Members of the Utah College of Applied Technology Board of Trustees in their board meeting on Thursday at Ogden/Weber ATC unanimously re-elected Thomas E. Bingham as chairman of the Board of Trustees and Michael Madsen vice chairman. Bingham is president of the Utah Manufacturers Association and also chair of the Tooele ATC; Madsen is a contractor from Bear Lake and is chair of the Bridgerland ATC. The board met following the ribbon cutting ceremony at the OWATC Health Science Building.
STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES SUGGEST WEAK ECONOMY
Today in Manufacturing
Changing trend in state unemployment rates reflect a weaker economy that has been hampered by high gas prices and lower factory output ... continue
FEATURE: FROM A DIFFERENT MOLD
Today in Manufacturing
What is it about this company that has allowed it to not only survive, but thrive to the point where it's doubled its sales in the last three years? ... continue
LEADING INDICATORS SIGNAL SLOW GROWTH
Today in Manufacturing
Private research group forecasts that the economy will grow modestly over the next few months, recovering from a late-spring slump ... continue
WILL AN OLDER WORK FORCE INCREASE COSTS?
Quick Manufacturing News
Older workers tend to be more responsible and dependable, but they may also be more vulnerable to injury than their younger counterparts. Click to continue
SAFETY 2011: IT'S THE 'REAL WORLD' FOR NIOSH RESEARCHERS
Quick Manufacturing News
NIOSH scientists will be getting out of their labs and out into the field to help them understand the workplace challenges they're researching, NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard told an audience at Safety 2011 in Chicago. Click to continue
U.S. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION TO GROW 6% IN 2011
Quick Manufacturing News
Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI cites pent-up demand for consumer durables as causing growth. Click to continue
OFFICIALS EXPECT PROLONGED HIGH FOOD PRICES
Today in Manufacturing
High food prices are likely to rise even further over next decade, putting the poor at increasing risk of malnutrition and hunger, says world food report ... continue
DALEY HAS CONTENTIOUS MEETING WITH MANUFACTURERS
Washington Post
According to the Washington Post the White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley appeared at a meeting of the National Association of Manufacturers, which "turned into a rare public dressing down of the president's policies" as "exasperated" business officials aired "their grievances on environmental regulations and stalled free-trade deals." Daley meanwhile "offered blunt assessments on key issues of interest to executives in the room." Mary Andringa, president and CEO of Vermeer Corporation and the Chair of the Board of NAM, "described the meeting as 'constructive' and was 'quite pleased' that Daley devoted more than an hour to the group's concerns." A White House spokesperson described the event as a "frank and open conversation...about steps we can take to drive private-sector job growth."
CONGRESS EYES DEFUNDING BIOMASS ENERGY PROGRAM
Ballard Spahr Publications
The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to defund the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) as part of the agriculture appropriation bill (H.R. 2112) for fiscal year 2012.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture created BCAP in 2009 to encourage the use of otherwise wasted biomass materials for energy production. The program included two components: (1) matching payments to entities that harvest and sell forest and agriculture waste to biomass power plants and biorefineries, and (2) payments to farmers to establish new crops grown specifically for energy production.
After experiencing problems with the initial implementation of the matching payments component, the USDA reintroduced the program in October 2010 with new regulations that addressed concerns articulated by various stakeholders. Among other things, the new regulations included requirements to ensure that biomass materials were collected and harvested through sustainable forestry and agronomic practices. The proposed defunding comes at a time when the USDA has had little opportunity to implement the new rules it views to be more effective.
Defunding BCAP could significantly affect the availability of biomass material for energy utilization. It would also eliminate an incentive for private industry to help improve forest health and reduce wildfire risks through forest residue removal for energy usage.
FOCUS: NAM MEMBERS TELL LAWMAKERS MANUFACTURING MEANS JOBS!
NAM Capital Briefing
Amidst a slowing economic recovery and an unemployment rate that has crept back up to 9.1 percent, hundreds of NAM members from around the United States joined forces on Capitol Hill this week to urge lawmakers to enact policies to encourage growth and create jobs. In 220 meetings with members of Congress, manufacturers outlined specific measures policymakers can take to make the United States more competitive.
