Press Releases

Oxford, MI – The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Oxford Forge, Inc. hosted Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI-8) for a facility tour and roundtable with local business and community leaders on Monday to discuss the real-world impact of tax reform and other ways Congress can better serve the interests of Michigan manufacturers.

Congressman Bishop stood with Michigan manufacturing workers when he cast his vote for tax reform last year, and now the people of Michigan are seeing the overwhelmingly positive results: new jobs, rising wages, special bonuses and expanded manufacturing operations, said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. It is undeniably good news. Last year, manufacturers told Congress that if they stood with us on tax reform, we would deliver for our people and our communities. Congressman Bishop and his colleagues delivered, and manufacturers are now keeping our promise.

Following the plant tour, team members from Oxford Forge, Inc. and parent company American Axle & Manufacturing thanked Rep. Bishop for voting in favor of the historic tax reform package and reiterated their optimism for the future of manufacturing in Michigan.

Reforming our nation’s outdated, cumbersome tax code has energized our economy, resulting in the lowest unemployment rate since 2000 and record job creation, said Rep. Bishop. It is absolutely critical here in Michigan that our manufacturers are supported, and I appreciated the opportunity to tour the American Axle & Manufacturing facility in Oxford and sit down with employees. I look forward to continuing my work in Washington to promote policies, like apprenticeship programs, that provide access to the services and support workers need to meet employer demand.

During the group’s roundtable discussion, the importance of building on the momentum of tax reform by dedicating attention to solving the shortage of much needed laborers through workforce development initiatives was agreed to unanimously by Rep. Bishop and participants.

Manufacturing contributes an estimated $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy and supports 598,800 jobs in Michigan alone, according to the NAM. Today’s event focused on the increasing optimism among local manufacturers and the ways local business leaders are already taking advantage of the historic reforms.

-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.