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Washington, D.C. –��Today, the��17�Թ�������joined��the Small Business Administration’s��Made in America Manufacturing Initiative��for a tour stop at��Vantage Plastics��in��Standish, Michigan, as part of the Made in America Roadshow. During the event, Vice President Vance��and��Administrator��Loeffler��heard directly from��manufacturers��about the��policies that��are��driving manufacturing growth in the United States.

“Manufacturing is the backbone of America’s strength, prosperity and pride.��President Trump and Vice President Vance understand what manufacturing means to America—not just in economic terms, but��also��in human terms,”��said 17�Թ����� President and CEO Jay Timmons.��“Vice President Vance has lived the story of American industry, and��he’s��given voice to people from hometowns like mine in Chillicothe and Circleville, Ohio, and in��Standish,��Michigan,��who know how important growing manufacturing in the United States is to our lives, communities and country. That’s why��his perspective and leadership are so valuable as manufacturers work to advance��a comprehensive��manufacturing strategy—one that secures our position as a manufacturing superpower, supports creating more jobs and ensures America is��the��best place in the world to build and create.

“Manufacturers are ready to lead, to invest and to grow—building a stronger, more prosperous nation. But we can only reach our full potential with the type of leadership��that will make the 2017��tax reforms that were rocket fuel for the manufacturing industry permanent,��rebalance the regulatory framework,��expedite permitting reform to unleash American energy, grow the manufacturing workforce and implement sensible trade policies. That’s how we make America strong, prosperous and proud. That’s how we will Make America Great for Manufacturing Again.”

“We are honored to welcome Vice President Vance to Vantage Plastics and grateful for his leadership in supporting American manufacturing,”��said Vantage Plastics��President Paul Aultman. “When companies like ours can invest and grow, it strengthens our community and creates opportunity. Imagine how much stronger this country would be if every manufacturer—large and small, in cities and towns across America—had the tools to build, expand��and succeed. Manufacturing is the backbone of America, and on shop floors like ours, we’re not just making products—we’re making the future. With smart policies that support investment, job creation and innovation, manufacturers can continue leading America’s economic resurgence.

-17�Թ�����-

The 17�Թ����� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.93 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 17�Թ����� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 17�Թ����� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit .

The Securities and Exchange Commission clearly has the authority to “adopt commonsense measures to protect investors” from “the most influential voices” in the proxy voting process:��proxy advisory firms, the 17�Թ�����’s Legal Center the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit this week.

What’s going on: On Thursday, the 17�Թ����� filed a reply brief in Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. v. Securities and Exchange Commission—a challenge, launched in 2019 by ISS, to the SEC’s statutory authority to enact critical proxy firm reforms.

• With its main competitor, Glass Lewis, ISS controls 97% of the proxy advice market and influences nearly 40% of the U.S. shareholder vote. Proxy firms are large, influential and unregulated entities that frequently dictate how shareholders should vote on proxy ballot proposals that come before public companies.
• The 17�Թ�����’s brief explains that the SEC is “well within its statutory authority over the proxy process to regulate the entities that exert perhaps the greatest influence on that process” and asks the court to overturn a lower court’s ruling last February holding that the SEC lacks the authority.
• The brief is our latest move in a to ensure reasonable oversight and regulation of proxy firms.

The background: In 2020, the SEC finalized an 17�Թ�����-backed rule that put into place critical proxy firm reforms, including a requirement that the firms disclose any conflicts of interest.

• Though the 17�Թ����� successfully fought across multiple pieces of litigation to preserve the 2020 rule, the SEC itself chose not to appeal the ISS case after a district court in 2024 sided with ISS in the proxy firm’s suit against the SEC.
• The 17�Թ����� as intervenor-appellant has remained in the fight, making manufacturers the sole bulwark against proxy firms’ unchecked power.
• A victory for the 17�Թ����� in the D.C. Circuit would make the proxy firms subject to the 2020 rule’s important reforms.

Why it’s crucial: Proxy firms “pose a real threat to Americans’ financial security,” 17�Թ����� Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain Congress in September.

• “Their errors and conflicts of interest put their own profits above Main Street investors’ retirement savings, their inflexible policies and refusal to engage with companies result in one-size-fits-all recommendations, their robo-voting swings investor votes in their favor and they advance ESG agendas that ignore, or even harm, shareholder value.”

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday it would begin a large-scale, 17�Թ�����-supported review of dozens of rules and regulations, including the previous administration’s unworkable National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter and an overly burdensome power plant emissions rule ().

