NAM Hails Manufacturing in California on State of Manufacturing Tour
Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers traveled to California on Tuesday, February 26, and Wednesday, February 27, to highlight the state’s modern manufacturing industry as part of the fifth-annual NAM State of Manufacturing Tour. During the visit, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons and Manufacturing Institute Executive Director Carolyn Lee met with students, business leaders and local manufacturers to discuss the industry’s optimistic outlook for the future, the high-tech, high-paying opportunities in modern manufacturing and the urgent need to recruit the next generation of manufacturers. Fluor Corporation Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair David Seaton joined Timmons and Lee for these events.
We’re at the next frontier of manufacturing in the United States. We’re leading in technological advances, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and augmented reality, that will actually spur job creation, will boost wages and will help us lift everyone up and leave no one behind, said Timmons.
We should not fear the future. Powered by tax reform and regulatory certainty, manufacturers in America are keeping our promise to invest in our people and our communities. Modern manufacturing is vital to the California economy, and we’re driving innovation in agriculture, bioscience, electronics, energy and more. We’re stronger than ever, and that means we need to hire more innovators and creators than ever. With 428,000 jobs open today and 4.6 million to fill over the next decade, manufacturers across America are saying ‘creators wanted.’
We should not fear the future. Powered by tax reform and regulatory certainty, manufacturers in America are keeping our promise to invest in our people and our communities. Modern manufacturing is vital to the California economy, and we’re driving innovation in agriculture, bioscience, electronics, energy and more. We’re stronger than ever, and that means we need to hire more innovators and creators than ever. With 428,000 jobs open today and 4.6 million to fill over the next decade, manufacturers across America are saying ‘creators wanted.’
Timmons and Lee then visited Bishop-Wisecarver, an automation solutions provider, to tour the facility. Following the tour, Timmons and Lee met with Bishop-Wisecarver President and NAM Board Member Pamela Kan and local stakeholders to discuss workforce opportunities and how manufacturing companies can champion science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the community to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Lee ended the day visiting Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, California, where she met the school’s robotics team and discussed how STEM education is inspiring their future career aspirations.
On Wednesday, Timmons, Lee and Seaton started the day at Salesforce for a panel discussion with Achyut Jajoo, vice president of manufacturing, automotive and energy industries at Salesforce, andLance Hastings, president of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association. Business and community leaders and industry representatives heard from panel participants about how technology is transforming the manufacturing industry and the looming workforce crisis for California’s manufacturers.
We are a committed partner in driving innovation and business agility to manufacturers, said Jajoo. As a partner, we are collaborating to bring not only our leadership in technology innovations, but also business practices like equality, trust and philanthropy to drive growth in the industry not only in California, but nationally as well.
The group then spent the afternoon with Kate Sofis, CEO of the SFMade Manufacturing Foundry, a nonprofit that is focused on developing local manufacturers and spurring economic development in the city. While at the Foundry, Timmons, Lee and Seaton met with five local manufacturerers, showcasing the diverse manufacturing companies—from medical device makers to apparel makers—that are powering the industry forward.
California is home to a strong manufacturing industry, and we have an abundance of opportunities for those who are interested in high-tech, rewarding careers. We want to do everything we can to grow stronger and hire more Californians, said Hastings. Our businesses are leading the way when it comes to innovation and modernization, and our manufacturing companies are no different. We are thrilled to have the NAM in our great state this week to showcase the diverse opportunities in this exciting industry.
For the past five years, the annual NAM State of Manufacturing Tour has focused the nation’s attention on the industry that is the backbone of America’s economy, highlighting the more than 12.8 million men and women who are building our future and solving tomorrow’s challenges today. The tour has traveled the country, bringing policy discussions and conversations about the future of work in the manufacturing industry to shop floors, schools, economic clubs, television studios, the White House and more. This year’s tour will spotlight the industry’s next frontier, while also focusing on manufacturing’s well-paying careers, the industry’s diverse workforce and the policy solutions that are essential for manufacturing’s continued growth.
MEDIA RSVP: Members of the media interested in covering the tour or attending an event should contact [email protected]. To learn more about the NAM State of Manufacturing Tour 2019, click here.
-NAM-
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) 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 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters 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 Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.