By Kip Eideberg, AEM Senior Vice President of Government & Industry Relations —
Tomorrow marks the launch of the AEM Manufacturing Express’s tour of Texas. From NXG Truck Bodies’ grand opening in Mount Pleasant to a grand celebration of equipment manufacturing workers at Tadano’s Houston facility, this summer will be one to remember.
After last year’s historic, award-winning tour – AEM’s largest and most impactful member engagement initiative in its 130-year history – this year’s tour will look a bit different. Instead of visiting 80 facilities across 20 states, we are visiting 20 facilities across one state. Instead of raising awareness of the industry’s policy priorities during an election year, this year’s tour will help equipment manufacturers and their employees to make their voices heard on the policies made in Washington, D.C. and the Texas state capital today.
At the same time, many aspects of the tour will remain the same. We will continue to engage local, state, and federal lawmakers throughout the tour, providing the opportunity for them to tour manufacturing facilities, meet with equipment manufacturing workers, and see the impact of their policies firsthand. Employees will be invited to take the “Manufacturing Challenge,” an interactive game that tests players’ knowledge about the innovative technologies, processes, people, and products powering equipment manufacturing across America. And we will also continue to recruit I Make America supporters, who will help the industry advocate for pro-manufacturing policies.
Since we announced this year’s tour, I have often been asked: Why Texas? Why now?
The simple answer is that Texas leads by example. The Lone Star State is the equipment manufacturing capital of America, supporting 345,000 jobs and adding $49.5 billion to the state's economy – more than any other state equipment manufacturing industry.
But Texas did not become an equipment manufacturing leader without passing commonsense, pro-manufacturing policies that help equipment manufacturers do what they do best: invest in their communities, grow their businesses, and create more jobs.
For example, AEM was a strong supporter of workforce development legislation passed by the Texas legislature this year, including:
- HB 20: Establishes the Applied Sciences Pathways Program, which will allow students the opportunity to concurrently earn high school diplomas and certificates from institutions of higher education in industries such as heavy equipment or welding. These certificate programs would also provide credits toward a high school diploma.
- HB 120: Establishes a high school advising program to provide career and college advising support to students. Advisors must be specially trained in career and college advising and cannot have a caseload of more than 200 students in high school.
- SJR 59: Proposes a constitutional amendment creating a permanent fund to support Texas State Technical College System. If the amendment is supported by a majority of voters during the November election, it would be a key step toward providing Texas manufacturers with a reliable pipeline of skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen to hire from.
Other states can and should follow Texas’ lead by investing in workforce development: recruiting and training more men and women who will make the equipment that builds, powers, and feeds the world.
That is the core of this year’s tour: raising awareness of what a manufacturing job really looks like and celebrating the 345,000 Texans that keep the industry strong. I encourage you to join along at ManufacturingExpress.org.
