WILMINGTON — Rep. John Carney (D-Del.) visited manufacturing facilities in each of Delaware’s three counties last week to discuss their operations, challenges, and opportunities for growth. The tours were part of Rep. Carney’s Make it in Delaware Week to gather ideas for legislative proposals that would revitalize manufacturing in the U.S. and Delaware.
The three- country tour began in Middletown at Allied Precision, which specializes in precision machining and custom welding fabrication services. Rep. Carney toured the facilities and met with employees and leadership to see firsthand the day-to- day operations of a manufacturing facility in Delaware, and to discuss the challenges they face.
The congressman then traveled to Miller Metal Fabrication in Bridgeville, which employs over 70 people in custom metal fabrication. Miller Metal recently expanded, adding a third shift to their manufacturing line. Their products are used in a wide variety of industries, including construction, food processing, and agriculture.
The congressman’s final visit took place at Hirsh Industries in Dover. Hirsh Industries, which employees over 180 people, manufactures and supplies personal and industrial storage products, including filing cabinets and shelving.
“The manufacturing facilities I visited today differ in size and scope, but they all expressed the same challenge — the struggle to remain competitive in the international market,” said Rep. Carney.
“We need to do everything we can to help manufacturers in Delaware and across the country produce competitively priced goods using workers here at home.”
Rep. Carney also hosted a teletown hall with over 8,000 Delawareans to discuss his proposals to spur manufacturing in our state and to hear from constituents who have experience or ideas regarding the manufacturing sector.
On Friday, Rep. Carney hosted a round-table discussion with manufacturing managers and employers at Delaware Tech’s Theodore C. Freeman Powerplant Education Building on the grounds of the Sussex County Airport to discuss opportunities for growth in the state, the skills needed by today’s manufacturing workforce, and the federal role in revitalizing U.S. manufacturing.
Participants in the round-table included Liza Bartle, gas phase manufacturing manager, Agilent Technologies; Chris Clifton, tooling manager, Atlantis Industries; Chris Moody, director of corporate and community training, Delaware Tech Owens Campus; Neal Nicastro, plant manager, PPG Industries; Rob Rider, president and CEO, O.A. Newton; Andrew Satorius, plant manager, Baltimore Aircoil; Tom Spencer, vice president of manufacturing, PATS Aircraft; and Jeff Tricarico, plant manager, Grayling Industries.
To read Rep. Carney’s Make it in Delaware plan, go to http://johncarney.house.gov.
