REP. TOM REED ON KEEPING JOBS, MANUFACTURERS IN NYS WITH VISIT TO DUNKIRK NESTLE-PURINA

Rep. Tom Reed Thursday visited Dunkirk’s Nestlé Purina PetCare facility with a goal in mind: strengthening efforts to revitalize American manufacturing. Following a presentation of the facility’s history, Reed joined employees for a tour of the plant and heard from employees on priorities including reducing trucking and transporting expenses, efficient energy options, and promoting a business environment for continued growth

“These are the kinds of conversations we bring back to Washington to foster the ‘make it here, sell it there’ approach to promoting American manufacturing,” Reed said. “Looking ahead to a busy September, now is the time to gather as much input from constituents as possible. Particularly in the case of manufacturers like Nestlé Purina, these are the kinds of discussions we’ll highlight through the House Manufacturing Caucus to keep existing manufacturers here and create more opportunities in New York.”

Dunkirk Plant Manager Ron Bowers added, “At Nestlé Purina, we’re passionate about making some of the world’s best-known high-quality, nutritious pet products here in Dunkirk.  And we’re committed to creating shared value for pets, pet owners, and for the communities where we live and work.”   

Most of Nestlé Purina’s 300 Dunkirk employees are from Northern Chautauqua County and Reed said there is a sense of family at the Dunkirk facility. “I met with some employees today who have been with the company for 30 or 40 years,” Reed said. “That’s a huge testament to the positive work environment here at Nestlé Purina and the community as a whole. These are the kinds of manufacturers we need to work harder to enable them to stay in New York State.”

Reed recently introduced a new bill in the House to utilize public-private partnerships to bring together manufacturers, local businesses, universities and community colleges to create a network of manufacturing institutes. The bipartisan, bicameral Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2013 (RAMI) commercializes research and development into manufactured products, while training an advanced manufacturing workforce.

Earlier this week, Rep. Reed, Co-Chair of the House Manufacturing Caucus, visited Cameron Manufacturing and Design in Chemung County to meet with employees and discuss the importance of workforce development.

More information on the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Action can be found here.

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