TMA Applauds Passage of National Strategic Plan For Manufacturing

Flanked by Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL-3) and Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), Technology & Manufacturing Association of Illinois leaders gathered with colleagues at Atlas Tool Works, in Lyons, Illinois Monday morning to applaud legislation creating a national strategic plan for manufacturers, recently signed into law by President Obama. “I commend Congressman Lipinski and Senator Kirk for their hard work hard and vision to sponsor this critical legislation,” stated Zachary Mottl, Chief Alignment Officer of Atlas Tool Works and Immediate Past Chairman of the TMA. “It is critical to the United States economy that we have a cohesive, forward looking manufacturing platform. After all, prior to this law’s passage, we really hadn’t had a national manufacturing policy since Alexander Hamilton’s “Report on Manufactures” in 1791,” he added.

TMA Vice Chairman Fernando Ortiz, Treasurer Jim Carr, and board member Greg Kaplan along with several other TMA members and their employees, joined Mottl. Also speaking on behalf of local manufacturers was Bill Hickey, President of Lapham-Hickey Steel of Bedford Park, Illinois.

Congressman Lipinski’s bipartisan legislation to boost domestic manufacturing and American jobs by requiring a national strategic plan for manufacturing requires that at least every four years the President work with public and private stakeholders to produce and publish a plan to promote American manufacturing. In addition, every year the President’s budget blueprint will have to contain an explanation of how it promotes the most recent manufacturing strategy. Lipinski’s bill, which passed the House three times over the past five years, was included in legislation that passed both houses and was signed into law by the President last week. Sen. Kirk had introduced the bill in the Senate and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) was the lead Republican co-sponsor in the House.

“This a big victory for a sector of our economy that over the years has provided so many high quality jobs in my district, in our region, and across the nation, but has taken many hits over the past couple of decades, especially during the recent recession,” said Rep Lipinski. “While manufacturing is by-and-large a private, market endeavor, few can disagree that government policy impacts manufacturing in countless ways. It is essential that the U.S. join many of our competitors in assessing these policies in a comprehensive, coordinated approach. I want to thank Mark Kirk for his leadership on this bill in the Senate and Adam Kinzinger for his help in the House.”

“The people of Illinois reflect the highest work ethic of the Midwest,” said Senator Kirk. “It’s those men and women who keep me optimistic about the future of Illinois and the future of manufacturing as a pillar of the Illinois economy.”

About TMA: 8 small manufacturing companies who thought they could better themselves by associating with one another founded TMA in 1925. Through the years, members established programs and services that would help their businesses grow and prosper, train their employees, and provide medical and retirement benefits. As a result of these efforts, TMA has grown into an almost 1,000 member not-for-profit organization representing more than 30,000 employees of precision manufacturing and supplier companies throughout Illinois.