Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers announced that Thomas F. Pettit, Chief Operations Officer at Generac Power Systems, Inc. has been named to the NAM Board of Directors. Tom will join the NAM Board to bolster the association’s leadership in policy advocacy, workforce solutions, legal action, operational excellence and news and insights. He will help the industry advance an agenda that promotes growth 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 and is the nation’s most influential advocate for manufacturing. The NAM’s membership includes some of the world’s most iconic brands and many of the small manufacturers that power the U.S. economy. Nearly 90% of the NAM’s members are small and medium-sized businesses.

The organization has become a “one-stop shop” for manufacturers, telling the stories of manufacturers and equipping manufacturers with invaluable resources through our news and insights channels and partnerships with the Manufacturing Leadership Council and Manufacturing Institute.

The NAM and its members are at the forefront of every important policy debate for manufacturers and have led the nation’s response to COVID-19. The NAM has worked with member companies to mobilize personal protective equipment and other key resources. Manufacturers have come to the aid of the nation and are leading by example with campaigns on safe health practices and vaccine acceptance. 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.

“I am honored to be a part of the NAM Board and to continue to fight for policies that will ensure our continued growth and success as manufacturers,” said Generac’s Tom Pettit.
“Lawmakers need to understand how their policies affect the more than 12 million men and women employed in manufacturing. I look forward to sharing Generac’s story as provider of essential energy solutions, and to keeping our promise to deliver for our employees and customers as manufacturing leads our country out of this pandemic.”

Board members play a key role in the NAM’s “Creators Wanted” campaign, a member-driven initiative to inspire and drive more Americans to pursue careers in modern manufacturing. The campaign, which supports Manufacturing Institute programs for students, women, veterans and underrepresented communities and is punctuated by a mobile 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, as well as the number of parents who would encourage their children to pursue a career in modern manufacturing.

“Tom Pettit 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. “Manufacturers are the driving force behind our economic recovery and our fight to defeat COVID-19. We are working with lawmakers to ensure they deliver the policies America needs to grow, provide skilled jobs, including long-term issues like infrastructure investment, immigration reform, trade expansion and workforce development. We will also defend the progress we’ve made on tax reform and regulatory certainty to ensure we can keep our promises to invest in our people and communities and build the strongest economy possible. The NAM’s mission is to ensure we always keep moving forward, and Mr. Pettit will bring invaluable insights as we 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.”

Generac’s CEO, Aaron Jagdfeld, commented that “Tom has been instrumental in leading our operations teams as they support the next level of growth at the company through investments in capacity, systems, and talent to further build our capabilities for the future.”

Tom brings to Generac and NAM his experience that began in the US Army Corp of Engineers, including stints at McKinsey and Company, GE, and Pentair, and builds on leadership training and discipline from his undergraduate studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

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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.