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Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the 51�Թ���, has announced the election of Dan Dwight, president, CEO and director of Cooley Group, to the MLC’s Board of Governors. The MLC’s mission is to help senior manufacturing executives and emerging leaders define and shape a better future for themselves, their organizations and the industry at large by focusing on the intersection of critical business and technology issues that will drive growth today and in the future.

The MLC Board approved Dwight’s nomination in a unanimous vote. With his appointment, the MLC Board of Governors consists of 21 industry thought leaders who represent the full ecosystem of the manufacturing industry. As an advisory body, the MLC Board of Governors provides guidance to the MLC on its “Critical 51�Թ���” agenda, research studies and programs and services for the MLC membership.

“I am delighted to welcome Dan to the Board,” said John Fleming, chairman of the MLC Board of Governors. “He has truly established himself as a thought leader who is implementing Manufacturing 4.0. into his business. His hands-on experience will add to the value of the MLC for all of our members.”

“For the past four years, I experienced the value the Council brings to its constituent members by connecting global manufacturers with industry experts who share global best practices and the latest in academic research,” said Dwight. “Joining the Council as a board member is an exciting opportunity to collaborate with other executives and academic leaders in setting the Council’s strategic and operational objectives around Manufacturing 4.0 and beyond.”

Since his appointment as president, CEO and director of Cooley Group in 2011, Dwight successfully repositioned the 90-year-old company around three pillars of sustainable growth (economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and social responsibility) while improving the health, well-being, engagement and ultimately the capacity for innovation of the entire Cooley team. Under his leadership, Cooley has sustained revenue and profitability growth for seven consecutive years. During this time, Cooley generated more than 40 percent of its revenue from new products, won PBN Awards, including “Healthiest Employer of Rhode Island” and “Product Innovation & Design,” and cultivated collaborative partnerships such that more than 70 percent of Cooley’s revenue is managed under long-term customer supply agreements.

The Manufacturing Leadership Board of Governors comprises senior executives and industry experts at leading manufacturing, academic and research organizations around the world, including Lockheed Martin, Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor Company, Dow Chemical, Merck, Cisco Systems, IBM, Germany’s SmartFactory Technology Initiative, Lexmark International, Protolabs, Premio Foods, Virtex Enterprises, S&S Hinge, Graphicast, MIT, UCLA, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing in the UK, the U.S. National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining and consultants Frost & Sullivan. For more information and MLC membership details, visit .

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Founded in 2008, and now a division of the 51�Թ���, the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s mission is to inspire and support manufacturing executives to achieve transformational growth for themselves, their companies and the industry at large through enlightened leadership. With more than 1,500 senior-level members from many of the world’s leading manufacturing companies, the MLC focuses on the intersection of advanced digital technologies and the business, identifying growth and improvement opportunities in the operation, organization and leadership of manufacturing enterprises as they pursue their journeys to Manufacturing 4.0.

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than two-thirds of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit .

733 10th St. NW, Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20001 • (202) 637-3000

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on outlining reforms to how it conducts cost-benefit analysis:

Reforming the way the EPA performs cost-benefit analysis is likely to have a greater positive impact on the future of manufacturing in America than any single EPA regulatory action, said Timmons. This announcement isn’t deregulation; it’s better regulation. Through this new initiative, the EPA will get regulations done right the first time, delivering clarity and transparency for manufacturers. Our industry will spend less time working through complicated rules and more time doing what we’ve promised the America people we’ll do: create new jobs, raise wages and benefits and invest in new operations while protecting our air and water.

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The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.38 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – The 51�Թ��� today unveiled a newly redesigned and reimagined 51�Թ���.org that will serve as the one-stop shop for America’s manufacturing news.

The site will provide original, first-look reporting and content from the manufacturing industry, showcasing leading research and information from an array of high-profile subject-matter experts and industry executives. It will also serve as a platform for our members to tell their own stories of what’s happening in the industry.

This is a new and innovative approach that we believe will continue to position the 51�Թ��� as the trusted manufacturing voice in the business community, in Washington and across the country, said 51�Թ��� Senior Vice President of Communications and Brand Strategy Erin Streeter. The launch of this new website is part of our larger work to inform decision-makers, lift up our members and support the more than 12.8 million women and men who make things in America.

The launch builds on the recent rollout of INPUT, the 51�Թ���’s members-only morning newsletter that addresses the questions that manufacturing leaders ask every day, covering economic news, policy developments and the successes and challenges of manufacturing companies across the country and around the world. Through these and other new products and innovations, the 51�Թ��� is defining what it means to be a modern trade association.

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The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.38 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on the White House’s immigration proposal:

America’s immigration system is fundamentally broken, and manufacturers are committed to being part of the solution. The administration’s announcement moves us closer to a way forward, said Timmons.

