Hoyer & Commerce Secretary Locke Promote Sustainable Manufacturing in Beltsville, MD
Local Manufacturers Briefed on Resources to Help Cut Costs, Reduce Environmental Impact
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| Rep. Hoyer, Commerce Secretary Locke and Robert Collins, CEO of Beltsville-based The Matworks, promote sustainable manufacturing to local manufacturers. |
Beltsville, MD – Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke met today with local manufacturers to talk about the resources available to help them adopt sustainable practices to help reduce costs and their impact on the environment. The event, which is part of the Commerce Department's Sustainable Manufacturing American Regional Tour (SMART), took place at The Matworks Company, a retail flooring company in Beltsville, MD.
"A robust manufacturing sector is critical to the recovery and sustainability of our economy, as well as the creation of good-paying jobs," stated Congressman Hoyer. "American manufacturers face unique challenges in the 21st century, and it is important that we work with them to implement strategies to confront those challenges and remain competitive. Resources developed by the Department of Commerce and supported by Congress aim to do just that, helping manufacturers identify and take advantage of opportunities to succeed in today's global economy."
"What Matworks is doing every day is critical to its success in this increasingly competitive global economy," Secretary Locke said. "And it's a model we all need to take note of if we want manufacturing to be a central part of America's economic future. President Obama most certainly does. Majority Leader Hoyer does; as does the Department of Commerce."
The purpose of today's event was to connect local manufacturers with Department of Commerce resources provided through their Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative (SMI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. These resources aim to help manufacturers become more competitive by adopting sustainable best practices. The Matworks Company the site of the event, was chosen as an example because of its success in working with their local MEP center, the University of Maryland Manufacturing Assistance Program, to implement a more sustainable business model.
Nationally, U.S. manufacturers produce $1.6 trillion of value each year or 11.5 percent of GDP, and employ nearly 12 million Americans - 10 percent of our workforce. In Maryland during 2008, manufacturing was responsible for 5.6 percent of the state's economy ($15.2 billion) and employed over 125,000 people. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. is the world's largest manufacturing economy, producing 22 percent of world manufactured products.
This is the 7th Sustainable Manufacturing American Regional Tour (SMART) event the U.S. Department of Commerce has held nationwide. SMART events aim to enhance awareness of sustainable manufacturing's many benefits and facilitate the exchange of best practices among U.S. firms.
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