What’s going on: In response to sustained advocacy from the 17�Թ����� and manufacturers around the U.S., EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a press release and Wall Street Journal (subscription) that he intends to take swift action to review and potentially rescind regulations that were hamstringing manufacturers and needlessly driving up costs across the board.

What’s in it: The 17�Թ����� in December President Trump to reverse the regulatory onslaught of the past four years. 17�Թ�����-recommended actions included in yesterday’s EPA announcement included reconsideration of the following:

• for PM2.5: Last year, the Biden administration tightened the primary annual standard for particular matter—more commonly known as soot—to an untenable 9 micrograms per cubic meter from 12 micrograms per cubic meter. Manufacturers found to be in nonattainment of these standards will now be denied permits for new and expanded facilities.
• Power plant rules: The previous administration’s emissions regulations on existing coal-fired and new natural gas–powered include an unrealistic timeline for the widespread adoption of expensive, unproven new technology; this regulation threatens grid reliability and the ability of manufacturers to receive power for their operations.
• Vehicle : Current regulations of light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles impose costly hardships on auto manufacturers.
• Waters of the United States: The last administration had made the scope of the Clean Water Act , resulting in high costs and even slowed permitting processes.

Our view: “President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin have answered the calls of manufacturers across the country to rebalance and reconsider burdensome federal regulations harming America’s ability to compete,” 17�Թ����� President and CEO Jay Timmons said in a picked up by (subscription).

Washington, D.C. – In response to an announcement—spurred by 17�Թ�����–led advocacy—by the Environmental Protection Agency to revise and review burdensome federal regulations harming America’s manufacturers, 17�Թ����� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin have answered the calls of manufacturers across the country to rebalance and reconsider burdensome federal regulations harming America’s ability to compete—including the previous administration’s unworkable PM2.5 NAAQS rule. In December, the 17�Թ�����, along with more than 100 manufacturing associations, sent a����to President Trump highlighting more than three dozen regulatory actions the administration should take to put a stop to the regulatory onslaught that is costing manufacturers����each year—many of which are included in today’s EPA announcement.

“Most prominently, the Trump administration will be reconsidering the 2024 PM2.5 rule—an unrealistic and unworkable rule that will result in significantly diminished manufacturing investment and job creation.  Manufacturers warned the Biden administration of the severe economic consequences that could result from tightened PM2.5 regulations: a PM2.5 standard of 8 micrograms per cubic meter of air—only slightly below the newly finalized level—would have resulted in a loss of up to $200 billion in economic activity and almost 1 million jobs, according to from the 17�Թ�����. When those warnings were ignored, the 17�Թ����� took the fight to court—asking the D.C. Circuit to vacate the rule.

“Similarly, the administration is reconsidering the Biden administration’s power plant rule, which threatened grid reliability by creating an unrealistic timeline for power plants to adopt emissions-reduction technologies that are unproven at scale—creating a threat to our national and economic security that literally could leave Americans in the dark and factories offline.

“Additionally, the EPA will be reviewing and revising other burdensome regulations in the air and chemicals space, and the 17�Թ����� welcomes the opportunity to right-size these regulations that stunted manufacturing growth and job creation. Manufacturers will continue to partner with the EPA to rebalance the regulatory framework to allow our industry to move ahead with transformational investments that will strengthen our manufacturing nation.”

Background:

In a letter to President Trump signed by more than 100 manufacturing associations in December, the 17�Թ����� highlighted more than three dozen regulatory actions the Trump administration could take to support manufacturing growth. Today’s announcement by the EPA addresses many of the regulations that we outlined, including the following:

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter:��Reconsider and relax the Biden administration’s NAAQS for PM2.5 rule.
• Power Plant Rules:��Replace the EPA’s rule for existing coal-fired and new natural gas–fired power plants with workable standards.
• Vehicle Regulations: Provide the long-term regulatory certainty America’s auto sector requires to meet all facets of customer demand while continuing to lead in innovation and emissions reduction.
• Waters of the United States: Ensure regulatory decision-making under the Clean Water Act fully conforms with the Supreme Court’s bright-line jurisdictional test.
• Reconsideration of Certain NESHAPs: Reconsideration of the Ethylene Oxide National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

-17�Թ�����-

The 17�Թ����� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.93 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The 17�Թ����� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 17�Թ����� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit .

The newly established House of Representatives’ AI and Energy Working Group is seeking information on the increase in energy demand we can expect due to the growing use of artificial intelligence (, subscription).

