a disadvantage in the era of digital transformation, Dwight says that Cooley has turned its small size into an asset.

  • “Our longevity is built on using our size to our advantage. We are more resilient, more agile, more adaptable than our competitors who are often [much larger] because we constantly invest in pro-growth strategies regardless of the economic environment,” he explained.
  • “Our investments in innovation generate consistent new product revenue of over 20%, and our investments in Manufacturing 4.0 digitization generate consistent, robust productivity dividends,” Dwight added.

What’s next? Cooley Group is looking ahead to further transformations, including in supply chain management, Dwight said.

  • “Our business architecture and change management team leaders are working within their respective teams across the organization to build into our processes a more outward-looking focus,” he said.
  • “For example, our M4.0 implementation leader has added supply chain resiliency to her leadership responsibilities. Her team seeks to build out Cooley’s end-to-end business resilience.”

MLC in action: Dwight says that Cooley Group has always been able to count on the MLC to find the insights that it needs for digital transformation and its Manufacturing 4.0 journey. As he put it recently, “When challenges do arise, the MLC can help us think through what the future might look like.”

Watch a full video of this interview for more insights.

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