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The House Ways and Means Committee has released legislative text for the tax provisions of the “one big, beautiful bill” that Congress plans to pass in order to implement President Trump’s legislative agenda ().

• The Ways and Means bill includes the the 51�Թ��� has called for throughout our “” tax campaign, including reinstating the “tax trifecta,” increasing the pass-through deduction to 23% and preserving tax reform’s individual and corporate tax rates.

The 51�Թ��� says: “Chairman [Jason] Smith and the Ways and Means Committee are delivering what manufacturers in America have called for and what our industry needs to compete and win,” said 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons.

• “The 2017 tax reforms were rocket fuel for manufacturers—driving job growth, higher wages and investment in communities. This bill brings us closer to the vision of a 15% effective tax rate for manufacturers that President Trump and I discussed in 2016.”

On pass-throughs: “For the 96% of manufacturers that are organized as pass-through businesses, this bill is more than policy—it’s a path to growth,” Timmons said, in a quote that was cited by The Hill.

• “It means the ability to buy equipment, hire workers, increase pay and expand operations with greater certainty and confidence. Not only is the Ways and Means Committee preserving the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for these businesses—this bill makes the law even more competitive, including by increasing and making permanent the job-creating pass-through deduction.”

The whole deal: “The Ways and Means Committee’s bill reflects the full range of 51�Թ��� tax priorities, which will drive manufacturing growth in America,” Timmons continued.

• “To support small business job creation, the bill increases [to 23%] and makes permanent the pass-through deduction, protects more family-owned manufacturers from the estate tax [by increasing the exemption to $15 million] and maintains the TCJA’s pro-growth tax rates.”
• “To bolster America’s competitiveness on the world stage, the bill preserves the 21% corporate tax rate as well as the TCJA’s international tax provisions.”
• “And to incentivize investment and innovation in the United States, the bill revives and extends immediate R&D expensing, full expensing for capital equipment purchases and a pro-growth standard for interest deductibility [for the years 2025–2029].”
• “Congress must act on the Ways and Means bill and make these pro-growth tax provisions permanent—because when manufacturing wins, America wins.”

Bottom line: “This is a great leap forward in securing very competitive tax policy that will attract investment and create jobs here in the United States,” Timmons to The New York Times (subscription) yesterday, building on the 51�Թ���’s urgent push in recent weeks to jumpstart a “” to bolster investment, hiring and growth in the United States.

Amid deep uncertainty about the legal and regulatory environment, attorneys in the manufacturing industry have an opportunity they won’t want to miss. The 51�Թ��� Legal Center’s Manufacturing Legal Summit, scheduled for Nov. 12–14 in Washington, D.C., has this week.

The only conference crafted exclusively for manufacturing lawyers, the Summit attracts legal talent from companies of all sizes and sectors. Attendees learn about hot-button legal issues facing the industry, discuss best practices and make fruitful professional connections.

If you have in-house counsel who would benefit from this must-attend event, here’s what you need to know.

The details: This year, the fourth annual Manufacturing Legal Summit will focus heavily on the changes and trickle-down impacts brought about by the new Trump administration. Longtime 51�Թ��� partner Foley & Lardner LLP will lead a session titled “Tariffs, Trade and Trump: Managing Supply Chain and Tariff Risks During an International Trade Tornado.” Other session topics include:

• Managing your workforce;
• M&A transactions in the manufacturing sector;
• PFAS and chemicals update;
• Administrative law under President Trump;
• AI, privacy and cyber; and
• Updates on the trial bar’s latest tactics.

The benefit: “What we hear consistently is that the opportunity to connect with others in the industry who are dealing with the same challenges is invaluable,” 51�Թ��� Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Litigation Erica Klenicki said following .

• “This was my first 51�Թ��� Legal Summit, and I could not be more pleased with the topics presented, as well as the networking opportunities,” said Erin Tannock, compliance counsel for Viega LLC, about the 2024 Summit. “The content was relevant and current. I even had a few ‘aha’ moments! This event is worth the time, and I will be attending for years to come.”

