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Summit Spawns Manufacturing Coalition With Clout

06/09/2004

Minnesota is fighting back against outsourcing, health care costs, tax code revisions, and other national and international issues that adversely affect manufacturing.

On April 5, it held Manufacturing Tomorrow, a summit with speakers from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Congress, the state legislature, and Minnesota businesses.

Many of the attendees felt that manufacturing has gotten short shrift from the government and politicians in recent years, and it was time to hold a high-level discussion about manufacturing's future in the U.S. economy.

One immediate result of the conference was the formation of the Minnesota Manufacturing Coalition, a group of 20 associations serving manufacturers in Minnesota. Among the associations are the American Chemistry Council, National Association of Manufacturers, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. ISA and IEEE were not listed as members.

The 20 associations represent companies with 340,000 employees, and the founders think this might get them some attention from politicians. Or, as the coalition itself put it, The coalition will enable associations serving manufacturers to speak with one voice on issues  that are common to companies regardless of size or sector. Members will meet regularly to identify the highest priority subjects that deserve attention from both state and federal policymakers.