Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on President Joe Biden’s executive orders aimed at combatting COVID-19:

“Manufacturers commend the Biden administration for their laser focus on defeating the pandemic and for treating COVID-19 with the seriousness it deserves. Manufacturers stand ready to continue doing our part—from keeping workplaces and communities safe to providing the food, supplies, vaccines and treatments needed to sustain life. We will also continue to set the standard for safe behaviors—wearing masks, distancing, washing hands and, when able, getting vaccinated.

“A smart, targeted partnership between the administration and manufacturers can shape the use of the Defense Production Act to maximize its potential and effectiveness. Leveraging government purchasing power and investment to increase the production of personal protective equipment, vaccines and other critical supplies while collaborating with manufacturers that are eager to contribute in every way possible can help us all achieve the goals outlined today.

“A similar approach is necessary from OSHA as well. Manufacturers’ highest priority remains the health and safety of our teams, families and communities. Throughout the pandemic, we have set the standard in developing protocols to provide workers with facilities free from hazards and to safeguard their operations. What manufacturers need now is clear, science-based information on how COVID-19 spreads, and any rules or standards should provide the flexibility necessary for companies to implement health protocols tailored to the unique circumstances of their shop floors and work environments.

“We look forward to continuing to be a source of information and insight for the Biden administration as we work to unite the country around a successful strategy to save lives and rebuild the economy.”

Background:

In April 2020, the NAM released its “American Renewal Action Plan,” which outlined policy recommendations to combat COVID-19 and spur economic growth.

In December 2020, the NAM sent a letter to members of the Biden COVID-19 Advisory Board, providing manufacturers’ insights on constructive uses of the DPA.

In January, the NAM sent a letter to Labor Secretary nominee Marty Walsh outlining manufacturers’ views on OSHA’s approach to COVID-19 safety protocols.

-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 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.32 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% 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

Washington, D.C. – Following President Joe Biden’s executive order to rescind the permit for the Keystone XL project, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“Manufacturers are disappointed with the administration’s decision to block this sustainable project, which can serve as a model for infrastructure of the future, and if not reconsidered, represents a missed opportunity for manufacturing workers in America. The Keystone XL project would employ 10,000 union workers for pipeline construction, spur additional renewable energy projects, operate with net-zero emissions and improve our energy security.

“This critical union project has evolved over the past five years, so we look forward to highlighting the importance of this modern project for manufacturers. Rebuilding our economy will require us to invest in infrastructure of all types, including Keystone XL. Manufacturers have a strong commitment to responsible environmental stewardship, and protecting our environment does not require us to walk away from this job-creating opportunity.”

Recently, the NAM and several labor unions wrote to President Biden on the impact of rescinding the permit for the Keystone XL project and the ways the project has evolved in recent years.

-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 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.32 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% 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

Washington, D.C. – Following President Joe Biden’s executive orders and proposed actions on immigration, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“President Biden has made immigration a day one priority. Many of the actions he has announced have been top priorities for manufacturers, and we know that more action is on the way. Manufacturers are very encouraged by today’s critical first step. The urgency of fixing our broken immigration system has been made painfully clear in recent years.

“The broad goals of the Biden plan align with many of the core recommendations in ‘A Way Forward,’ manufacturers’ post-partisan roadmap for immigration reform. The path we have laid out is one that we believe can bring the country together, and we look forward to working with the Biden administration to move a comprehensive immigration reform plan through Congress. If we get this right, we will not only have shown compassion but also boosted our security and strengthened our economy for the future.”

-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 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.32 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% 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.

Washington, D.C. – Prior to President-elect Joe Biden being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“This is a new day for America. This new administration brings a new commitment to healing our country—healing from the deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of 400,000 of our fellow Americans and healing from the deep divisions that have torn us apart. President-elect Biden has made it his mission to unify our nation. It was the defining purpose of his campaign—to ‘restore the soul of America.’ Today, manufacturers recommit ourselves to be part of the solution—to be part of the healing process. We invite all Americans to join us in doing the same.

“Joe Biden’s life has been defined by service to his country and devotion to his family. We all know the devastating loss he endured when his wife and daughter were killed just before he took office as a senator and later with the death of his son Beau. Today, as he takes office as our president, our American family is mourning devastating loss, and each day, more of us lose loved ones. It is reassuring to have in the Oval Office a man who has known and overcome great sorrow, a man of strong character and a devoted husband, father and grandfather—because he knows, perhaps better than most, what all who are hurting need in order to heal.

“Our new vice president will also send a powerful message today to the world and to future generations. As a woman of color rising to the second-highest office in the land, Kamala Harris will make history, in multiple ways, helping more Americans see a future for themselves in public service and elected office. We remain hopeful that her service as vice president helps us achieve the more inclusive country that manufacturers work to build every day.