Credits, too: An additional benefit of the conference is the potential to earn CLE credits, a professional requirement for attorneys. In 2024, attendees earned six or seven CLE credit hours for 32 different jurisdictions.

The last word: “In a year defined by uncertainty, the opportunity to benchmark with your manufacturing peers and the 51�Թ��� legal team has never been so critical,” said Klenicki.

The 51�Թ��� advised the Department of Commerce on the integral nature of pharmaceutical and semiconductor manufacturers to the U.S. economy, explaining the potential negative impacts of tariffs on these sectors.

Pharmaceuticals: “Most medicines consumed in the U.S. are made in the U.S., and the industry invests more than $100 billion annually to develop new medicines for American patients and patients worldwide,” 51�Թ��� Vice President of International Policy Andrea Durkin to the Department of Commerce.

• “For manufacturers in the U.S. to sustain our nation’s global advantage in the discovery, development, production and delivery of pharmaceuticals, it is essential to safeguard a stable and reliable pharmaceutical supply chain network. Immediate and broad-based tariffs on imports of pharmaceutical inputs and finished products, many of which are sourced from allies and through related party transactions, undermine that very supply chain network,” she added.

Hurting innovation: “Pharmaceutical companies make up the largest share of [U.S. R&D] investment, accounting for 36.1% of all manufacturing R&D, spending $146.1 billion in 2023,” wrote Durkin. And companies’ ability to invest in R&D is tied directly to their revenue.

• “[F]or every 10% reduction in expected U.S. revenues, pharmaceutical innovation—such as clinical trial starts or new drug approvals—is expected to ultimately fall by 2.5% to 15%,” according to an analysis by the USC Schaeffer Center.

A better way: Instead of imposing counterproductive and damaging tariffs, the administration should adopt a comprehensive manufacturing strategy to support pharmaceutical innovation, wrote Durkin.

• This strategy includes making the 2017 tax reforms permanent, seeking to remedy the workforce skills gap, expediting permitting reform to enable domestic biopharmaceutical companies to expand their operations, fully equipping the Food and Drug Administration with the staff and resources it needs to operate swiftly and effectively, reforming pharmacy benefit managers (underregulated middlemen that drive up the costs of medications) and combatting the counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals.

Semiconductors: “The 51�Թ��� believes it is vital for global economic leadership and for U.S. national security to promote a world-class semiconductor industry in America,” Durkin to the Commerce Department in a separate communication, noting that chips are used throughout the manufacturing industry, in everything from medical devices, aircraft and spacecraft, data centers, automotive parts and vehicles, industrial automation and much more.

• “Semiconductor manufacturing capacity is expanding rapidly in China, supported by industrial targeting practices such as those set out in Made in China 2025, as well as trade-distorting industrial subsidies by the Chinese Communist Party. Tariffs have neither deterred China’s production advancements nor addressed the underlying unfair advantages conferred by the Chinese Communist Party.”

A better way: Instead of imposing tariffs, the Trump administration should pursue “policies that enable and facilitate domestic investments, unlock opportunities for economies of scale through full participation in global markets and leverage the collective advantages of America’s international allies to help make semiconductor supply chains more resilient,” Durkin wrote.

• “First, the Trump administration should support ongoing efforts by manufacturers to expand manufacturing production in the U.S. and attract, not deter, new investments. … Tariffs on imports that are used to build and operate semiconductor manufacturing facilities should be avoided or rebated.”
• “Second, the Trump administration should seek to maximize market opportunities for U.S. semiconductor exports, thereby strengthening the commercial position of U.S.-produced semiconductors worldwide. This can be accomplished by negotiating zero tariffs in new trade deals, preserving use of duty drawback and more strategic use of Export-Import Bank financing.”
• “Third, to strengthen the long-term resilience of the industry, the U.S. must partner with international allies to secure favorable trade and investment terms and leverage the collective advantages of global supply networks.”