The NAM's 2011 Manufacturing Summit centered around a simple message: Manufacturing Means Jobs! Over the course of the two-day Summit, 400 manufacturers sat down with policymakers to discuss three key policies that would go a long way toward achieving this goal. Reduce excessive regulations. Adopt pro-growth tax reform. Pass the pending free trade agreements (FTAs) that would all make our country more competitive.
Following these visits, the NAM hosted a congressional reception on Wednesday, June 15, to bring lawmakers of both parties together with NAM member companies for an evening dedicated to manufacturing. On Thursday, June 16, Summit attendees welcomed Sen. John Thune (R-SD), chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, to discuss his insights on the tax and regulatory issues Congress is facing and how these policies will impact manufacturers. He also spoke about energy supply and cautioned that current policies have our economy headed for a train wreck.
Later that day, White House Chief of Staff William Daley spoke about the Administration's efforts to get the economy back on track and the President's involvement in skilled workforce issues. He also acknowledged that the NAM has been a powerful advocate for business and manufacturing, especially regarding FTAs, and assured attendees that the agreements will be passed.
Until then, the United States is falling behind the rest of the world. Other countries are adopting pro-growth policies while our nation stands still. It is 18 percent more expensive to manufacture a product in the United States than it is in another country—and that does not include the cost of labor. Enacting critical policies on regulations, taxes and free trade would make a meaningful difference for manufacturers' bottom lines and for our nation.
In their visits on Capitol Hill, manufacturers encouraged congressional leaders to act swiftly to restore and extend the research and development (R&D) tax credit and to preserve the individual tax rate cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003. They explained how the lack of certainty with an on-again, off-again R&D credit influences companies' future R&D budgets, particularly as many manufacturers are courted by other countries offering more generous and permanent R&D tax incentives. They also reminded lawmakers that without congressional action before the end of next year, individual tax rates will increase and small business owners—our nation's job creators—will be facing billions of dollars in new taxes.
Manufacturers also reiterated their support for the Colombia, Korea and Panama FTAs, which will boost U.S. exports by as much as $13 billion annually and create tens of thousands of new manufacturing jobs in America. Four of the largest competitors to the United States—Canada, the European Union, Japan and Korea—have either completed or are in the process of negotiating nearly 40 separate trade agreements with nearly 100 countries. In every one of these markets, the United States will face disadvantages that will impair our ability to competitively sell our products.
NAM members also focused on the burdens of overregulation and gave personal examples of how the actions of the EPA and other agencies will add restrictions, increase costs, destroy jobs and undermine their competitiveness. At a time when the U.S. and global economies are under extreme pressure, manufacturers argued, policymakers should look very cautiously at new government programs to expand environmental rules or impose entirely new regulatory regimes.
Most important, NAM members told the story of manufacturing—of how it improves lives and creates prosperity. Manufacturers are engaged in the public debate, and they care about the future of the nation. NAM Board Chair Mary Andringa related manufacturers' story on Fox Business on Thursday, June 16. She explained how manufacturing has a presence in every congressional district in the country, and every member of Congress has a stake in the issues NAM members brought to Capitol Hill this week at the third annual Manufacturing Summit. To read NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons' editorial in Roll Call on the Manufacturing Summit, click here.
IMMIGRATION REFORM BILLS INTRODUCED IN THE HOUSE
NAM Capital BriefingOn Tuesday, June 14, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Lamar Smith (R-TX) each introduced legislation on immigration issues. Rep. Smith's Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 2164) would mandate that the E-Verify Program be phased-in nationally for all employers over a period of two years. The bill is a more common-sense approach to verification, as it pre-empts the varied verification laws being adopted state by state. A legislative hearing on H.R. 2164 took place on Wednesday, June 15, and markup is expected before the August congressional recess. Rep. Lofgren's bill, the Immigration Driving Entrepreneurship in America (IDEA) Act, focuses on creating and maintaining a high-skilled workforce by providing a clearer path to green cards for foreign-born students, a concept long supported by the NAM.
U.S. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION UP SLIGHTLY
Quick Manufacturing News
However, manufacturing production rose 0.4%. Click to continue
HOUSE PANEL: OIL SANDS PROJECT CRITICAL TO U.S. ENERGY SECURITY
Quick Manufacturing News
Obama administration is the 'one thing standing in the way,' says energy committee chairman. Click to continue
UNEMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS DROP
Today in Manufacturing
Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, though applications remain above levels consistent with a healthy economy ... continue
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