Input Stories

Yesterday, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons kicked off the NAM State of Manufacturing Tour with his annual NAM State of Manufacturing Address, this year given at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. His address was followed by a number of other events highlighting manufacturers’ policy priorities and commitment to cultivating the workforce of the future.

A fireside chat: Following the address (you can read a brief recap here and the full text here), NAM Executive Vice President Erin Streeter moderated a fireside chat between Rockwell Automation Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair Blake Moret and EQT Corporation President and CEO and NAM board member Toby Z. Rice.

• “I’ve been in manufacturing my whole career, same company to my surprise, actually. And so being selected to serve in this role as chair is really a capstone honor after a long time treading through a lot of factories in America and around the world,” said Moret, when asked about his new role as NAM board chair.
• When asked about his background at EQT, Rice said, “We wake up thinking about how we can make the energy we produce cheaper, more reliable and cleaner. . . . People are talking about the transformation that’s going to take place with the impact of AI in the American energy space. . . .  We’ve been there on the ground floor from when America was energy dependent to now becoming an energy powerhouse, the largest energy producer in the world.”

Energy needs: The fireside chat focused on manufacturers’ energy needs, particularly as the AI boom ramps up.

• “While we’re providing for the energy to supply the data centers that allow us to utilize artificial intelligence, we’re going to make sure that the supply of energy is also available for manufacturers as well,” said Moret. “Using technology to avoid running processes that aren’t necessary at those moments [when there are many competing demands for energy] can really help ensure that we have abundant energy in manufacturing as well as to fuel artificial intelligence.”
• When asked about how permitting reform can unleash investments in energy infrastructure, Rice said, “I’d say probably one of the bigger focus areas for us is really going to be on judicial reform, because once you get the permits, the litigation that takes place is endless. . . .  Mountain Valley Pipeline, an asset that we own, was originally proposed to be $3 billion, and take three years to construct. It took $8 billion and over eight years to construct.”

Music and manufacturing: Timmons and Moret also hosted a student reception at the Hall of Fame, where they engaged with the next generation of creators.

• The tour then moved to the Rock Hall’s “Jam Garage” for a unique event showcasing the intersection of culture and industry and featuring discussions about the connection between manufacturing and rock ‘n’ roll—and the creativity, openness to technological change and global impact shared by these two American traditions.

More tour stops: The afternoon featured an in-depth tour and lunch at EY-Nottingham Spirk Innovation Hub followed by a final stop at Cleveland State University to discuss the critical intersection of higher education and industrial workforce development.

In the press: Timmons also took time during the Cleveland stop to speak to the press, making an appearance on Spectrum News, WEWS-TV 5 and Fox8, while also speaking to Industry Week and the Cleveland Business Journal (subscription).

Stay tuned: After the Cleveland stop, the 2026 NAM State of Manufacturing Tour traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, today. It will then go to Charlotte, North Carolina; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dallas and Houston, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona.

• Throughout the tour, the NAM will continue meeting with policymakers, manufacturers of all sizes, students and business leaders, advocating for the people and policies that will ensure the United States is the best place in the world to do business.