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.

AMBA group attends the Real Jobs Summit with Newt Gingrich - May 5, 2010
An AMBA member group attended the Real Jobs Summit with Newt Gingrich on May 5, which had keeping manufacturing in the U.S. as its top priority.

Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives, brought his Real Jobs Summit to Greenville, SC on May 5. A group from the American Mold Builders Assn. attended to participate in this summit, which drew about 500 attendees interested in promoting manufacturing in the USA, saving existing jobs, and creating new jobs in manufacturing.

Steve Rotman, president of Ameritech Die & Mold (Mooresville, NC) and Ameritech Die & Mold South (Ormond Beach, FL), was in attendance along with Scott Phipps of United Tool & Mold in Easley, SC. “This is a really strong movement led by Speaker Newt Gingrich,” commented Rotman. “I was able to attend the event in Greenville, and Scott Phipps and I participated in a Small Business Roundtable where owners of businesses met with Speaker Gingrich. I have been able to meet quite a few politicians while visiting DC in the last couple of years, but I have never seen the ability to answer so many questions from different fields, and not feel like I was being patronized.

Gingrich spoke from the heart with conviction, and it was very refreshing, to say the least. He stated that he wasn’t there to represent Republican or Democrat, just the American Constitution.”

Gingrich founded American Solutions in 2007 as a tri-partisan, grass-roots political action group dedicated to finding real solutions to real problems facing America. It currently has 1.5 million members.

South Carolina has the nation’s highest unemployment at 12.2% and has lost 15,000 jobs in the past year. The Real Jobs tour has stopped in five cities promoting job creation solutions that lawmakers can use right now to help put people back to work.

After the Summit, the Carolinas Chapter of the AMBA held a meeting with Robbie Earnhardt of Superior Tooling (Wake Forest, NC), David Meyers of Carson Tool & Mold (Kennesaw, GA), David Bowers III of JMMS Inc. (Easley, SC), Keith Fox and Dave Harper from Ameritech, and Mark Krajniak of Alliance Carolina Tool & Mold Corp. (Arden, NC).

Among the issues discussed at the Roundtable, Rotman noted that Gingrich is against a VAT (value-added tax), because “it will only feed the government.” The tax money lost as companies take manufacturing offshore and produce goods there to export here was also discussed.

Gingrich was asked some really difficult questions, but had answers and solutions that were well thought-out,” said Rotman. “I was impressed. His motto—2+2=4—is for: honesty; cutting taxes for businesses, which leads to job growth; more American energy, which leads to lower prices; and more competition between schools, which leads to better education. We’re not looking at the root of the problems. We’ve got to get back to being problem solvers, but first understanding what caused the problem in the first place. It was very refreshing to hear him.

Call for Action: Letter Writing Campaign Needed - 11/23/09 

Dear AMBA member:

Please personalize and send the following letter regarding the healthcare reform bills to your state Senators and Representatives.

(Download the letter here, or cut & paste the letter below.)

This is an important initiative needed to insure the healthcare reform bills do not harm small manufacturers and business.

Thank you for supporting our industry!

Melissa J. Millhuff
Executive Director
American Mold Builders Association

AMBA Government Activity - North American Automotive Tooling Coalition - 4/9/09
AMBA Members and Partners:

We are working with the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA), the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) and a group of tool, die and mold companies that are not members of a formal association (Independents) and have recently formed a coalition which we refer to as The North American Automotive Tooling Coalition ("The Tooling Coalition").

The primary purpose of the Tooling Coalition is to assure long term viability of the North American tooling sector, a critical supplier in the automotive supply chain for the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as key supplier to manufacturers of equipment and supplies for the military, medical sector, energy industry, agriculture and construction industry and virtually every other manufactured product in North America.