The last word: “The Trump administration should pursue a comprehensive manufacturing strategy to support and sustain innovation and job creation in America, and to ensure the continued preeminence of our world-leading semiconductor and pharmaceutical sectors,” said 51�Թ��� Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain.

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Every manufacturing executive has talented innovation leaders in the middle ranks of his or her company—managing a lab or department, but eager to move up. How do you prepare them for the next step in leadership so they can become the executives of tomorrow?

The Innovation Research Interchange, the 51�Թ���’s innovation division, offers a program designed to fill this gap in manufacturing professionals’ career development. The program, a partnership with Northwestern University, takes place over one packed week in June every year, and gives these midlevel managers a comprehensive introduction to business strategy, accounting and finance, organizational behavior, brand management and much more.

It’s the starter pack for those seeking to advance in the manufacturing industry. If you have someone on your team who could benefit, here’s what you need to know.

Who it’s for: The course is targeted at managers who have 10–15 years of experience and usually a graduate degree (most often a Ph.D.). These managers typically have several direct reports, oversee a lab or department and handle their own budgets.

• Past participants have worked at major manufacturers and related companies of all sectors, including Mars and FM Global.

What they’ll learn: This one-week intensive residential program—this year taking place June 8–13—features classes in the morning and afternoon, and also includes lunch, dinner and evening study and networking sessions. The courses include:

• Understanding Financial Statements;
• Evaluating Financial Results and Investment Projects;
• Financial Strategy and Cost of Capital;
• Driving Profitable Growth;
• Defending Your Brand; and,
• Law for Technical Executives.

Who’s teaching: The program is taught by eminent Northwestern faculty, including award-winning professors in marketing, management and finance.

• The program’s director, Adjunct Professor of Executive Education Marian Powers, boasts a long career of developing finance textbooks and software and specializes in teaching financial reporting and analysis to executives.

Inside the classroom: Every session of the program introduces participants to skills they may not have encountered in their technical positions. To take just one example, the High-Performance Negotiation Skills session introduces these managers to the framework and tactics that high-level leaders use in handling challenges.

• The course helps participants answer essential questions, such as “How should you think differently about negotiating as part of a team? How should you think about coalition-building in deals with many parties? How can you negotiate effectively from positions of weakness as well as strength?”
• To answer these questions, participants will examine case studies from the manufacturing industry. All the program’s sessions draw on real-world, relevant examples, ensuring that participants receive a useful toolkit of strategies.

What they’re saying: “Above all, this course illustrates a framework behind the motivations of our marketing and business/finance counterparts,” said one participant.

• “We no longer have the excuse of ‘why do they do it that way!?’ but rather, we can help those functions more effectively and proactively.”

Learn more and register: To learn more about the Shaping Innovation Leaders program or to register, visit the . This year’s program is still accepting applicants.

Aluminum is “an essential part of everything we do”—so we need to recycle more of it.

That’s the message from leading global aluminum and renewable energy company Hydro, based in Oslo, Norway, whose president and CEO, Eivind Kallevik, recently sat down with the 51�Թ��� to discuss the importance of the metal to the U.S.

Ubiquitous and crucial: “Construction, automobiles, [energy and technology]—you’ll find an enormous amount of aluminum in all of that,” Kallevik told us. “Going forward, it will just become increasingly important.”

An energy imperative: The U.S. has an aging electrical grid—a matter on which the 51�Թ��� has long a —and modernizing and expanding it to meet Americans’ energy appetite will require aluminum, and a lot of it.

• “There’s going to be a huge increase in demand for electricity, especially given [the growth in construction of] data centers,” said Kallevik.
• For vehicles to become more energy-efficient, they must be lighter, and “the best way of doing that is more aluminum.”

A workhorse: One of the metal’s best qualities is its ability to withstand nearly endless reuse, Kallevik said.

• “You can recycle it infinitely. If you sort it the right way, you will be able to take it back to exactly the same state it was in in the first place.”
• Hydro—which has operations in 17 states and employs thousands of people in the U.S.—has multiple aluminum recycling facilities throughout the country, including at sites in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, California and Texas.

