The AMBA Michigan Delegation and the Southeast Delegation taking a break from Congressional meetings at the capitol building in Washington DC on September 30, 2010.

The Fall Conference of the American Mold Builders Association held in Washington, D.C., resulted in 49 meetings with Senators and Congress persons. There were five teams: Illinois Delegation, Michigan Delegation, Minnesota/Wisconsin Delegation, the Southeast Delegation and the USA Delegation (non-chapter members). Each team met with either the Senator/Congress person or their selected legislative aides.

AMBA members and Partners provided a packet of information about the AMBA, its members, and the major issues that impact our businesses, our industry, and U.S. manufacturing as a whole. Mike Armbrust, President of the AMBA, said, "In comparison to last year, I am very pleased with the exposure manufacturing has in Washington. In particular, the Illinois representatives appear to recognize the importance of the manufacturing base in our state. We have a lot of work still to do, but policy is reflecting an emphasis towards small business and manufacturing in particular." 

Everyone who attended the Fall Conference seemed to come away with the impression that suddenly Washington, D.C. is taking a greater interest in manufacturing. Mike Walter, general manager for MET Plastics, a molder and mold manufacturer in Elk Grove Village, IL, said that his team "had a really positive experience." He noted that he personally felt "more upbeat coming out of these meetings this year than last year." The people that the Illinois delegation met with were responsive in getting back to them with answers to some questions they posed about legislation and where their Senators/Representatives stood. "And they were fairly lengthy answers," Walter noted. "Last year we were the unwanted industry - this year they seemed genuinely interested in us." 

Every morning the two Illinois Senators invite their constituents to have coffee with them, so on Thursday the Illinois delegation participated in that event. There were about 50 people in the room, many of them educators, so Walter said he took advantage of that when he got the opportunity to make a comment. "I directed my comments to the educators in the room, and noted how our industry has a lack of skilled workers, and the fact that we need better educated and more highly-skilled people," said Walter. "That gave Sen. Durbin the opportunity to comment on how manufacturing can create jobs. I told them that we know jobs are high on their list of priorities and we have solutions for you. It was good."  .

The Minnesota/Wisconsin team also had an opportunity to meet with Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) for "morning porridge" - a wild rice concoction for which Minnesota is famous. Justin McPhee, vp of engineering for Mold Craft Inc. in Willernie, MN, said the porridge was actually "really good" and the event quite humorous. About 60 of his constituents were in attendance. 

The first order of business was to set down his coffee cup and "take care of business and he goes into his bathroom, came back in a few minutes and stood on his desk to give a speech," McPhee related. "He talked about his support for manufacturing, but his voting doesn't reflect that. It was good to hear that he said he supports manufacturing but it would be better if he actually voted that way. He's against extending the Bush tax cuts because the government needs the revenue to bring down the deficit." 

Like Mike Walter, Justin McPhee felt overall greater interest from Senators and Representatives. "This time I definitely sensed more piqued interest," he said. "They really wanted to hear what our problems were, and they listened to us. They seemed to be a lot more receptive to us this year than last."  

View the one-page summary of issues that AMBA members spoke to their Congresspersons about.