Tooling is where manufacturing innovation is often derived. Historically the industry has been fragmented
and we believe that it is important to review and discuss the issues currently facing our industry, as one group and present a strong voice on behalf of the tooling sector in working to develop resolution for the following key issues:

1. Identify, discuss and develop a course of action addressing the implications of a Chapter 11 filing by GM or Chrysler on the tool, die, mold and machining sector (Tier 2 tooling suppliers);

2. The need to establish "reasonable commercial payment terms" for tooling by reducing project contract cradle-to-grave time periods for tooling projects, which provides
improved access to working capital for the tooling manufacturers and improved liquidity;

3. The need to develop a mechanism to ensure "safe passage" of funds intended for tooling payments from the OEM thorough the Tier 1 parts manufacturer to the Tier 2 tool builder;

4. The need to reduce direct tooling acquisition costs for General Motors and Chrysler to assist them maintaining a competitive position in the global auto industry; North American Automotive Tooling Coalition Page 2 20/04/2009

5. The need to reduce/eliminate/mitigate costs associated with tooling during the Chapter 11 filings of financially challenged Tier 1 parts manufacturers who serve as a middleman between the vehicle manufacturer and the tooling manufacturer for tooling acquisition.

The Tooling Coalition has drafted a letter and mailed it to the Ron Bloom, the Senior Advisor on the Presidential Task Force in Washington, D.C.

Click here to view the full letter.


Thank you,
Melissa Millhuff
Executive Director
AMBA

 

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AMBA Sends Letter Requesting Meeting with Chairman of General Motors - 3/19/09
Click here to view the letter. 

 

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Your Immediate Action Needed - Moldmaker Payment Issue!
I am encouraging you to download a letter (click here for letter) that we are asking you to send to your state Senators and House of Representative members.  The AMBA is supporting a national effort to create a proposal for government loan proceeds to OEMs.  While taxpayer loans have been extended through the government, we are requesting the Tool and Die manufacturers be paid in a "commercially reasonable manner" and to create a mechanism to ensure that OEM tooling disbursements make it down to the tool source. Past payment terms have made it difficult for many moldmakers to take jobs in the automotive sector.  By creating such terms this can potentially open up new market opportunities for all AMBA members.  Review the proposal for government loan proceeds to OEMs, click here.

Whether this truly impacts your current business model or not, we need to ask you to support this for the good of the AMBA.  The more politicians that hear this message, the better the opportunity we have to get this intiative recognized and enacted.  We can make this happen…the Canadian Moldmakers Association already has included this information inside their government bailout.  If this type of information can get to our legislators, we really can show that yet another unfair trade imbalance exists through unfair comptetition right across our northern border.Please take a moment to read the downloadable letter.  To email this letter to a senator, simply email it to senator@lastname.senate.gov.  So if your Senator's name was Bob Jones, it would be senator@jones.senate.gov.  The letter will need to be faxed to your House members.  Please enter this information on page one as it applies to your state, enter your company name on page one, and sign the letter on page four.  When complete, please email and fax the letter to the state Senate and House members listed. 

The AMBA needs strong participation in this and we appreciate your assistance in this effort.  Please feel free to conttact me with any questions regarding this intiative.  Thank you so much!

Download a copy of the U.S. Tooling Proposal Talking Points.

Melissa J. Millhuff
Executive Director
American Mold Builders Association

 

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AMBA Joins New Coalition to Fix America’s Economy

At a press conference on Oct. 2, 2008 on the Cannon Terrace of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Cannon House Office Building , Lloyd Wood of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC) announced the formation of a new coalition of business, labor, and agriculture groups that will adopt a policy platform with the goal of fixing flaws in America ’s economy. The AMBA has joined in this effort. 

In outlining the coalition’s goals, Wood said, “In an effort to fix the flaws in U.S. economic policy that significantly have contributed to the current financial crisis, 33 national, state and local business, labor and agriculture organizations along with 73 individual companies, have created a new, non-partisan ad hoc ‘Coalition to Fix America’s Economy.’” The coalition’s sole purpose is to press candidates for public office to endorse and support its one-page statement of principles/policy platform called “Fixing America’s Economy: Ensuring Good Jobs, Prosperity & Security.” 