What’s going on: Group lead Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-ND)—who was North Dakota’s head utility regulator for more than a decade prior to being elected to Congress last year—discussed the new working group with us Tuesday at 17�Թ����� headquarters.

• Rep. Fedorchak spoke at an at the 17�Թ����� on how the U.S. can strengthen the electrical grid, advance permitting reform and support manufacturers��investing in the latest energy technologies.
• The working group issued a on Monday, “invit[ing] stakeholders to provide written responses” to questions under “three pillars,” according to the RFI document.

The details: These pillars are the following:

• American Energy Dominance and AI Energy Demands: The RFI “seeks to identify strategies to secure a stable, affordable and sustainable domestic energy supply capable of powering next-generation AI infrastructure.” Subtopics on which respondents are asked to inform the working group include oil and gas, nuclear, solar, geothermal and other power production methods.
• Securing the Energy Grid: A resilient, secure electrical grid is “essential” for AI systems and the larger “digital economy,” the document says. Permitting reform, electricity generation and baseload power are possible subtopics here.
• Strategic Competition: Outpacing China:��“In an era of intensifying global rivalry, ensuring American technological and energy leadership is critical.” Some of the subtopics under this pillar are manufacturing, critical minerals and chips.��

Why it’s important: “To be AI dominant, we must first be energy dominant,” Rep. Fedorchak said in a statement, according to POLITICO Pro.

• “In 2024, data centers accounted for 4.3% of total U.S. power demand, and analysts predict this could climb to as much as 12% by 2030—more electricity than the entire state of Texas uses today. Yet the U.S. isn’t scaling up reliable baseload power quickly enough to support this rapid growth.”

How to respond: Responses are due by May 15 and should be emailed to [email protected].

401(k) fees are a hot topic of conversation if you are an HR leader. When Miltec UV Human Resources Director Karen McKernan was discussing 401(k)s with an old friend, she discovered that Miltec, a small manufacturer, paid much more in fees than her friend’s larger employer. She was aghast, but what could Miltec do about it? The company did not have the purchasing power of a large firm, and so its options seemed limited.

Not so fast. Soon after that conversation, McKernan started receiving emails from the 17�Թ����� about its new multiple employer plan, the Manufacturers Retirement & 401(k) Savings Plan, which allows many companies to participate in one 401(k) plan. Not only does the larger number of participants lower the fees, but the plan offers administrative and compliance oversight, as well as other benefits.

After doing her research, McKernan was convinced. By mid-2022, she was working with the 17�Թ�����, the plan administrator, and recordkeeper and service provider Principal to make the switch. On Nov. 1, 2022, the new plan went live for Miltec employees. Today, McKernan says, she would never go back.

The benefits: Once McKernan laid out all the advantages for Miltec’s owners and 401(k) trustees, 17�Թ����� 401(k) was an “easy sell,” she told us.

• Not only did the fee reduction seem like a “no-brainer,” but the new plan would lift a considerable administrative burden that had fallen entirely on McKernan. It would also offer benefits to employees that Miltec, as a small company, could not add on its own without creating even more administrative tasks.
• Furthermore, the 17�Թ����� 401(k) comes with an independent 3 (38) investment fiduciary, One Digital, which reviews the funds’ performance regularly and issues reports on a quarterly basis, ensuring low-performing funds are “watched” and subsequently removed and replaced when needed. By delegating investment decisions under this arrangement, a company significantly reduces its potential liability for poor investment decisions.
• Additionally, any plan with more than 100 participants must undergo an annual audit, which is time consuming and expensive. Under 17�Թ����� 401(k), the plan coordinates and manages the audit for participating companies.

What she doesn’t miss: McKernan listed all the duties she used to perform for Miltec’s own 401(k), which have now been taken over entirely by the 17�Թ�����’s plan. She doesn’t miss:

• Monitoring enrollment, which Miltec’s employees can now undertake directly on Principal’s website;
• Sending out many required annual notices;
• Compliance testing and 5500 filings (which ensures the plan meets the IRS’s requirements for retirement plans, so that employees can receive tax benefits);
• Sending out summary annual financial reports and quarterly statements; and
• Handling employees’ questions and all communications about the plan.

In contrast, McKernan now only provides information to Principal through an automated payroll report and keeps an eye on how things are going, just in case. There have been few problems, she told us, and those were fixed with alacrity by Principal and the 17�Թ�����.

Implementation: The entire timeline, from learning about 17�Թ����� 401(k) to finalizing the switchover, took no more than a few months, McKernan said.