Earlier this year, manufacturers offered our plan, ‘A Way Forward,’ to help guide leaders in Washington as they tackle this complicated issue. We were pleased to see the President’s plan aligned with several of our ideas, including focusing on economic realities, increasing employment-based immigration and welcoming those with skills to match workforce demands, along with enhancing overall security. Immigrants make our country stronger, and we agree with the President when he says we should expand legal immigration even more.

Manufacturers will continue working with leaders in both parties, on Capitol Hill and in the administration to achieve lasting reforms that bolster our national security, offer compassion and address economic and workforce realities. Ultimately, we all share the same goal—building a safer and stronger America.

In February, the 51�Թ��� released its immigration plan “A Way Forward” which identified seven core areas for action for Congress and the administration to take to fix our broken immigration system once and for all. Timmons also to see the problems firsthand.

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The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on the ongoing U.S.–China talks and the implementation of increased U.S. tariffs on Chinese products:

U.S. and Chinese officials must accelerate their efforts to reach a lasting agreement that ends China’s unfair practices, eliminates tariffs and provides real enforcement. These developments should add a greater sense of urgency to the negotiations.

For years, China has refused to play by the rules, harming manufacturers with intellectual property theft and other unfair trade practices. That’s why the 51�Թ��� was the first business association, in early 2018, to call for a bilateral, enforceable trade agreement to help level the playing field for America’s manufacturing workers.

A trade war will not solve our problems. So we look forward to the United States and China returning to the negotiating table to get this deal done as soon as possible.

The 51�Թ��� first called for the administration to pursue a bilateral trade agreement with China in a letter from Timmons to President Trump in January 2018. The 51�Թ��� also testified before the Senate Finance Committee and U.S. Trade Representative on the impact of tariffs and the importance of reaching an enforceable bilateral trade agreement with China. In August 2018, the 51�Թ��� released a full negotiating objectives framework for an agreement that will address China’s unfair trade practices and level the playing field for manufacturers in the United States.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Export-Import Bank nominees Kimberly Reed, Judith DelZoppo Pryor and Spencer Bachus, a move that will significantly enhance manufacturers’ competitiveness against foreign nations, including China:

Now that the Export-Import Bank is on track to be fully functional again, after a four-year hiatus, manufacturers in America can once more reach their full potential and more aggressively compete against China and others. While the agency was sidelined, billions of dollars’ worth of deals were lost to foreign competitors, resulting in tens of thousands of unrealized manufacturing jobs. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, Leader McConnell and senators on both sides of the aisle, this self-inflicted damage is now over.

This bipartisan victory will be short-lived, however, if Congress does not act swiftly to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank before the September deadline. For manufacturers, this is a serious threat looming on the horizon. If Congress fails to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank, lawmakers will be responsible for slowing manufacturing’s growth and handing countries like China a competitive edge. Now is not the time to squander the historic progress we’ve made in recent years.

The 51�Թ��� has been a leading proponent of restoring the Ex-Im Bank, which has supported 1.7 million American jobs over the past 10 years, to full functionality. In January, Timmons sent a letter to Senate leaders urging them to approve swiftly the full slate of stalled, qualified nominees to the Ex-Im Bank’s board of directors following their bipartisan approval by the Senate Banking Committee.

Quick facts about the Ex-Im Bank:

• The agency has supported 1.7 million jobs over the past 10 years.
• On average, more than 90 percent of the Ex-Im Bank’s transactions directly support small businesses.
• The agency has generated $9.6 billion for taxpayers since 1992.
• Foreign competitors are stealing America’s competitive advantage by devoting hundreds of billions of dollars to official export credit agency financing for domestic manufacturers.
• The agency’s default rate is better than many commercial lenders and far below the 2 percent maximum rate set by Congress.

����������� to learn more about how the Ex-Im board vacancies impacted manufacturers and  for more information about its role as a critical tool in checking China’s ambitions.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – The 51�Թ��� announced in a letter to members of the U.S. Senate today that it will key-vote Senate confirmation of Export-Import Bank nominees Kimberly Reed, Judith DelZoppo Pryor and Spencer Bachus:

The Ex-Im Bank has been hobbled for more than four years now, unable to consider any major U.S. sales greater than $10 million and unable to implement the reforms still outstanding from the 2015 Ex-Im Bank reauthorization, wrote 51�Թ��� Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations Aric Newhouse. Manufacturers in America have lost approximately $119 billion in output as a result, translating into 80,000 fewer American manufacturing jobs in 2016 and 2017. At the same time, nearly 100 foreign export credit agencies supported by countries from China and Russia to Brazil and Germany have been growing to promote exports on behalf of their industries and workers. The Senate must act to reverse this loss and restore the Ex-Im Bank to full operation by confirming Reed, Bachus and Pryor to the Ex-Im Bank Board.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.