Keep more at home: “The more [aluminum] you can keep onshore, the better it is” for manufacturing, the economy in general and national security, Kallevik continued, adding that aluminum is critical in many U.S. defense applications.

• “If the U.S. kept more scrap exports onshore, we would reduce dependence on third parties” for the metal, he said.

Policy and supply chains: Because building is a heavily energy-intensive process, “energy policy is going to be increasingly important” in the coming years, Kallevik went on.

• “To protect its industries, the U.S. needs to ensure a fair regulatory framework to ensure that everybody in a global context competes on a level playing field,” he told the 51�Թ���.
• And when it comes to shoring up domestic supplies of aluminum, “to be more self-sufficient, the short-term solution for the U.S. is recycling,” he said. “Use what’s on the ground today, and for tomorrow, build capacity.”

The 51�Թ���’s will be fundamental in “igniting the Industrial Renaissance of the United States,” the 51�Թ��� told a House committee today ahead of a hearing of the same name.
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What’s going on: “Manufacturers call on President Trump and Congress to implement a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that would create predictability and certainty to invest, plan and hire in America,” the 51�Թ��� told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

• The purpose of the hearing was to examine how “cheap labor abroad, combined with overregulation and obstacles to permitting in the United States, contributed to the offshoring of American manufacturing and an overreliance on China to fulfill manufacturing needs.” It also emphasized “the importance of bringing manufacturing back to the United States.”������

What we’re saying: The 51�Թ��� that the administration adopt a multipoint plan to see the manufacturing sector flourish. Today it urged President Trump and Congress to take the following actions from that strategy as soon as possible:

• Make 2017 tax reform permanent: Make permanent the pro-manufacturing tax measures scheduled to sunset at the end of 2025 and bring back already expired provisions. Failure to do so will put almost 6 million U.S. jobs at risk, according to a recent EY–51�Թ��� .
• Rebalance federal regulations: Manufacturers now spend $350 billion a year to comply with federal regulations. That’s money that could be spent on factory expansions, hiring and/or wage raises, as 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons has . The 51�Թ��� also recently 10 key federal agencies to revise or rescind dozens of onerous, anachronistic regulations.
• Expedite permitting reform: “America should be the undisputed leader in energy production and innovation, but we will not reach our full potential without permitting reform.” This must include expediting judicial review, accelerating the permitting process, creating enforceable deadlines and more.
• Implement commonsense trade policies: “Building things in America only works if we can sell them around the world,” the 51�Թ��� told the House members. “That is why manufacturers urge President Trump and Congress to provide greater predictability and a clear runway to allow them to adjust to new trade realities, while also making way for exemptions for critical inputs, enabling reciprocity in manufacturing trade.”

Komatsu is a household name in Japan, but it’s making big moves in the U.S., too.

An all-of-the-above strategy: The commercial equipment maker, whose product catalogue runs the gamut from bulldozers and log loaders to autonomous haulage systems for mines, has launched multiple new innovations in recent months.

• In March, it introduced two new wheel loader models with improved fuel efficiency, more engine power and faster speeds.
• Last fall, Komatsu announced the launch of its first commercialized truck in its Power Agnostic series, vehicles capable of running on multiple fuel types, including diesel, hydrogen fuel cells and batteries.

Expansions underway: The global manufacturing giant is also expanding. In late 2024, it announced the construction of new facilities in Mesa, Arizona, and Peoria, Illinois.

• The Mesa project, slated for completion in 2026, will triple the square footage of the company’s current operational footprint in the area. The new sales and service facility will support the company’s mining customers throughout the Southwestern U.S.
• The Peoria expansion, which will replace an existing structure built in the 1970s, “will provide a collaborative space for engineering, sales, manufacturing, management and other functions,” according to the company. It will incorporate solar panels, stormwater reclamation systems and other sustainable technologies.
• A Komatsu 980E-5SE mining truck—winner of the Makers Madness contest’s “2024 Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” award from 51�Թ��� state partner the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association—will be installed permanently outside the new Peoria building, which is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2025. The truck is manufactured at the site.