“Throughout our history, manufacturers have seen America through difficult days. In World War II, we were the Arsenal of Democracy. Throughout this pandemic, we have supplied the goods needed to sustain life. And in these days ahead, our industry will continue to be there for the American people. We will defend our democracy, and we will defeat COVID-19. We know from our history that, even when it seems improbable, brighter days will come. And this new day reminds us of what is still possible in the United States of America.”

-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 12.2 million men and women, contributes $2.32 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% 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.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers called on President-elect Joe Biden to help ensure the future strength of manufacturing in America by extending key executive orders into the new administration and rescinding those that have harmed manufacturing.

“For decades, we have worked with policymakers from across the ideological spectrum to craft policies that encourage the growth of manufacturing in the United States,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons in a letter to the incoming administration. “Now more than ever, America needs leaders in Washington who are focused on increasing American jobs, wages and investment.”

The letter outlines executive orders that have had a significant impact, positive or negative, on manufacturers over the past four years, and it urges the president-elect “to reverse the most harmful of these orders and keep or expand those that create an environment that is conducive to growing America’s manufacturing sector.”

The NAM’s recommendations will help manufacturers continue to respond to the devastating pandemic and will also power the United States’ economic recovery by setting the stage for manufacturing growth.

To read the full letter, click here.

Background:

The NAM has requested President-elect Biden repeal the following executive orders and consider executive orders for extension.

Executive Orders

Rescind:

• “Rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program”
• E.O. 13950 – “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping”
• E.O. 13672 – “Revocation of Federal Contracting”
• E.O. 13769 – “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”
• “President’s Report to Congress on the Proposed Refugee Admissions for FY 21”
• Presidential Proclamation 10052 – “Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak”
• E.O. 13944 – “Ensuring Essential Medicines, Medical Countermeasures and Critical Inputs Are Made in the United States”
• E.O. 13948 – “Lowering Drug Prices by Putting America First”
• E.O. 13957 – “Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service”

Extend:

• E.O. 13771 – “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs”
• E.O. 13805 – “Establishing a Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure”
• E.O. 13766 – “Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals for High-Priority Infrastructure Projects”
• E.O. 13845 – “Continuing the President’s National Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board”
• E.O. 13932 – “Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates”
• E.O. 13777 – “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda”
• E.O. 13806 – “Assessing and Strengthening the Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and Supply Chain Resiliency of the United States”
• E.O.s – “Strengthening the Federal Government’s Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts”

-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 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.32 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 62% 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.

Washington, D.C. – As the National Association of Manufacturers and The Manufacturing Institute, the nonprofit workforce development and education partner of the NAM, continue to provide transformational support for the industry, the organizations announced key promotions to multiple divisions.

Among those being promoted at the NAM is Ken Monahan, to Vice President of International Economic Affairs after serving as a member of the policy team since 2015.

“Ken has been a pivotal member of our team during a volatile trade policy environment and adeptly helped our members navigate through it,” said NAM President and CEO and MI Chairman of the Board Jay Timmons. “He took on complex issues created by the pandemic and was instrumental in our successful campaign in support of U.S. congressional passage of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. His expertise and experience will help manufacturers shape trade policy as we work with the incoming Biden administration.”

Additional promotions in the NAM’s policy, communications and membership divisions, as well as the Manufacturing Leadership Council, include the following:

• Kristie Arslan has been promoted to Senior Director of Member and Board Relations.
• Charles Crain has been promoted to Senior Director of Tax and Domestic Economic Policy.
• Alyssa Dixon has been promoted to Associate Director of Conference Operations.
• Nina Hawkins has been promoted to Senior Director of Membership Operations.
• Brian James has been promoted to Senior Director of Conference Operations.
• Susie Larson has been promoted to Manager in the Office of the President.
• Kevin Mullooly has been promoted to Director of Editorial.
• Joe Murphy has been promoted to Associate Director of Rapid Response.
• Megan Stewart has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Membership.
• Dan Witherington has been promoted to Director of Council Development within the MLC.

The MI announced that Herb Grant has been named its new Vice President of Operations after serving as Director of the NAM’s Creators Wanted initiative, responsible for the operations of the manufacturing’s largest campaign to change perceptions and close the skills gap, and in recent months the Creators Respond effort, which helped mobilize and support the industry’s response to COVID-19.

“The need to attract and retain a skilled workforce continues to be manufacturers’ top concern according to the NAM’s quarterly Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, and the MI and the Creators Wanted campaign is needed more than ever to help close the skills gap facing our nation’s manufacturers as they work to produce needed supplies to battle the pandemic. Herb’s industry experience was vital to the national response in the past several months, and now as we look at what is needed to spur our economic recovery, he will serve an important role in accelerating and expanding the impact of the MI,” said MI Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “The tremendous expansion of the MI’s work in the past year speaks to those priorities, and this new position will lead an effort to build and expand the MI’s operational systems and processes to drive the mission execution and support the annual delivery of the MI’s programs.”

Additional promotions at the MI include the following:

• Jen White has been promoted to Senior Program Manager on the Heroes MAKE America team.
• Alexandra Becker has been promoted to Manager on the Workforce team.

