Press Releases

Mount Olive, NC – Today,the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Mt. Olive Pickle Company hosted Rep. David Rouzer (NC-7) 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. Rouzer’s commitment to building the modern manufacturing workforce and expanding opportunities for American workers, said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. Mt. Olive Pickle Company, 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 482,000 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. Rouzer’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, Rouzer had the opportunity to see firsthand the types of high-skilled jobs required to run Mt. Olive Pickle Company’s machinery and equipment.

As many in Wayne County know, Mt. Olive Pickle Company is critical to our local economy—employing approximately 500 folks in and around the area. It was an honor to visit the Mt. Olive facility, meet with employees and discuss the issues that matter most to them, said Rouzer. One of the main themes I keep hearing throughout the 7th District is the success our businesses and families have been experiencing as a result of tax cuts and tax reform. For far too long, individuals, families and businesses were burdened by an outdated and unfair tax code that was a drag on our economy and penalized hard-work. Lower taxes and a simpler tax code that rewards investment and hard work—along with the repeal of unnecessary and burdensome regulations—have created the conditions for a much stronger economy unleashing the talent and ingenuity of the American workforce. I look forward to Mt. Olive’s continued success and contributions to our citizens, economy and country.

During a roundtable discussion, company leaders thanked Rouzer for his commitment to helping build the high-skilled workforce needed to fill modern manufacturing jobs.

We have experienced significant growth in recent years, and that has generated a critical demand for dependable, skilled machine operators, maintenance technicians and general production employees, as well as those with capabilities in food science and other technical areas, said Mt. Olive Pickle Company Executive Chairman Bill Bryan. Our ability to continue to meet the demands of an increasingly sophisticated marketplace relies on having the right people in the right places within our organization.

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.