51�Թ���

Washington, D.C. – Following his appointment by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) President and CEO Jay Timmons said:

Across America, manufacturers are in urgent need of more workers. Today, we have nearly half a million job openings. By 2028, we will need to fill 4.6 million jobs. Manufacturers strongly support the administration’s efforts to address the workforce crisis, and I’m proud to represent our industry on the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, said Timmons, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce and education partner of the 51�Թ���. These efforts are a perfect complement to the work already underway at The Manufacturing Institute to inspire and train a new generation of manufacturing workers.

Last year was the best year for manufacturing job creation in more than two decades. With the combined efforts of manufacturers, educators, local officials and the Trump administration, we can build on that growth, and I am confident we can equip more Americans with the skills needed to secure meaningful, high-paying modern manufacturing jobs.

Background

The American Workforce Policy Advisory Board was established by the Department of Commerce pursuant to Executive Order 13845, Establishing the President’s National Council for the American Worker. The Board will provide advice and recommendations on ways to encourage the private sector and educational institutions to combat the skills crisis by investing in and increasing demand-driven education, training and re-training, including training through apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities.

Timmons was nominated to serve on the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board in September by Carolyn Lee, executive director of The Manufacturing Institute. According to a����conducted by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, 2.4 million manufacturing jobs are expected to go unfilled over the next decade.

-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. –��To bridge the divide on immigration policy, the 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) released a 16-page immigration and border security proposal to fix our broken system once and for all. The detailed plan, titled “A Way Forward,” can be viewed at��.

America has now endured two government shutdowns brought on by different disagreements over immigration, illustrating how divisive this debate has become. It has left manufacturers—and the country as a whole—both rightly frustrated and more eager to achieve a real immigration solution, said 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons. Manufacturers are in the business of building bridges and creating solutions, so with our leaders in desperate need of a way forward on essential immigration and border security reforms, we are releasing a detailed, pragmatic approach that will make America safer and our economy stronger and smarter for decades to come.

We know that certain components will not sit well with some groups. That is the nature of compromise. Our current situation demands a pragmatic, common-sense and comprehensive approach, and that can only be reached if everyone is willing to listen to all sides and understand that giving ground on some issues can enable them to accomplish their own top priorities.

The 51�Թ���’s “A Way Forward” proposal identifies seven core areas of action for Congress and the administration to take:

• Build walls, fences and barriers and employ other measures to strengthen border security.
• Prioritize America’s workforce needs through reforms to the legal immigration system.
• Reform nonimmigrant visas and temporary worker programs to reflect employer needs, including a fund to support STEM programs so that we can reduce the need for these types of visas in the future.
• Provide a permanent and compassionate solution for populations facing uncertainty, including the Dreamers, who were brought here as children and know no other home.
• Reform asylum and refugee programs for a more orderly and humane system, including asylum standards consistent with our values.
• Fix the problem of the unauthorized population with a firm reset, requiring an orderly process of review, including financial penalties for those who seek to become legal and deportation for those who choose to stay in the shadows.
• Strengthen the rule of law so that it is respected and followed by all, with a focus on gang violence and��also on requiring localities to cooperate to advance the enforcement of immigration priorities.

View the proposal in full��. Read Timmons’ op-ed on��FoxBusiness.com��.

-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��� (51�Թ���)��will kick off the 51�Թ��� State of Manufacturing Tour 2019 on Tuesday, February 19, traveling to eight states to shine a spotlight on the “next frontier” of manufacturing. The 2019 tour follows the best year in more than two decades for manufacturing job creation. Manufacturers, empowered by tax reform and regulatory certainty, are reporting record levels of optimism, with an average of 92.4 percent having a positive outlook for their company’s future in 2018, according to the latest 51�Թ�����Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey.

From February 19 to 28, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons will join local manufacturing employees, students, media, community leaders and elected officials to discuss the rewarding and diverse opportunities in manufacturing and to underscore the urgent need to inspire more Americans to join the manufacturing workforce. Timmons will be joined on the tour by Carolyn Lee, executive director of The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce and education partner of the 51�Թ���.

