NAM Board Member Named to U.S. Manufacturing Council

03/14/13 -  National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons issued a statement after Carlos Cardoso, chairman, president and CEO of Kennametal Inc., and NAM Board member, was appointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Manufacturing Council. The Council, made up of 30 members from various industries, advises the secretary of commerce on all matters relating to manufacturing. Manufacturing Institute Board member and GenMet Corp. President Mary Isbister was named as the Council’s vice chair.

“Carlos Cardoso has been a leader in the drive for pro-growth manufacturing policies and will be an excellent addition to the U.S. Manufacturing Council. His impressive experience as an executive will bring a reasoned and positive outlook to the Council. Equally important, Carlos is an innovator and a problem solver. At Kennametal, he has modeled programs to educate and engage high school students and advisors to experience firsthand what today’s manufacturing truly is—a modern, technology-driven industry that is the future of economic growth—all to attract the next generation of talent to viable manufacturing careers. The NAM has greatly benefitted from Carlos’s involvement on our Board. The Council will see the same insight and commitment that we know so well.”

Cardoso founded the Young Engineers Program in 2011 under The Kennametal Foundation to provide a hands-on experience for local high school juniors and seniors interested in engineering. Kennametal’s world-class technology innovation center serves as a real-world classroom for the program, where students learn about engineering and modern manufacturing through practical experience. The program provides a diverse curriculum delivered by Kennametal engineers, including classroom discussion, manufacturing facility field trips, mentoring and business acumen, culminating in inventions the students develop in teams, such as a backpack that charges mobile devices.