NAM’s Timmons concludes 2016 State of Manufacturing Tour in Baltimore, Md.

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) president and CEO Jay Timmons concluded the 2016 State of Manufacturing Tour today at Marlin Steel Wire Products in Baltimore, Md.

The event is the last stop in a tour throughout seven states to highlight the vital role the industry plays in the U.S. economy and the changing perceptions of manufacturing. While in Maryland, Timmons also launched the NAM’s “Power of Small” campaign, an effort focused on highlighting the importance of small manufacturers to the nation’s economy.

“We’re proud to conclude our tour at Marlin Steel,” said Timmons. “After meeting with students, manufacturers, community leaders and elected officials across the country, I have great confidence in the future of manufacturing. Our shop floors are no longer the factories of our parents’ generation; they are state-of-the-art facilities driving an innovation revolution that will change our lives and strengthen our country. We still face challenges, which is why in this election year, we must hold candidates and leaders accountable and insist they support manufacturing not just with their words but also with their policies. For generations, manufacturers have built incredible things and improved the human condition. Now it’s time to apply the talent, dedication and spirit we saw throughout our tour toward the task of building a brighter future—to secure economic growth, more jobs and rising standards of living for all.”

At the events, Timmons toured innovative and modern manufacturing facilities. For an inside view of the 2016 State of Manufacturing Tour, take a look at the photo gallery.

At the kickoff event at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., Timmons unveiled “Competing to Win: Manufacturers’ Agenda for Economic Growth and American Exceptionalism”—a roadmap to guide manufacturing voters and candidates as they navigate the upcoming elections.

Tour highlights included a port visit in Tampa Bay, Fla., and meeting with manufacturing students; a tour of a state-of-the-art facility in North Charleston, S.C.; a distillery tour and panel on health care in Philadelphia, Pa.; a panel discussion and hands-on showcase of two manufacturing education programs in Chicago, Ill.; an energy discussion and shop floor tour in Fort Worth, Texas; and a meeting with future manufacturers engaged in local programs in Baltimore, Md.

Timmons was also joined by many manufacturing and elected leaders throughout the tour, such as Illinois Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, Siemens USA president and CEO Eric Spiegel, Manufacturing Institute executive director Jennifer McNelly, Marlin Steel Wire Products president and owner and NAM Small and Medium Manufacturers Group vice chair Drew Greenblatt and our proud state partners at the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, the Associated Industries of Florida, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the Texas Association of Business.

In addition, many elected leaders who were unable to join the NAM on the tour sent videos to show their support of manufacturing.

This week, the NAM also premiered a new get-out-the-vote video to encourage manufacturing voters to engage in the 2016 elections and make their vote matter.

For a recap of the tour, guest blogs and more, visit NAM’s Shopfloor blog.

To read an op-ed by Timmons and Greenblatt in the Baltimore Business Journal, click here.