Written by: Eileen Anderson, Director of Government Relations at The MBA
Last week, The MBA’s Jezree Friend, V.P., and Eileen Anderson, Director of Government Relations, attended a PA House Manufacturing Caucus facility tour. What a spectacular day it was! We visited two MBA member businesses with Erie lawmakers—Rep. Parke Wentling, Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Pat Harkins, Rep. Jake Banta, Rep. Brad Roae and several others from the Erie community.
In the morning, Jim Rutkowski, General Manager at Industrial Sales & Manufacturing, Inc. (ISM), gave an overview of his company and led us around the shop floor, explaining processes and products. ISM serves industries such as energy, medical, and transportation.
In the afternoon, the group visited Wabtec, where John Singleton, plant manager, gave an overview of the company and its sprawling campus before leading us onto the shop floor. They make locomotives, and the highlight of the tour was climbing onto and around one of the massive locomotives.
Not all facility tours are quite so dramatic. The purpose of these tours is to bring lawmakers and businesses together. Lawmakers walk “in the trenches” with employers to see what it takes to make things and how manufacturers operate. Often, brief policy discussions occur where top concerns are shared. The groups learn from each other: lawmakers gain insight into how they can help employers, and employers have the chance to speak directly with those who make the laws.
Facility visits aren’t limited to manufacturers. The MBA is happy to arrange a tour of your business with your lawmaker and others who may have an interest. These tours take time to plan, from scheduling dates to coordinating participants. Want to get involved? Please contact Jezree Friend at jfriend@mbausa.org or Eileen Anderson at eileenanderson@mbausa.org.
