Business Operations

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers announced that Norfolk Southern Corporation Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins has been named to the NAM Board of Directors. Elkins 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.

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 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.

“The success of the manufacturing industry is directly linked to our nation’s overall economic prosperity, and at Norfolk Southern, we are proud to be a part of our manufacturing supply chain,” said Elkins. “As a customer-centric and operations-driven organization, we deliver base materials to manufacturers and transport their finished products to domestic markets and internal connection points. The NAM Board plays a leading role alongside industry stakeholders who inform meaningful, sensible standards that will help this vital sector continue to thrive. Policy that is informed by subject-matter experts yields the best and most effective outcomes, and I look forward to working with the NAM to advocate on behalf of the men and women in the industry and our railroaders who help power their progress.”

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%.

“Ed is a recognized 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. “Ed 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.”

-Norfolk Southern- 

Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.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 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