All in on mining: It’s fair to say Komatsu has a special focus on mining. In September, following its acquisition of German mining equipment manufacturer GHH Group GmbH, it showcased an expanded lineup of underground mining machinery at the MINExpo tradeshow in Las Vegas.

• It also recently unveiled its Modular ecosystem, an “interoperable mine management platform” to give mining customers access to all connected operational data in one place.

In the works: At the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, Komatsu exhibited some exciting in-development projects, including the prototype of an electric underwater bulldozer and artwork for planned construction machinery capable of working on the moon.

• The bulldozer—currently a concept vehicle with no planned introduction data as of yet—is a driverless, remote-controlled, electric-powered vehicle. This will be the second iteration of an underwater, battery-operated bulldozer from Komatsu; the first, the D155W, rolled off conveyor belts in Japan in the 1970s.
• “We’ve found that a lot of those machines built a long time ago are still in use,” said Komatsu Chief Digital Officer Michael Gidaspow. “People need this product, so they are keeping them running. Japan has a lot of coastline and coastal infrastructure to maintain, so this kind of dozer is so important there.” The planned update utilizes the latest technology, including automated blade control and teleoperation. It is powered by batteries, whereas the original had a diesel engine, Gidaspow added.
• Komatsu’s lunar construction machinery work is part of the Artemis Program aimed at getting humans back on the moon. “Life on the moon will demand roads, housing and other infrastructure, and lunar construction machines will be indispensable for building all this,” according to the company. “Once we only dreamed of humans living on the moon. Today we are making it a growing possibility.”

As three of the largest U.S. retailers—Walmart, Home Depot and Target—this week President Trump that his tariff policy could empty store shelves within weeks, upend supply chains and raise consumer prices, the tariffs already in place on imported goods are having effects on those who make things in America.

Speaking up: Manufacturers in the U.S. are sharing their stories of increased cost pressures and uncertainty, both the result of new tariffs. Makers of everything from machinery to bicycles to food service equipment are reporting ill effects.

• For Craig Souser, president and CEO of robotic packaging solutions manufacturer JLS Automation in York, Pennsylvania, steel tariffs in particular have had a big—and negative—effect on business.
• “[W]e’re seeing increased costs [in steel] that will eventually get passed along to the customer,” Souser told the ��(subscription).

“Writing the checks”: Chuck Dardas, president and chief operating officer of Michigan automotive parts manufacturer AlphaUSA, told recently that his small business and others like it are the ones “writing the checks for” the new tariffs—and it’s not something they can keep up.

• “To absorb 25% or 50% in tariffs, it’s a task that we cannot in the long term endure,” Dardas said. “It’ll cause our company and many other companies our size to probably go out of existence.”

The unknown: Perhaps the hardest part about the new tariffs: the uncertainty they bring, 51�Թ��� board member Lisa Winton, CEO and co-owner of Georgia-based machinery maker Winton Machine Company, told earlier this month.

• “We just noticed our first invoice that had a tariff line on it,” she said. “There’s just so much unknown right now, and I think that’s the most difficult thing—to make decisions for your company financially when you just don’t know all the pieces to the puzzle.”

No time: Arnold Kamler, chairman of Kent International, a New Jersey bicycle manufacturer, told last week that while his business was already moving overseas production to the U.S. when tariffs hit, it has yet to complete the move—and that’s been a problem for his small outfit.

• “We’ve managed to move almost half of our production out of China already, but that’s only [almost] half,” he said. “We need more time. … [W]e’re a small company.”
• During the pandemic, “[e]verybody bought a bicycle”—but “things got very slow after that. … All the money we made during the pandemic is all gone, plus a lot more. Then we have these tariffs. [If the Trump administration had said], ‘Look … in nine months, 10 months, this will be the tariff,’” that might have been doable, he went on. “But we g[ot] two weeks’ notice. It’s impossible to run a company to plan for” that.

