FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 14, 2010
CONTACT OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
202-482-4883
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Leads Inaugural Meeting of Manufacturing Council
Council to work with administration to enhance competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing sector
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke met today with the 24 members of the recently-appointed Manufacturing Council.
“Today’s meeting is an example of the public-private partnership needed to restore our manufacturing sector in the United States,” said Locke. “I look forward to working with the members of the Council to present President Obama with solutions to revitalize this critical sector, grow our economy and put Americans back to work.
The Council advises the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector, and government policies and programs that affect U.S. manufacturers. The Council’s new charter increased membership from 15 to 25 members and now includes more diverse and expansive industry representation in the manufacturing sector. The appointees represent a broad cross section of the industry and include steel, supercomputer, solar panel, medical device and superconductor manufacturers, both large and small. Their products support a diverse range of industries such as the auto, aerospace, apparel and energy efficiency sectors.
Key priorities for this Council include supporting small- and medium manufacturing businesses, advanced manufacturing practices, and global competitiveness issues.
Manufacturing is the key to economic revitalization and the growth of U.S. jobs. The United States is the world’s largest manufacturing economy, employing nearly 12 million Americans in the production of $1.6 trillion in manufactured products, representing 18 percent of the world’s manufactured goods.
The Obama administration is committed to revitalizing the manufacturing sector. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $100 billion in funding and loan guarantees to support manufacturing in America, and the President’s National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports by 2015, commits resources across the federal government to open markets and help U.S. manufacturing and other companies reach the 95 percent of the world’s consumers that live outside our borders.
The full list of appointed Manufacturing Council members is as follows:
1. Bruce Sohn, President, First Solar, Inc., Chair (AZ)
2. Joseph B. Anderson, Jr., Chairman & CEO, TAG Holdings LLC, Vice Chair (MI)
3. Luis Arguello, President, DemeTech (FL)
4. Greg Bachman, President & CEO, Dymax Corporation (CT)
5. Richard M. Beyer, Chairman & CEO, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (TX)
6. Chandra Brown, President, United Streetcar & Vice President, Oregon Iron Works, Inc. (OR)
7. Daniel DiMicco, President & CEO, Nucor Corporation (NC)
8. Al Fuller, Chief Executive Officer, Integrated Packaging Corporation (NJ)
9. Michael Gambrell, Executive Vice President, The Dow Chemical Company (MI)
10. David W. Hastings, President & CEO, Mount Vernon Mills, Inc. (SC)
11. Mary Isbister, President, GenMet (WI)
12. Kellie Johnson, President, Ace Clearwater Enterprises (CA)
13. Fred Keller, Chairman & CEO, Cascade Engineering (MI)
14. Samuel Landol, Chief Operating Officer, Sealaska Corporation (AK/WA)
15. Michael Laszkiewicz, Vice President & General Manager, Automation Power Control Business, Rockwell Automation, Inc. (WI)
16. Stephen MacMillan, President, CEO & Chairman, Stryker Corporation (MI)
17. Daniel P. McGahn, President & COO, American Superconductor Corporation (MA)
18. James B. McGregor, Vice Chairman, The McGregor Metalworking Companies (OH)
19. David Melton, President & CEO, Sacred Power Corporation (NM)
20. Jason W. Speer, Vice President & General Manager, Quality Float Works, Inc. (IL)
21. Ward J. Timken, Chairman, The Timken Company (OH)
22. Peter Ungaro, President & CEO, CRAY (WA)
23. Jane L. Warner, Executive Vice President, Illinois Tool Works (IL)
24. Donna L. Zobel, President & CEO, Myron Zucker (MI)
Ex Officio Members
Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy
Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Labor
Timothy F. Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury
