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One day last year, when schools were closed due to the pandemic, President and CEO Marcus Sheanshang brought his kids to work with him at JBM Packaging of Lebanon, Ohio. And he knew exactly who should train the kids on the company’s envelope and packaging machines: Amanda Hall, one of the company’s star employees.

But Hall isn’t just a star; she’s a star with an unusual background. As Sheanshang put it, “We were having dinner that night, and I said to the kids, ‘Do you know something very interesting about Ms. Amanda? … Ms. Amanda was in prison a few years ago.’ They said, ‘No, there’s no way.’ They wouldn’t believe me.”

A factory for fair chances: In fact, Hall’s story is almost the rule, not the exception, for JBM. One-quarter of JBM’s employees are what the company calls “fair chance” hires, or those who have been involved with the criminal-justice system. Sheanshang expects that proportion to grow to half the workforce in the coming years.

How it began: Sheanshang instituted the hiring program, in which the company actively recruits future employees from 30 correctional institutions and halfway houses, about five years ago when looking for creative strategies to address labor shortages.

• “We don’t have people applying for jobs,” Sheanshang said, referring to the manufacturing industry’s long-time struggle to find enough skilled employees. “Fair chance hiring really plugged that hole for us and allowed us to grow and get the right team members on our team who share our values. When they get out of prison, they have a spot here at JBM.”

How it works: While JBM won’t bring on anyone who has been charged with sex crimes, crimes against women or crimes against children, the company is committed to hiring and supporting all others who want and are eligible to work.

• JBM has an on-staff change coach who works with all JBM employees to help them find housing, purchase a car and more. Her success with the employees has been so profound that JBM is looking to hire another such coach, Sheanshang told us.

Grand opening: In July, the packaging business opened a second plant, this one in downtown Cincinnati. While the company’s success made this expansion possible, JBM was also aiming to move closer to its fair chance employees and potential new hires.

• “We noticed there’s a fair number of barriers in the Lebanon area [regarding] housing and transportation,” Sheanshang said. The downtown Cincinnati location offers more transportation resources “for folks looking to get back on their feet.”

Triumph over tragedy: Sheanshang is proud of the successes that fair chance employees have achieved. He shared the story of Brian, a fair chance hire who started out as a production worker and now is on the path to becoming a quality control supervisor. Another fair chance employee, Justin, also began at JBM at entry level. He is now on track to become a trainer of other employees.

• “This is not stuff that’s given to them,” Sheanshang said. “This is stuff that they’re earning.”

The last word: “I would say to any CEO or other business owner, really take a hard look at fair chance hiring,” Sheanshang said. “When it gets down to brass tacks, this is a great strategy. If you have the systems in place to help fair chance hires, this will work.”

The Manufacturing Institute recently launched its second chance hiring initiative, which helps companies recruit and retain individuals with criminal records, just as JBM does. Learn more about this initiative .

INX International, a global manufacturer of high-performance printing inks and coatings, has a strong and growing presence in the U.S. thanks to tax reform.

The company’s success has been made possible in part by tax reform’s lower corporate tax rate and a foreign-derived intangible income (FDII) deduction, which encourages companies to develop and keep intellectual property in the U.S. by providing a lower tax rate for foreign sales based on U.S. IP. These reforms have helped manufacturers like INX invest in their U.S.-based facilities and employees—and INX has done exactly that.

Manufacturers wanted: From 2017 to today, the company has hired 89 people—a 7% increase in personnel. And even with the significant increase in workers, INX has been able to use its tax savings to pay good wages and benefits for all its employees.

• “We have not had one year since 2017 without raises or an increase in benefits,” said INX Vice President of Tax and Finance David Rossi. “That’s because the company has been doing pretty well—reaping the benefits from the economy and tax reform.”

Facilities expanded: INX has also worked to build new production capabilities, financed in part by the 2017 changes to the tax code.

• “The FDII deduction gave us $1.1 million in 2020 alone,” said Rossi. “That’s two-thirds of a solid equipment buildout for a new location. That number is significant to us.”

IP kept local: Provisions like the FDII deduction have made it possible for INX to keep their intellectual property in the United States, rather than moving critical production to facilities in other countries where labor and production costs might be lower.

• “We’re brick-and-mortar manufacturing in the U.S., and we keep our IP here; we keep our R&D here,” said Rossi. “Our ideas are here. Everything is developed here in the United States and kept in the United States.”

Continued benefits: The highly competitive labor market means that INX is also using its tax reform savings to attract and retain workers—making stability and certainty around these tax rules even more important.

• “We have dramatically increased starting wages, due to competition for manufacturing workers,” said INX CEO John Hrdlick. “Employees hired last year are also getting an increase. We’re offering incentives for referrals for new positions and spending a fair amount of money to recruit and keep people and stay ahead of our competition. If we weren’t in a strong position now, we wouldn’t be able to do that.”

The road ahead: The team at INX is concerned about what might happen if tax reform were to be rolled back and their tax burden were to increase. Especially with ongoing shortages of labor and materials—and with delays in shipping and freight transport—higher taxes would make it more difficult to continue the kinds of investments they have made.

• “Right now, any savings get invested into our people and our operations,” said INX Chief Financial Officer Bryce Kristo. “Any loss will negatively affect that.”
• “If there’s change, you’re talking about smaller facilities, less expansion or no expansion at all,” said Rossi.

The last word: “We are in a very competitive industry and an important industry,” said Hrdlick. “We’re almost a $500 million company, but given the high competitiveness, we are in single-digit operating income. All these proposed tax increases will pull some of that away. Everything we get, we invest in our people—and if that number is dramatically impacted, that’s going to be a problem for us.”

The 51�Թ��� and The Manufacturing Institute took the Creators Wanted Mobile Experience for a test-drive in advance of a nationwide launch designed to inspire, educate and empower the next generation of creators.

What it is: The Creators Wanted Mobile Experience features an escape room mounted in a mobile unit, with a series of challenges intended to help bust myths around manufacturing and show young people and their parents the exciting opportunities available in the modern manufacturing industry. The program is designed to travel to schools and community centers nationwide.

What we did: The 51�Թ��� and the MI brought three groups to Dallas, Texas, to test out the Creators Wanted Mobile Experience: students aged 15–17, students aged 18–22 and parents who have children aged 15–22. The groups first had conversations about career interests and perceptions of manufacturing, followed by a walk-through of the Creators Wanted Mobile Experience and another conversation about perceptions of manufacturing and career expectations.

What we learned: The Creators Wanted Mobile Experience completely changed participants’ view of the manufacturing industry, showing them the benefits of a career in modern manufacturing and making them excited about the opportunities manufacturing offers. While most participants had previously been skeptical about the industry’s ability to offer good, rewarding career paths, individuals who went through the Creators Wanted Mobile Experience came to appreciate manufacturing as an industry that offers diverse opportunities and workforces, high-end careers, competitive wages, job security, the chance to have an impact and careers that instill pride.

Our take: “We have a record of nearly 900,000 open jobs in modern manufacturing today, and 4 million jobs to fill, according to The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, by 2030,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Brand Strategy Chrys Kefalas. “We knew we had to try something different to recruit and excite the next generation. We’re about to hit the next phase of our campaign to bring more of these rewarding opportunities to more people—and now we can be even more confident that we have the right approaches and messages to get the job done for manufacturers and for our country.”

Don’t take our word for it: Read the endorsement of the Creators Wanted campaign in .

• “Creators Wanted is a clever approach that teens will enjoy. We encourage parents and guidance counselors to consider it. But the larger point here is about the pipeline of workers needed to ensure our economy can continue to grow. 51�Թ��� has taken the initiative to improve that pipeline, putting them ahead of the competition for now. We hope to see others join that race soon.”

Want to get involved? Join supporting the campaign. Click to get involved.

As Congress reconvenes this fall, the 51�Թ��� will continue to make sure manufacturers’ priorities are front and center, driving the legislative conversation and shaping America’s future. We spoke with the 51�Թ���’s policy leaders to get a sense of the agenda going forward and discussed two bills in particular that are on manufacturers’ radar.

Bipartisan infrastructure reform: The $1.2 trillion investment would fund roads and bridges, as well as upgrades of the electric power grid and energy infrastructure, passenger and freight rail, public transit, airports, water systems, broadband and other critical priorities. Many of the bill’s investments were also initially highlighted in the 51�Թ���’s Building to Win framework—the 51�Թ���’s plan to invest in America’s infrastructure. The 51�Թ��� will continue to work with Congress and President Biden to help move this bill across the finish line and ensure we can build the world-class infrastructure manufacturers deserve.

• “It’s critical that this moves forward,” said 51�Թ��� Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations Aric Newhouse. “The bipartisan infrastructure reform bill would create transformative change—and every day that passes without it is a lost opportunity for manufacturers.”
• “We are using our influence to call on Congress to finalize this bill and move it to the president’s desk,” added 51�Թ��� Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy Robyn Boerstling. “We also intend to stay engaged after it’s signed into law. This is a significant federal investment, with a lot of new programs and opportunities—and the 51�Թ��� will be here to help steer our members through the implementation process.”

Reconciliation: Democrats are considering a multitrillion-dollar reconciliation bill that would supplement the bipartisan infrastructure reform bill with additional priorities in areas like health care, climate change and labor rules. As this bill moves ahead, the 51�Թ��� is focused on preventing changes in corporate taxes, individual taxes, estate taxes and international tax policy that could harm manufacturers; blocking policies that could damage the employer–employee relationship; and standing up against efforts to stifle innovation in the pharmaceutical sector.

• Taxes: The bill proposes more than $2 trillion in tax increases that could hit every segment of the manufacturing economy. Proposed changes could affect big corporations through corporate taxes; globally engaged firms through changes to the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) provision, the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT) and a more limited incentive to locate intellectual property in the U.S.; family-owned businesses through estate tax reforms and increases to the capital gains rate; and small and medium manufacturers through changes to the tax system for pass-through entities. The bill would also make it harder to finance new equipment purchases through new limitations on the deductibility of interest on business loans.
• “These changes would affect every manufacturer, increasing the burden on corporations and pass-through entities,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Tax and Domestic Economic Policy Chris Netram. “And we intend to stand up for our members, so that big and small manufacturers alike can compete, invest and grow here in the United States and around the world.”
• Pharmaceutical innovation: The reconciliation bill also contains provisions that would introduce price controls on certain medicines and harm the capacity to innovate by making it more difficult for pharmaceutical companies to invest in research and development, potentially hampering the creation of new medications and treatments. The 51�Թ��� is fighting against these provisions to ensure that pharmaceutical companies are able to robustly invest in lifesaving cures.
• ��“Congress must take the long view on innovation,” said Newhouse. “If we take steps that harm pharmaceutical companies’ ability to innovate today, fewer lifesaving drugs will be available in the future. We think that’s a mistake.”
• Labor: In addition, the reconciliation bill in its current form seeks to impose some of the provisions of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or PRO Act. The bill, which previously passed the House in 2020, has the potential to reshape the relationship between employers and employees. The 51�Թ��� will work to ensure these changes are not included.
• “The PRO Act is so broad and so sweeping in terms of its changes to the employee–employer environment that it comes at the expense of the manufacturing sector,” said Boerstling.
• “We’re going to do everything we can to keep this out of reconciliation because we believe the existing employee–employer relationship is working,” said Newhouse. “Now is not the time to blow it up with antiquated approaches to labor policy.”

The bottom line: This fall promises to be a busy time for policymakers in Washington, and the 51�Թ��� intends to keep them focused on the needs and priorities of manufacturers across the country.

When it comes to making strides in sustainability, Fortune Brands Home & Security knows the power of small, steady steps. The company works to improve sustainability in a wide variety of ways, from water conservation to the recycling of ocean plastics and wood. We talked to two of its leaders recently to get the inside scoop.

Mission Moen: In 2020, the company launched Mission Moen, its commitment to conserving 1 trillion gallons of water by 2030. To meet that goal, Moen has employed cutting-edge innovation, explained Fortune Brands Global Plumbing Group Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer Mark-Hans Richer.

• Its Flo by Moen, for example, is a “smart water security system” that, through a mobile app, standalone sensors, detectors and other tech, allows consumers to monitor their water usage—and detect leaks they may not even know about.
• “There is an immense amount of water that’s wasted every year in the United States … due to lack of knowledge,” said Richer. “Flo by Moen allows users to see where water use is any minute of any day.”

��“The key to saving water is in small fixes,” Richer emphasized. For example, “a faucet that has a little bit more managed gallon-per-minute flow can add up over the course of its use … to some pretty substantial savings.”

��Cleaning up the oceans: The second pillar of Mission Moen is the company’s commitment to cleaning up the world’s oceans—specifically, 2,000 tons of plastic that’s currently floating in them.

• “We’ve found a lot of very useful, interesting things” that can be made with ocean-recycled plastic, Richer said. These include product packaging and components in showerheads.
• “When you commit yourself to a large goal, then you start to look for ways” to meet that goal, he continued.

Recycled wood and plastic: FBHS’s dedication to conservation extends throughout the company. Recycled wood and plastic are used to create its Fiberon Balance composite decking, Fiberon President Fenton Challgren told us. It’s a complex process:

• First, there is an “intensive search … for the right plastic, which comes in bales by the truckload,” said Challgren.
• The company then must “sort the contaminants, contain them, grind them, get them into different extruders … and create a stable pellet” that can be used for the decking, he continued.

What should manufacturers learn from FBHS? Manufacturers seeking to reduce the size of their company’s environmental footprint should think of these efforts as a long-term investment, according to Challgren.

• “On the water recycling side, have a really robust filtration system,” Challgren urged. “Spend the money, get the technology. It’s a big investment, but if you’re doing any type of high-volume water usage,” it will be less expensive in the long run.

The last word: As Challgren summed it up, “The impact your company could have by going down this path … will be worth it both financially and for the greater good.”

Through a global pandemic, manufacturers have led the way on health and safety measures, helping keep Americans working—for the U.S. and the world. Now the manufacturing industry continues that leadership while recruiting and inspiring the creators of the future.

On the road: Creators Wanted, the workforce campaign of the 51�Թ��� and the MI, is getting ready to hit the road. The campaign formalized and is employing state-of-the-art technologies, like Sphere Synexis, provided by legacy sponsor Trane Technologies, to continuously fight viruses, bacteria and other hazards in the air and on surfaces. The mobile experience, along with other programming events and new online resources, will bring the story of modern manufacturing to communities across the country.

• The experience, by The Dallas Morning News, is designed to capture the imaginations of students, teachers and parents and inspire the next generation of manufacturers.
• It will complement the upcoming release of the 51�Թ��� and MI’s innovative online resources for those seeking a career in manufacturing.

Coming to a town near you: The 51�Թ��� and MI released the following Creators Wanted Live tour dates and stops.

• Oct. 4–7: Columbus, Ohio
• Oct. 12–15: Charlotte, North Carolina
• Oct. 20–22: West Columbia, South Carolina
• Nov. 8–10: Pella, Iowa
• Nov. 16–18: Freeport, Texas
• Nov. 30 – Dec. 3: Dallas, Texas

Wait, there’s more! Community programming stops are also coming to Detroit, Michigan; Guthrie, Kentucky; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Carson City, Nevada. And a new suite of digital and online experiences and tools will bring the campaign to every state.

Thanks to strong support: “Our ability to mount this bold solution to the workforce crisis through the difficulties of a pandemic has been anything but certain,” 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons and 51�Թ��� Board Chair Mike Lamach said in a joint message to 51�Թ��� membership. “It has taken the unwavering and strong support of some of America’s leading enterprises and business leaders to keep this campaign alive.”

See the full list of Creators Wanted sponsors . Want to support the effort? Get involved—at any price point—

Neha Phadke is a long way from home. Originally from a small farming village in India, Phadke grew sugar cane, onions, wheat and watermelon to support her seven-person family while she completed her bachelor’s degree. She moved to the United States to earn her Ph.D. in organic chemistry when Texas Tech University offered her full funding.

Today, Phadke works as a senior process chemist at Covestro, a high-tech polymer materials manufacturer that makes products used in industries including automotive, construction, health care, cosmetics, energy, electronics and sports. It’s her responsibility to find ways to improve production while maintaining quality.

Focused on manufacturing: Even when she was studying organic chemistry as an undergraduate and grad student, Phadke knew that she was more interested in applied science than academia. Near the end of her Ph.D. program in 2015, she received an internship opportunity at Covestro, which was then called Bayer Material Science. That internship turned into a job offer, and she has been working at Covestro ever since.

• “I was asked if I wanted to go into research and academia or manufacturing, and I was 100% sure I wanted to go into manufacturing,” said Phadke. “I had a feeling that this was where I belonged.”

Everything’s bigger in Texas: Still, Phadke faced a learning curve when she shifted from academia to manufacturing, including the scale of the work she was doing.

• “I had never seen big plants and reactors,” said Phadke. “I had worked on my Ph.D. in milligrams, and here I’m making more than 30,000 pounds of material in the reactors. It was fascinating, and I enjoyed the experience, process and learning through the new challenges.”

Standing up: Phadke may work in an environment that’s traditionally been male dominated, but she has never let that stop her before. Even when she was growing up, she knew that her ability to succeed should have nothing to do with her gender.

• “I was always asked if I had a sibling, and I would say I have a younger sister—and I would get sympathy for not having a brother,” said Phadke. “As a kid, I wouldn’t understand why it should make any difference. And it pushed me to think: why can’t I do anything a guy can do?”

Serving as an example: The Manufacturing Institute recently selected Phadke as a 2021 STEP Ahead Award Honoree—an honor given to women leaders who have excelled both within their companies and in the industry as a whole. She encourages other women to get involved in manufacturing and says that, while the industry might seem daunting, she’s gotten plenty of support from her colleagues and her company.

The last word: “Anything is possible,” said Phadke. “Don’t let anyone stop you from doing what you believe is right. Wear your courage, face your fears, lead your path, follow your passion and inspire others.”

Learn more about the STEP Ahead program, including how to honor remarkable women on your team, .

When COVID-19 swept through Camden, New Jersey, it hit the kit and packaging manufacturer IPAK very hard. The majority of IPAK’s nearly 100 employees are women and people from underserved communities, and like many other similarly situated groups, they suffered from particularly high case rates and economic disruption. But it was the company’s long commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion that helped it get through this global disaster—and even allowed it to thrive.

We spoke to IPAK CEO Karen Primak about all the company did to safeguard its employees and serve its customers. Here’s what she told us.

Keeping employees safe: The early days of the pandemic were terrible; the company had four employees in the hospital on respirators “right from the beginning,” says Primak. But IPAK responded swiftly and comprehensively:

• IPAK created an extensive COVID-19 action plan to prepare, inform and assist employees. This included an “ambassador” program so team members had a point of contact to ask about their virus-related concerns and receive answers and resources in the five different languages that employees speak.
• The company rearranged schedules to allow workers without childcare to be home when needed. Managers spent an hour or two every morning discussing how they could accommodate everyone.
• IPAK stayed current with the latest science and data, so that it could react quickly to the fast-changing pandemic. The company instituted an evolving set of daily cleaning protocols, social distancing measures, remote work provisions, masking and face shield requirements, vaccine information sessions and regular COVID-19 testing.

All these measures allowed IPAK to remain open and continue to deliver high-quality solutions to its customers throughout the pandemic. And here’s one last impressive detail: “We didn’t furlough or lay off anyone,” said Primak. “Despite all the craziness and the disproportionate impact on our employees and revenue, we remained committed to employing our workforce during this awful time.”

The “secret weapon”: How did IPAK cultivate the flexibility and dedication necessary to get through a global pandemic?

• “Diversity, equity and inclusion have been our secret weapon,” Primak said. “If you hire people like you, all you get back is you. IPAK is equipped with a range of voices and perspectives, which helps us innovate and creatively solve problems. Our commitment to put employees first and understand their needs allowed us to come together and stay operational during such a difficult time.”

Success during upheaval: IPAK also went above and beyond for its clients, including nonprofit educational-content provider ACT, maker of the well-known college-entrance exam, whose supply chain was upended by COVID-19.

• ACT was faced with shipping disruptions, shuttered test centers, constantly changing local conditions and testing center capacity constraints. It needed an agile partner who would be able to move quickly, adjust schedules and innovate in real time.
• As a result, ACT pivoted early in the pandemic and massively expanded its contract with IPAK to include the handling of secure paper-based processing, which includes creating kits and manufacturing and distributing the ACT test.
• Amid all this disruption and change, IPAK stepped up. Its staff worked tirelessly with ACT to deliver more than 2 million college-entrance exams during the pandemic.

“We worked nights and weekends and even hand-delivered some test booklets to make sure they arrived on time,” said Primak.

A great partnership: “We were the vendor that was willing to make huge and necessary changes alongside ACT during the pandemic so that many deserving students could take the ACT and benefit from the opportunities afforded by their hard work,” Primak said.

• “IPAK asked so many questions about our organization and offered a unique process optimization perspective,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “It was clear they had deep knowledge of the education marketplace and cared about our mission—not just their bottom line. IPAK knocked its first assignment out of the park, catalyzing ACT to outsource additional critical programs to IPAK.”

51�Թ��� involvement: Primak also credits the 51�Թ���’s work with Congress and the administration with helping IPAK survive and succeed. She is grateful for government programs such as the employee retention tax credits, economic injury disaster loans and Paycheck Protection Program loans, which the 51�Թ��� advocated for, and said that without such help, the company “wouldn’t be here.”

The last word: “Helping people achieve success and ensure equity, access and opportunity for all” is ACT’s mission, said Primak. It’s that type of commitment to equity and inclusion that also motivates IPAK’s whole team, in good times and in pandemics.

The 51�Թ��� and The Manufacturing Institute are committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the manufacturing industry. Visit the 51�Թ��� Pledge for Action page to make your own commitment today.

