The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO John Engler issued the following statement regarding Secretary Locke’s appointment of 24 manufacturing leaders to the Commerce Department’s Manufacturing Council:

“As manufacturers continue to lead our nation’s economic recovery, we face many challenges ahead. We are pleased to see the Administration move forward and announce two dozen manufacturing leaders who will serve in an advisory capacity to Secretary Locke as part of the Commerce Department’s Manufacturing Council. Established in 2004, the Council will provide Secretary Locke and his team with valuable insights. With high unemployment and slow economic growth, we believe it is critical that the Administration and Congress adopt policies that will help manufacturers maintain their competitiveness and create good jobs.

Recently, the NAM released a “Manufacturing Strategy for Jobs and a Competitive America,” which outlines a comprehensive plan for what is needed for manufacturing to succeed in the face of unprecedented global competition. It sets high goals and calls for action on policies such as tax, trade, energy, infrastructure and regulation. To learn more about the Strategy, visit www.nam.org.   

We look forward to working with the Manufacturing Council and the Administration on policies that will stimulate growth and help manufacturers maintain their competitive edge in the global marketplace.”