What Issues Keep Manufacturers Up at Night? RMI Survey

Take 2 minutes to tell us what issues are important to your company and then tell us “What would you do to help Maryland Manufacturing if you were Governor?” You will see the results from all respondents across the state. Only manufacturers should take this survey. The results will be used to communicate information to the press and to plan a MEGA manufacturing event in the Fall.

CLICK HERE

RMI Survey

RMI Survey

National Survey of Likely Voters Shows Manufacturing a Key Issue

A recent survey (American Manufacturing Alliance)  of likely voters shows that the vast majority view manufacturing as critical to American economic future. By a sizable margin, the 1,200 likely general election voters polled rate manufacturing as the industry “most important to the overall strength of the American economy” and support a national strategy to restore America’s global leadership . Click here to download a slidedeck on survey results.

Here are the key findings:

  • Voters See A Deteriorating Economic Situation
  • They Continue To Rank Jobs, Specifically In Manufacturing, As Their Top Priority For Washington (Even Over The Deficit)
  • But Even Fewer Than Last Year Think Anyone In Washington Is Doing Anything To Create And Preserve Manufacturing Jobs
  • Voters See Manufacturing As Crucially Linked To Our Economic Strength
  • Voters Are Even More Positive About U.S. Manufacturing Than Last Year, And Just As Negative About China
  • Fewer Believe The U.S. Has The World’s Strongest Economy, But Voters Continue To Believe The U.S. Can And Should Regain Its #1 Status Americans Overwhelmingly Support A National Manufacturing Strategy
  • Some Of The Most Popular Proposals Include:
          1.  Incentives For R&D Used To Make Products Here
          2.  Cracking Down On Unfair Trade, Specifically With China
          3. Stopping Tax Breaks For Outsourcing

 

Hoyer Delivers Speech on “Make It In America” Plan


Washington, D.C.
 – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) delivered a speech today on the role of manufacturing in building a strong and competitive economy. He also announced a new list of bills as part of the Democrats’ Make It In America plan, which combines business tax reforms with strategic investments in education, technology and infrastructure to enable manufacturers to expand operations and add jobs. Ultimately, the goal of Make It In America is to maintain the U.S.’s economy as the strongest in the world.

Below, you will find Congressman Hoyer’s inspiring address in its entirety. [Read more...]

What kind of manufacturing do you believe is in Maryland’s future?

On Friday, July 6, the BBJ ran an article on the the Sparrows Point Partnership, manufacturing and the port.

Click here for article

I am a member of the Sparrows Point Partnership, appointed by Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. The partnership is led by RMI Board member and Baltimore County Economic Director, Dan Gundersen. ( see earlier post on Sparrows Point Partnership for membership list) We had our first meeting and I am confident that this group will produce a well researched, thoughtful and significant plan.

Please comment to this blog (below) your views on the future of Maryland manufacturing both in Baltimore County and beyond. What kind of manufacturing will be in our future. What do we need to do to be globally competitive. What policies are needed?

What new trends and/or technologies will shape  that future of manufacturing?

Recently, Governor O’Malley appointed to the Maryland Advisory Commission on Manufacturing Competitiveness RMI Board members Drew Greenblatt, Fred Swanner and me.

The  commission is meeting on July 17 at MarquipWardUnited in Baltimore County.

Finally, last week I met privately with Congressman Steny Hoyer to discuss  support for  manufacturing. He is doing a great job speaking out publicly on the future of manufacturing. I am a member of Hoyer’s  Make it in America advisory committee.

 

New U.S. Commerce Department Report: Manufacturing Jobs Provide Higher Pay, More Benefits

The next time you see an article on manufacturing in the local press, social media or blog, respond with some of the facts below on “The Benefits of Manufacturing Jobs

U.S. Commerce report: source http://www.esa.doc.gov/news/2012/05/09/new-us-commerce-department-report-manufacturing-jobs-provide-higher-pay-more-benefit

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 9, 2012 – The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) today released “The Benefits of Manufacturing Jobs,” an analysis of wages and benefits of manufacturing workers, which finds that total hourly compensation for manufacturing workers is 17 percent higher than for non-manufacturing workers.  This includes premiums in both wages and employer-provided benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans.The report finds that in addition to higher compensation for manufacturing jobs, the share of manufacturing workers with more than a high school degree has been steadily increasing, and now more than half of all manufacturing workers have at least some college education.  Further, manufacturing jobs are more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) intensive than non-manufacturing industries.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, manufacturing employment has expanded by nearly 500,000 jobs or 4 percent since January 2010 — the strongest cyclical rebound since the wake of the dual recessions in the early 1980s.
[Read more...]

GM Takes it Up a Notch in Maryland

Name the first company that comes to mind in Baltimore, Maryland that produces no landfill waste, saves turtles, earned its wildlife habitat certificate and generates 9% of its electric power from the Sun?

Hint: it’s a Baltimore area manufacturer. That’s right, it’s GM Baltimore Operations. You’re visually struck by the uniqueness of this facility. As you enter the road leading up to the plant, wild geese freely stroll about the wetland area in front of the facility. [Read more...]

Invite Elected Officials to Visit Manufacturing Companies

I sent an email to my elected officials this morning (below) inviting them to visit manufacturing facilities in their district. Please consider sending an email.

It’s very easy if you go to the Maryland Chamber of Commerce website. Simply add your address, text . Based on your address the system automatically selects your federal and state representatives and you select who you want to receive your email.

Go to http://www.mdchamber.org/ (right side, Contact Your Legislator)

“Manufacturing is a topic of conversation today. Thank goodness. Maryland manufacturers have been left relatively unsupported over the past decade. Now policymakers realize that “Making it in Maryland” means good paying manufacturing jobs that lead to middle class. [Read more...]