Press Releases

Peoria, IL – The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Advanced Technology Services in Peoria hosted Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL-18) for a facility tour and employee town hall on Monday to discuss the real-world impact of tax reform and other ways Congress can better serve the interests of Illinois manufacturers.

When Congressman LaHood cast his vote for tax reform last year, he was voting in support of Illinois manufacturing workers. Now, Illinois and the country, are reaping the benefits. We’ve seen new jobs, rising wages, special bonuses and expanded manufacturing operations, and manufacturers report that even more good news is on the way, said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. Last year, manufacturers said that if leaders in Congress stood with us on tax reform, we would deliver for our people and our communities. Congressman LaHood and his colleagues delivered, and manufacturers are now keeping our promise.

Following the facility tour, Rep. LaHood held a town hall with Advanced Technology Services employees, where he touted the historic tax reform package and reiterated his optimism for the future of manufacturing in Illinois.

After years of stagnation, it is clear that our economy is on the upswing thanks to the tax reform law we passed last December, said Rep. LaHood. My visit to Advanced Technology Services today demonstrated once again how the new law has boosted manufacturers’ confidence and is providing more opportunities for expansion and even skills training for their employees. I want to thank ATS CEO Jeff Owens and all of the employees for their invitation and for the fantastic discussions about how tax reform is helping them, providing valuable insight that will guide me as Congress works to continue updating our tax code.

Manufacturing contributes an estimated $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy and supports 571,800 jobs in Illinois 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.

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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.