The AMBA Board of Directors were on hand for the press conference, including Melissa Millhuff , Robbie Earnhardt (Superior Tooling), Mike Armbrust (Mako Mold and AMBA VP), Dan Glass (Strohwig Industries), Scott Phipps (United Tool & Mold) Donna Pursell (Prestige Mold) and Mike Walter (MET Plastics). AMBA President Steve Rotman spoke on behalf of the U.S. mold manufacturing industry about how unfair current trade laws are hurting AMBA members and U.S. manufacturing in general. Rotman’s speech was carried on C-Span and was also featured on Lou Dobbs on Friday, October 3, and in a featured article in the Los Angeles Times newspaper. 

CLICK HERE - view the C-Span Press Conference (click link, then click red circle to start video.)

The one-page statement outlines the problems facing U.S. manufacturing and the economy, noting that “ America ’s international economic policies threaten our prosperity and national security. These policies have handicapped domestic manufacturers, service providers, farmers, and workers, leading to massive trade deficits, stagnant wages, the loss of millions of manufacturing jobs, a dangerous erosion of our industrial base, a long-term decline in our food and agriculture surplus, and the unprecedented transfer of trillions of dollars of American wealth overseas.”  Click here to see the one-page platform and signatories.

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U.S. Manufacturing & the Global Economy
Participating in the global economy while making every effort to strengthen and maintain our manufacturing base in the U.S. requires a unique balancing act. AMBA is committed to helping its member companies find optimum ways to succeed in business and be competitive in the global market place.

We believe that the key to our success as an industry - and as individual member companies - is implementing sound business practices, strategic marketing planning and sales, and continued dedication to providing excellent customer service and the highest-quality products - all critical to sustaining a strong manufacturing base in the U.S.

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New Trade Policy Needed to Restore Health of U.S. Manufacturing
Domestic manufacturing is mired in the midst of a crisis unprecedented since the Great Depression.  Deeply flawed U.S. trade policy is the single most important root cause of the illness, undermining U.S. manufacturing competitiveness on a global basis. 

Absent a rational U.S. trade policy, U.S. manufacturing should be experiencing the best of times.  Consider the following. Since 1950, U.S. Gross Domestic Production (GDP) has grown 550 percent in inflation-adjusted terms while the U.S. population has doubled from.....(read more).  

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USBIC - United States Business & Industry Council
The AMBA has joined the United States Business & Industry Council (USBIC). The USBIC has been the vanguard of business-related issues, as well as foreign policy and defense issues, for the past 70 years. Beginning with its founding in 1933, USBIC has served as the principal voice for America’s domestic businesses, most of them family-owned or closely held. USBIC seeks to expand the domestic economy, with particular emphasis on U.S. manufacturing, processing, and fabricating industries, and through the resulting growth, to extend a higher standard of living to all Americans. In the past 12 months, USBIC’s current and immediate past Chairmen of the Board, other members, and the Washington staff, have testified before the U.S.-China Commission and various Congressional Committees on national policy issues ranging from China trade and currency manipulation to the U.S. auto industry crisis and the disappearance of America’s printed circuit board industry. USBIC research on trade flows and manufacturing activity is also heavily relied upon by many Congressional offices and federal agencies.

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State of the Industry & Business Conditions

As the voice of the American mold building industry, AMBA keeps current on industry conditions, specifically through our quarterly Business Forecast Surveys that help us keep our finger on the pulse of mold manufacturing. This survey also provides information to industry trade publications and other interested parties who look to the AMBA for industry statistics. This valuable information provides a picture of the state of the industry, its challenges as well as its successes and increased productivity through the implementation of technology and lean manufacturing techniques.

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Write to Your Elected Officials

Identify and contact your elected government officials (federal & local) quickly and easy via email at http://www.congress.org/. This website is a "one-stop-shop" where one can identify their Congressional representatives; research Congressional voting records; learn about the issues of the day; and send e-mail directly to Congress. Constituents can even opt to have their e-mail message hand-delivered to their Representative or Senator's office on Capitol Hill - all without ever leaving their computer.