The Economic Development Administration has $3 billion to spend on job training—and manufacturers should start preparing now to attract some of that funding to their regions.

What’s happening: The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Biden in March, set aside $3 billion for a historic investment by the EDA in bottom-up economic development, according to a recent information session hosted by The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education partner of the 51�Թ���.

• Part of that money includes $500 million for the EDA’s , which helps fund job-training programs from design and development through implementation.

Applicants wanted: Applications for the funding—which can be spent by eligible recipients on a wide variety of expenses, including curriculum development, equipment purchases and training-facility leases—are due Jan. 26, 2022. (Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity )

“One of the key things we’re looking for in these proposals is a commitment to hire,” said EDA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Michele Chang. “We are in a time where we want to get folks back into jobs quickly.”

Who’s eligible? While nearly all types of public and private nonprofit groups are eligible, the EDA is seeking organizations that have strong credibility with employers and a proven track record of success.

• How manufacturers can help: Raise this grant opportunity with your trusted economic development or workforce partner and encourage them to contact the MI at [email protected] to learn more.
• A good fit: The EDA program is a natural fit for the MI’s efforts, according to MI Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Gardner Carrick. As he put it, “We are all working to attract more individuals to manufacturing.”

Boot Camp: Those who want to put their best foot forward during the EDA application process should consider the MI Boot Camp. These eight coaching sessions, which will run from mid-September to mid-December, will include workshops, discussions and expert mentorship designed to help applicants compete for the funds.

• The MI Boot Camp is provided free of charge, but attendees will be selected via an application process. Email [email protected] for more information and how to apply.

Why it matters: Manufacturers are dealing with a worrying lack of skilled workers. As of July, the industry had a total of 889,000 job openings, according to the . This vacuum could grow to 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030, according to a recent by Deloitte and the MI—an excellent reason to expand training programs as fast as possible.

The last word: The MI encourages all those who meet eligibility requirements to apply for funds to support their job-training programs. Said Carrick: “The EDA has to be commended for what is really a very impressive grant program.”

Interested in more of the 51�Թ��� and MI’s work to attract workers to the manufacturing industry? Check out our campaign.

With major policy issues coming to a head this fall in Washington, the 51�Թ��� this week launched Manufacturers United – a new digital platform to power the industry’s grassroots advocacy.

We spoke with some of the people behind the effort to learn more about what it does, how it works, and why manufacturers across the country should use it to highlight their priorities and make their voices heard.

What it does: Manufacturers United provides a clear platform and a wide range of easy-to-use tools for individual manufacturers to take action to advance the industry’s policy priorities:

• “Manufacturers United is the central resource where manufacturers, those who work in our industry and everyday Americans who care about the future of manufacturing in the United States can come together and take meaningful action, said Assistant Vice President for Advocacy at the 51�Թ��� Michael O’Brien. “Congress is currently working on urgent priorities ranging from infrastructure investments to revisiting tax reform. Manufacturers United gives you the tools and resources —��from posting key messages to social media, sending a message to your representative, all the way to helping you attend a congressional town hall, or host a member at your facility —��that help you take action.”

A helping hand: In addition to giving manufacturers the tools to advocate for their causes, Manufacturers United also offers access to members of 51�Թ��� staff who can help you navigate and make effective use of these advocacy tools and opportunities.

Why it matters: Research shows that persistent, sustained advocacy is incredibly important – and that outreach from individual constituents has the most impact, especially when policymakers are undecided on an issue. MU unleashes the power of manufacturers who have been interested in advocacy, but haven’t known where to start.

“The 51�Թ��� will always be there to serve up full and comprehensive information on policy matters and other leading issues, but we’re seeing a real hunger from our members to actually join the fight,” said 51�Թ��� Grassroots Strategist Alex Przybelski. “Manufacturers United helps them scale campaigns themselves and move their issues forward.”

How it works: Manufacturers United is designed to help individuals take a number of actions in support of manufacturing priorities. A few ways to plug in are:

• Get up to speed and take action on current issues like fighting new on manufacturers, advancing historic investment, and other major
• Sign up by texting MU to 52886 for updates about the major issues MU is working on (or just visit the and sign up)
• Get to know the who can help you put these tools to work

The bottom line: “Manufacturers United is about harnessing the power of manufacturing voices,” said O’Brien. “What’s at stake, fast facts and useful statistics, how to take action – it’s all there to help individual manufacturers find information and act on it to create an impact.”

Learn more: Find out more at .