Manufacturing has always been the source of America’s strength—and today, we’re building the future. We’re rising to the occasion to solve real-world problems. We’re leading in technological advances, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and augmented reality, that, contrary to the naysayers, will be a net positive for job creation, will boost wages and will help us lift everyone up and leave no one behind. This tour will show us exactly how that’s happening and share this message with more Americans. We’re at the next frontier of manufacturing in the United States, and we should not fear the future, said Timmons.

Marking its fifth year, the annual 51�Թ��� State of Manufacturing Tour has traveled the country highlighting the industry that is essential to a strong American economy. This year’s tour will spotlight the next frontier in modern manufacturing—how cutting-edge technologies and our traditional strong work ethic are helping manufacturers solve tomorrow’s challenges today. In addition, the tour will highlight the diverse manufacturing job opportunities and how the industry is working to fill more than 4.6 million jobs over the next decade.

Tour events will take place in��Colorado, Texas, Iowa, North Carolina, Minnesota, California, Ohio and Arizona.��To learn more about the 51�Թ��� State of Manufacturing Tour 2019, click��.��Details are as follows:

WEEK ONE:

Tuesday, February 19 // Colorado

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. MST

Ball Aerospace

9675 W. 108th Circle

Westminster, CO 80021

(press: closed)

3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. MST

Anheuser-Busch

3823 Mountain Vista Drive

Fort Collins, CO 80524

(press: open)

Wednesday, February 20 // Texas

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CST

Lone Star College, North Harris Campus��–��State of Manufacturing Address

Student Services Building, Conference Center

2700 W.W. Thorne Drive

Houston, TX 77073

Use Parking Lot K

(press: open)

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. CST

BP

201 Helios Way

Houston TX 77079

(press: closed)

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST

Bimbo Bakeries

6650 N Houston Rosslyn Road

Houston, TX 77091

(press: closed)��

Wednesday, February 20 // Ohio

1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EST

Staub Manufacturing – Tax Reform/Workforce Development Roundtable with Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)

2501 Thunderhawk Court

Dayton, OH 45414

(Press: Open)

Thursday, February 21 // Iowa

9:00 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. CST

Sukup Manufacturing Co.

1555 255th Street

Sheffield, IA 50475

(press: open)

12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. CST

Kirkwood Community College

Jones Hall

6301 Kirkwood Boulevard SW

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404

(press: open)

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CST

SwineTech, Inc.

230 2nd Street SE, Suite 302
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

(press: open)

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. CST

The Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa

2301 Oakdale Boulevard

Coralville, IA 52241

(press: open)

Friday, February 22 // North Carolina

2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST

North Carolina Chamber of Commerce – Roundtable with Area Business Leaders

701 Corporate Center Drive

Raleigh, NC 27607

(press: open)

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. EST

Protolabs

3700 Pleasant Grove Church Road

Morrisville, NC 27560

(press: open)

WEEK TWO:

Monday, February 25 // Minnesota

10:25 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. CST

Protolabs – Brooklyn Park

8500 Wyoming Avenue North

Minneapolis, MN 55445

(press: open)

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CST

Polaris

7290 E Viking Boulevard

Wyoming, MN 55340

(press: closed)

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CST

Metal Trade Solutions

311 1st Street North

Winsted, Minnesota 55395

(press: open)

Tuesday, February 26 // California

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST

Jelly Belly

1 Jelly Belly Lane

Fairfield, CA 94533

(press: open)

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. PST

Bishop-Wisecarver

2104 Martin Street

Pittsburg, CA 94565

(press: open)

Wednesday, February 27 // California

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. PST

SFMade Manufacturing Foundry

150 Hooper Street

San Francisco, CA 94107

(press: open)

Thursday, February 28 // Arizona

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. MST

Karsten Manufacturing

2201 W. Desert Cove Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85029

(press: open)

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. MST

Four Peaks Brewery

1340 E. 8th Street #104

Tempe, AZ 85281

(press: closed)

More information regarding tour stops, events and locations will be released soon.

MEDIA RSVP:��Members of the media interested in covering the tour or attending an event should contact��[email protected]. To learn more about the 51�Թ��� State of Manufacturing Tour 2019, click��.