“Manufacturers’ ability to meet the needs of the country and be the arsenal of democracy in the most challenging year since the great recession has been on full display,” said Timmons. “The NAM and MI’s leadership throughout the pandemic is made possible by the people that comprise our best-in-class staff. Each one of these individuals has gone above and beyond their current roles and repeatedly delivered results for manufacturers in America. In their new roles, they will be an integral part of moving our industry forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing the challenges in the years ahead.”

-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 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.33 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% 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.

-Manufacturing Institute-

The MI grows and supports the manufacturing industry’s skilled workers for the advancement of modern manufacturing. The MI’s diverse initiatives support all workers in America, including women, veterans and students, through skills training programs, community building and the advancement of their career in manufacturing. As the workforce development and education partner of the NAM, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with resources necessary to solve the industry’s toughest challenges. For more information on the MI, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers announced new 2021 leadership for its Council of Manufacturing Associations at the CMA 2021 Winter Leadership Conference. Robb MacKie, president and CEO of the American Bakers Association, will serve as chair, and Phil Bell, president and CEO of the Steel Manufacturers Association, will serve as vice chair. Made up of more than 260 industry-specific manufacturing associations, the CMA is a powerful assembly of manufacturers and a critical NAM partner.

“As business leaders in our communities, bakers and manufacturers are the voice for free enterprise, opportunity and bold innovation. I am also excited to help promote the importance of manufacturers in solving our country’s challenges,” said MacKie. “Bakers and manufacturers play a vital role in our country, and I look forward to helping strengthen that role during these uncertain and challenging times.”

“America is confronting enormous challenges, and the business community has a responsibility to keep leading us forward—to defeat the pandemic and to protect our democracy,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Robb and Phil are extraordinary leaders, profoundly committed to bring about an American renewal and upholding the values that have made us exceptional: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity. The CMA is in good hands with them at the helm, and manufacturing associations look forward to working with the incoming administration and all leaders who believe in these shared values.”

The CMA’s mission is focused on bolstering the industry’s nationwide grassroots mobilization efforts and improving the competitiveness of manufacturers in the United States. CMA members work with the NAM to unite the manufacturing association community, and ultimately the broader business community, around strategies for increased manufacturing job creation, investment and innovation in America.

MacKie is the baking industry’s chief advocate and spokesperson, bringing his decades of experience, knowledge of policy and meaningful relationships to promote and protect the interests of businesses in the baking sector. Before becoming ABA’s president and CEO in 2006, he was vice president of government relations. MacKie previously served as CMA vice chair.

New 2021 CMA board members selected to serve a three-year term include the following:

• Jennifer Abril, president and CEO, Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates
• Heidi Brock, president and CEO, American Forest & Paper Association
• Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association

-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 12.1 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 62% 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

Washington, D.C. – Following President-elect Joe Biden’s announcement nominating Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo for Secretary of the Department of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released this statement:

“We congratulate Gov. Raimondo on her selection to serve as Secretary of Commerce. The National Association of Manufacturers has always enjoyed a special relationship with the Department of Commerce. The NAM championed the 1903 establishment of the department as one of our association’s earliest causes.

“Our partners at the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association have enjoyed a productive working relationship with Gov. Raimondo, who will undoubtedly draw on her past private-sector experience in her new role. With a family that has been heavily involved in manufacturing, she knows well that our industry is the backbone of the American economy. So we look forward to working with her and her team to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturing in America and to continue our efforts to build a stronger, more inclusive modern manufacturing workforce—to create more career opportunities for more Americans.”

-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 12.1 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 62% 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

Washington, D.C. – Following President-elect Joe Biden’s announcement nominating Isabel Guzman for Administrator of the Small Business Administration, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released this statement:

“Small and medium-sized manufacturers are the heart of the manufacturing industry in America. The NAM has long enjoyed a strong working relationship with the SBA, and this past year in particular the work of the SBA, especially the Paycheck Protection Program, has been critical for small manufacturers weathering the difficult economy. We congratulate Isabel Guzman on her nomination and look forward to working with her to ensure that small and medium-sized manufacturers can thrive in the United States and continue creating great jobs for the American people.”

-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 12.1 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 62% 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.

Washington, D.C. – Following President-elect Joe Biden’s announcement nominating Boston, Massachusetts, Mayor Marty Walsh for Secretary of Labor, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released this statement:

“Manufacturers congratulate Mayor Walsh on his nomination. Our industry works every day to build a stronger, safer, more prosperous manufacturing workforce. We have more than half a million manufacturing jobs to fill right now and expect up to 4.6 million will need to be filled by 2028, which is why we launched our Creators Wanted campaign with The Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s workforce development and education partner. Our focus is on inspiring a new generation and people of all backgrounds to pursue high-paying modern manufacturing careers. We look forward to opportunities to work with the Labor Department in the Biden administration to grow and strengthen our workforce.”

-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 12.1 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 62% 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.