Home | About Florida MEP | Upcoming Events | Success Stories | Partners & Resources | News | Board of Directors
Contact Us | Enterprise Transformation | Performance Based Training | Supply Chain Management | Innovation
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 16, 2003 |
For more information please contact: Scott Montrey 202-637-3099 Al Stimac 407-936-2000 |
|
Stimac: "We Can Compete, But Not Against Currency Devalutation or Counterfeiting." SANFORD, FL - National Association of Manufacturers member company Metal Essence, Inc. yesterday told a U.S. Commerce Department field hearing that American industry needs a variety of changes in government policy to be able to contend with the massive changes in the global economic marketplace over the past few years. "We can compete out there, but not against competitive currency devaluation like China’s, or countries that have no respect for intellectual property rights and allow rampant counterfeiting," said President Al Stimac of the Sanford-based company. "American manufacturing must leverage our technology, our skilled workforce, and our national ingenuity. I’m staying competitive by making major investments in high-tech equipment, quality methods and software." Stimac also urged Washington to tackle issues that drain resources from his company, including worker’s compensation and other rising benefit costs. He noted the lack in the United States of many of the export incentives enjoyed by his foreign competitors. The recent trend toward sourcing manufacturing components from overseas, Stimac said, "reduces America’s manufacturing base and ultimately limits the number of good suppliers. We need the federal government to craft a broad-based manufacturing agenda that focuses on opening new markets abroad, compelling trade partners like China to play by the rules, and reducing the enormous burden of outdated and often unnecessary regulations that make it expensive to keep production here at home." Stimac was joined at the field hearing panel discussion by a number of other local and national manufacturers. The National Association of Manufacturers is the nation’s largest industrial trade association. The NAM represents 14,000 members (including 10,000 small and mid-sized companies) and 350 member associations serving manufacturers and employees in every industrial sector and all 50 states. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the NAM has 10 additional offices across the country. Be sure to visit our award-winning web site at www.nam.org for more information about legislative, policy and workplace developments affecting manufacturers, employees and the economy. |
|