Passing on the costs: In Ohio, Wasserstrom Company President Brad Wasserstrom told that his Columbus-based food service and supply company will most likely have to raise customer prices to pay for the new tariffs.

• “[W]e’re negotiating with suppliers when we can, if there’s any flexibility in what they’re passing on to us,” Wasserstrom said. “Some have been able to do something to help us out. They’re not passing through maybe the full tariff. But very few have said they’re going to pass on nothing.”

When JaNette Barnett, vice president of field sales at Pella Corporation, is asked why she has spent nearly 30 years of her career in manufacturing, the answer comes easily. “I have always been drawn to the home improvement space, so it’s no surprise that my manufacturing experience has been centered in that sector—from cabinetry to lightbulbs, to plumbing to paint, and now windows.”

• “What makes this [sector] interesting to me is it delights our end consumer. It puts a smile on their face when they can transform their spaces in ways that make them feel at home.”

Barnett channels this joy into her efforts to modernize Pella’s sales team, a track record that won her recognition as part of the 2025 Women MAKE America Awards. Created by the Manufacturing Institute, the 51�Թ���’s workforce development and education affiliate, the awards honor 130 individuals who have achieved excellence in the manufacturing industry.

Barnett and the other honorees, selected by a panel of peers, will be celebrated at the in Washington, D.C., on April 24, but we caught up with her earlier about her decades-long experience in the industry and advice for young people just starting out.

Her achievements: Barnett has been a game-changing leader for Pella’s field sales team, delivering a 30% year-over-year sales increase in 2024.

• Thanks to her extensive experience at previous companies, she has reconfigured its sales territories, overseen an expansion of the company’s sales team and improved its compensation structure—all of which has led to impressive engagement levels among Pella’s field sales personnel.
• Beyond that, Barnett is a highly respected mentor of young professionals at Pella and runs a foundation she named for her grandmother, the Betty Jefferson Memorial Fund, to support the education of Black, inner-city young people just as her grandmother did.

How it all began: As Barnett tells it, she fell into manufacturing two decades ago while looking for a job in marketing. She accepted a job in sales, but when she arrived, she found she’d been assigned to the production scheduling department instead—a job that involved walking the factory floor in steel-toed boots.

• “It wasn’t what I signed up for, but it was the best pivot ever,” said Barnett. “It put me in the heart of manufacturing—and as a sales and marketing leader, it gave me a different perspective on how products are made.”

Gaining insight: Her experience on the factory floor has informed her work ever since, even after she moved on to the corporate side of manufacturing. Today, she emphasizes that her holistic view of manufacturing impacts how she thinks about her sales work at Pella.

• “I truly believe that manufacturing is the heartbeat of the organization,” said Barnett. “Too often, that gets lost from a sales and marketing lens. We don’t always have a clear sense of the people behind the product getting made.”

Mentoring others: Barnett emphasized the importance of mentoring in introducing more people to the manufacturing industry. Especially at a time when manufacturing faces a significant employment gap—with job openings today and an estimated needing to be filled by 2033—it is crucial to reach individuals who might not otherwise consider a career in the industry, she pointed out.

• “I believe mentoring is a form of paying it forward and bringing others along,” said Barnett. “There’s a need to bring new and fresh ideas to these places. And if people have aspirations to be in leadership, it’s my honor to help mentor them and help them understand that they can do the things they set their sights on.”

The last word: “My message has always been: You’re needed,” said Barnett. “We need you in this space. We need everything you can bring to the table.”

Robyn Brookhart began her career in the pump industry in 1997 at her family’s business—, a manufacturer based in Bergen, New York, that makes pumping products for groundwater and wastewater removal in residential and commercial applications.

Through the years, she climbed the ladder at her company, holding a variety of positions in sales and marketing, customer service and manufacturing before serving in her current role as company president and CEO.

