In Uncertain Times, The Manufacturing Sector Leads

NAM CEO Jay Timmons Speaks at the 2020 CMA Winter Conference

At the Council of Manufacturing Associations Winter Leadership Conference last week, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons discussed the industry’s extraordinary achievements during uncertain economic and political times and the need for continued strong industry leadership in 2020.

In his remarks, Timmons described how 2019 was defined by major manufacturing achievements, including many that were considered unlikely.

Before @NAMCMA leaders last week, I discussed how 2019 brought very promising trade developments–not just USMCA, but also a 7-year reauthorization of the @ExImBankUS and a deal with China that includes transformative intellectual property protections. pic.twitter.com/HLtJNeFiIX

— Jay Timmons (@JayTimmonsNAM) January 13, 2020

Timmons also made the case that, while not all of the manufacturing industry’s victories were widely covered in mass media, they were numerous and necessary.

Manufacturers also racked up victories that didn’t make constant 2019 headlines–from new @SEC_News rules, to @EPA regulatory certainty, to the repeal of onerous taxes on health care. pic.twitter.com/G5M5P9g2vQ

— Jay Timmons (@JayTimmonsNAM) January 13, 2020

Timmons made note of the ongoing 2020 election and cast the manufacturing industry as a leader in complicated political environments. In the midst of the escalating campaign, Timmons laid out manufacturers’ vital role.

The politics of the 2020 election will strain our nation. Our institutions will be challenged. Our country needs a unifying force. Manufacturers must speak and act in ways that bridge differences and forge consensus. pic.twitter.com/4fpiucYP1N

— Jay Timmons (@JayTimmonsNAM) January 13, 2020

As manufacturers look to the future, Timmons discussed the need for new skilled workers and an engaged workforce that can help drive modern manufacturing and promote America’s manufacturing strength. He spoke about the Creators Wanted campaign—a unique and unprecedented effort from the NAM and The Manufacturing Institute to inspire a new generation to pursue careers in the industry.

.@TheMFGInstitute’s and @ShopfloorNAM’s #CreatorsWanted campaign is not only part of our workforce strategy, but also the foundation on which the industry will build the future. Now is our chance to transform perceptions and inspire a new generation. pic.twitter.com/I9UYCJusVn

— Jay Timmons (@JayTimmonsNAM) January 13, 2020

Timmons closed by stating that manufacturers’ leadership will determine not only the achievements of this coming year, but also what the United States looks like and represents for years to come—and he called on manufacturing leaders to seize that opportunity.

Manufacturers must embrace this new decade. Lead boldly. Affirm our values. Be a force for unity. Engage our people. And keep our sights focused firmly on the future.

See excerpts from my remarks from the @NAMCMA conference here. 👉https://t.co/xxFqxskLvF pic.twitter.com/ZEjN9ACdKi

— Jay Timmons (@JayTimmonsNAM) January 13, 2020

Get more information about our Creators Wanted campaign.

Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the midterm elections, the National Association of Manufacturers released its policy roadmap, “Competing to Win,” a comprehensive blueprint featuring immediate solutions for bolstering manufacturers’ competitiveness. It is also a roadmap for policymakers on the laws and regulations needed to strengthen the manufacturing industry in the months and years ahead.

With the country facing rising prices, snarled supply chains and geopolitical turmoil, manufacturers are outlining an actionable competitiveness agenda that Americans across the political spectrum can support. “Competing to Win” includes the policies manufacturers in America will need in place to continue driving the country forward.

“‘Competing to Win’ offers a path for bringing our country together around policies, shared values and a unified purpose,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “The NAM is putting forward a plan filled with ideas that policymakers could pursue immediately, including solutions to urgent problems, such as energy security, immigration reform, supply chain disruptions, the ongoing workforce shortage and more. Manufacturers have shown incredible resilience through difficult times, employing more workers now than before the pandemic, but continued resilience is not guaranteed without the policies that are critical to the state of manufacturing in America.”

The NAM and its members will leverage “Competing to Win” to shape policy debates ahead of the midterm elections, in the remainder of the 117th Congress and at the start of the 118th Congress—including in direct engagement with lawmakers, for grassroots activity, across traditional and digital media and through events in key states and districts as we did following the initial rollout of the roadmap in 2016.

The document focuses on 12 areas of action, and all policies are rooted in the values that have made America exceptional and keep manufacturing strong: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.

Learn more about how manufacturers are leading and about the industry’s competitiveness agenda at nam.org/competing-to-win.

-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