Press Releases

Mt. Airy, NC – Today,the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Altec Inc. hosted Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-5) for a facility tour and workforce development roundtable to discuss the need to fill the high-skilled jobs required for modern manufacturing, which is critical to North Carolina’s economic prosperity.

Manufacturers appreciate Rep. Foxx’s commitment to building the modern manufacturing workforce and expanding opportunities for American workers, said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. Altec, like manufacturers across this country, face an urgent need for trained, talented workers, a need that will only grow in the coming years. Right now, manufacturers have some 441,000 jobs to fill—jobs that are rewarding and high-paying and help families build brighter futures. By 2025, as many as 2 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled, according to a study by Deloitte and the NAM’s Manufacturing Institute. So, we need all elected leaders engaged, and we’re grateful for Rep. Foxx’s leadership on this issue as well as other manufacturing issues like tax reform and regulatory relief, which have also empowered manufacturing workers.

During the facility tour, Rep. Foxx had the opportunity to see firsthand the types of high-skilled jobs required to run Altec’s machinery and equipment.

Manufacturing is at the heart of the 5th District’s economy,” said Rep. Foxx. As the district’s economy continues to evolve from historically manufactured products to cutting-edge innovations in areas such as telecommunications, I will continue to support policies that allow manufacturing to thrive. Altec’s products and services enable workers to do what Americans do best—get the job done. Manufacturers like Altec contribute $100 billion to North Carolina’s economy and employ over 460,000 residents of our state, and I look forward to supporting enterprises like Altec as we continue to put Americans back to work.

During a roundtable discussion, company leaders thanked Rep. Foxx for her commitment to helping build the high-skilled workforce to fill modern manufacturing jobs.

We appreciate the strong support we receive from Rep. Foxx, said Altec Chairman and CEO Lee Styslinger III. She has always recognized the importance of manufacturing in helping to generate economic growth—both in the U.S. as well as in her district. In addition, I commend Rep. Foxx for her outstanding leadership in the areas of education and workforce development. Her experience in education reform and her innovative ideas related to the changing nature of work are helping to develop important initiatives that will generate job growth for U.S. workers and help U.S. businesses meet the workforce challenges of the 21st century.

Manufacturing contributes an estimated $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy and supports 460,200 jobs in North Carolina alone, according to the NAM.

-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.