-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��� (51�Թ���) President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement reacting to the 2019 State of the Union address:

Our industry is coming off the best year for manufacturing job creation in more than two decades, and in 2018 the 51�Թ���’s Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey found the highest level of optimism among manufacturers in the survey’s 20-year history. The strength of our union is found in modern manufacturing, so President Trump was right to keep his focus on the men and women who make things in America, said Timmons.

Manufacturers’ progress has been built with the tools of tax reform and regulatory certainty, as manufacturers kept our promise to hire workers, raise wages and benefits and invest in equipment and operations. To continue this progress, manufacturers have a very clear and post-partisan agenda: approve the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement, enact lasting, meaningful reforms to our broken immigration system, make an historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure and recruit a new generation of talent to solve the ongoing workforce crisis in manufacturing.

Manufacturers stand ready to tackle our nation’s challenges and opportunities and, as the President said tonight, to ‘unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future.’

-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��� (51�Թ���) announced that Quentin Roach, chief procurement officer and senior vice president, global supplier management and global supply business development for Merck, has been named to the Executive Committee of the 51�Թ��� Board of Directors. As an 51�Թ��� Executive Committee board member, Roach will work to advance a manufacturing policy agenda that promotes growth and prosperity for all Americans.

The 51�Թ��� is the largest industrial trade association in the United States and the nation’s leading advocate for manufacturing. The 51�Թ���’s 14,000 members include some of the world’s most iconic brands, and more than 90 percent of its members are small and medium-sized businesses. The Executive Committee of the 51�Թ��� Board, which comprises leaders representing companies of all sizes in every industrial sector, is the driving force behind the 51�Թ���’s advocacy efforts on issues affecting manufacturers.

I am honored to be a part of the 51�Թ��� Executive Committee and continue to fight for policies that will ensure our continued growth and success as manufacturers. I look forward to continue working with the 51�Թ��� to help policymakers understand how their policies affect the more than 12 million men and women employed in manufacturing, said Roach. I look forward to sharing my story and the stories of all manufacturers who are keeping our promise to deliver for our people and our communities following historic tax reform and significant regulatory relief.

Quentin commands respect as a recognized leader in our industry, and the 51�Թ��� will be stronger thanks to his service on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors,��said 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons. Across America, manufacturers are keeping our promise to deliver for our people and communities following tax reform and regulatory relief from Washington. The 51�Թ���’s mission is to ensure we keep moving forward—by expanding trade, investing in infrastructure, reforming our immigration system, responding to the workforce crisis and so much more. Quentin will bring invaluable insights as we work to drive even more manufacturing growth in America and be an advocate for the more than 12 million men and women who make things in America.

-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��� (51�Թ���) announced that Karl G. Glassman, president and CEO of Leggett & Platt, Inc., has been named to the Executive Committee of the 51�Թ��� Board of Directors. As an 51�Թ��� Executive Committee board member, Glassman will work to advance a manufacturing policy agenda that promotes growth and prosperity for all Americans.

The 51�Թ��� is the largest industrial trade association in the United States and the nation’s leading advocate for manufacturing. The 51�Թ���’s 14,000 members include some of the world’s most iconic brands, and more than 90 percent of its members are small and medium-sized businesses. The Executive Committee of the 51�Թ��� Board, which comprises leaders representing companies of all sizes in every industrial sector, is the driving force behind the 51�Թ���’s advocacy efforts on issues affecting manufacturers.

I am honored to be a part of the 51�Թ��� Executive Committee and continue to fight for policies that will ensure our continued growth and success as manufacturers. Policymakers need to understand how their policies affect the more than 12 million men and women employed in manufacturing, said Glassman. I look forward to sharing my story and the stories of all manufacturers who are keeping our promise to deliver for our people and our communities following historic tax reform and significant regulatory relief.

Karl commands respect as a recognized leader in our industry, and the 51�Թ��� will be stronger thanks to his service on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors,��said 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons. Across America, manufacturers are keeping our promise to deliver for our people and communities following tax reform and regulatory relief from Washington. The 51�Թ���’s mission is to ensure we keep moving forward—by expanding trade, investing in infrastructure, reforming our immigration system, responding to the workforce crisis and so much more. Karl will bring invaluable insights as we work to drive even more manufacturing growth in America and be an advocate for the more than 12 million men and women who make things in America.

-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.