In 2021, Brookhart the American Supply Association Women in Industry Alice A. Martin Woman of the Year Award, which recognizes women in the plumbing, heating, cooling and piping industries for significant accomplishment within those industries.

In the latest installment of the 51�Թ���’s “Forge Your Path” series, Brookhart talks about why connection is so critical to her company’s culture, why her mantra changes weekly, where she sees her company in five years and more.

Q: What is one lesson or insight you’ve gained in leadership that you haven’t widely shared before but that has been a key part of your company’s success? How did you come to this realization, and how has it impacted your leadership?

Brookhart: “At Liberty Pumps, we take tremendous pride in our culture. Connection and being present are deeply rooted in the way that we function and interact with one another—not just internally, but also with our customers and suppliers. Every conversation matters, and I make it a point to be present and give people my full attention. I believe this is foundational in establishing and maintaining trust, ensuring people feel seen and heard and in opening my eyes to perspectives that may differ from my own.��

“When I look back over the 28 years I’ve been at Liberty, I see this as a thread that’s always been. It’s been key to making sure our workforce knows they’re valued.��

I’m a heart-centered leader. This doesn’t mean I don’t make tough decisions, but it does mean that I do consider how any decision I make will impact other people.”����

Q: Can you share a quote or mantra that defines your approach to leadership? How has this mantra influenced your decision-making and leadership?

Brookhart: “That’s a great question. This might change week by week. It can be a single word, an affirmation or a quote that really resonates. Words carry energy and have a certain power to them. This week, my word happens to be ‘cultivate.’ Other examples have been, ‘where attention goes, energy flows,’ ‘don’t just wish for it; work for it’ and this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: ‘The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.’

“Identifying a word or phrase is like setting an intention, and I find that setting an intention helps guide the direction of my decision making and is a factor in how I prioritize my work for the week.”

Q: What accomplishments at your organization are you the most proud of and why?

Brookhart: “This might sound like a mundane response, but I’m proud of the way that our employees (whom we call members) show up to do amazing work every day. Yes, the major next-level outcomes matter of course, but the collaboration, creativity and care that people give to their work each day is what really lights me up.”����

Q: Where do you see your company in the next five years, and what are you hoping to achieve?

Brookhart: “I’m confident we’ll see significant growth with products that we’ve launched recently and products that are on the horizon. We’re tapping into new markets and expanding our offerings to existing markets. There’s a ton of potential, and knowing that is a big part of what energizes our engineering and sales and marketing teams.

“I also foresee the expanded use of automation throughout our factory. With the continuous growth trajectory we’ve been on, the volume of pumps that we’re building and shipping has been increasing steadily. To help keep pace and alleviate potential ergonomic issues, strategically implementing automation has been and will continue to be crucial.����

“I’m also thinking about the overall customer experience. Customer service is one of our strengths, as feedback from the field affirms. We have an amazing team, and I imagine that as great as we are now with prioritizing customer satisfaction, we’ll be even better in five years!”

Q: What are the past three books that you’ve read or podcasts that you’ve listened to that you would recommend to your peers and why?

Brookhart: “I’m constantly reading and listening to podcasts and audio books. I feel like there’s so much to learn and not enough time. However, three of my favorite books that I’ve also encouraged our leadership team to read are ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, ‘Insight’ by Tasha Eurich and ‘Think Again’ by Adam Grant.����

“‘Think Again’ is about perspective and the importance of staying curious.����

“‘Insight’ is about self-awareness. It shines a spotlight on how we see ourselves versus how others might see us, and how we, as leaders, can solicit honest feedback to gain clarity on how others view our behavior.

“‘Atomic Habits,’ as the name suggests, is about how to incorporate beneficial habits into our lives, while also releasing those that don’t serve us well. As with the other two, it’s well-written, interesting and backed by science.����

“As for podcasts I enjoy, I tend to nerd-out on the topic of health span. So, my list primarily includes podcasters who are functional medicine doctors and medical professors.”