• Principal oversaw the transition, with weekly check-ins, a dedicated project manager and a schedule that included clear deadlines. While transitioning 401(k) plans is “a project,” McKernan said, Principal “managed it very well, including all required communications, and finishing right on time.”
• A word of advice: “If I had to do it all over again, I would have moved the plan over on Jan. 1 instead of Nov. 1,” said McKernan. Having two different plans in one year proved to be more of a headache than she expected, as it forced Miltec to do compliance testing on both plans in 2022.

The reception: “The company’s employees and owners are very pleased with the new 17�Թ����� plan,” McKernan said.

• Aside from the savings in time and money, 17�Թ����� 401(k) offers a host of other features that manufacturers can customize. One new feature that has proved popular with Miltec’s employees is loans, noted McKernan.
• In addition, Miltec’s previous plan had a 12-month waiting period before employees could participate, but 17�Թ����� 401(k) reduced the wait to six months—which is far more appealing to new hires, she added.
• Ultimately, Miltec’s leaders and employees understood and appreciated the logic of joining a multiple employer plan, said McKernan. “They recognize the more participants you have, the more buying power you have. They are seeing the positive results of having access to a robust fund lineup and how that translates to lower fees every time they receive a quarterly statement.”

The bottom line: “I honestly don’t see how a small manufacturing company wouldn’t benefit from joining the 17�Թ����� 401(k),” said McKernan.

• “I’ve been in HR for a very long time, and when we talk to job candidates about benefits, the 401(k) plan always comes up. It’s a benefit that is necessary to attract talent, as well as help your employees meet their retirement goals,” she added.
• “I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this plan to any small, medium or large manufacturer.”

Get ready! Manufacturing’s leading annual event on accelerating digital transformation is right around the corner.

What’s going on: —held by the Manufacturing Leadership Council on Marco Island, Florida, each June—is a must-attend conference for anyone interested in Manufacturing 4.0 and where it’s headed (The MLC is the digital transformation division of the 17�Թ�����.)

• This year’s event takes place June 15–18 at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.

Why you should go: Rethink attendees will get an inside look at the cutting-edge processes and technologies transforming manufacturing today—directly from those creating and implementing them. They’ll also get a chance to:

• Consult with peers on manufacturing’s most critical initiatives, including smart factories and digital production, resilient supply networks and analytics and data mastery;
• Participate in real-time discussions and one-on-one meetings to help them understand how various solutions can solve their business problems;
• Hear from industry leaders and experts during panel discussions, executive interviews and more;
• Interact and collaborate with peers during interactive “think tank” sessions; and
• Hear from the MLC’s event partners during Rethink’s exclusive VIP Tour.

Who will be there: Scheduled speakers include Siemens USA President and CEO Barbara Humpton, Eaton Vice President of Industry 4.0 Craig Sutton, Hershey Company Vice President of Manufacturing, Operations Technology and Supply Chain Strategy Will Bonifant, Rockwell Automation Senior Vice President of Intelligent Devices Tessa Myers and many more.

The gala: Closing out the packed three-day event is the , at which the MLC will recognize award finalists and winners of the Future of Manufacturing Award, the Manufacturing Leader of the Year, the Small/Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year and the Large Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year. The gala will take place on the evening of June 18.

Attend: Register online for Rethink 2025. (17�Թ����� members get a discount at checkout.) Questions? Send them to [email protected].

If Congress doesn’t act soon, manufacturers could face higher costs—not just due to the new tariffs on goods from China, Canada and Mexico, but from expiring tax provisions, too, 17�Թ����� President and CEO Jay Timmons told the (subscription) in an interview during the first leg of the 17�Թ�����’s . The interview was published late last week.

A quick recap: Tariffs on Chinese imports went into effect last month, and tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico began last .

• Last Thursday, President Trump signed two executive orders the tariffs for Mexican and Canadian imports that qualify under the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement, allowing them to enter the U.S. duty-free. Goods that cannot claim USMCA preferential treatment are subject to the new tariffs.

Why it’s important: “With some tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China in effect, manufacturers and consumers could be facing higher prices as the industry is heavily reliant on imports of goods the U.S. does not manufacture,” the HBJ noted.

• “Trade is very important to manufacturers,” Timmons told the publication, adding that investments in domestic supply chains and manufacturing can take years to plan and develop, something that tariff policy should take into account.

The tax angle: The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—which President Trump first in a speech to the 17�Թ����� Board during the same year—contained pro-growth tax provisions that were like “rocket fuel” for the manufacturing industry. But the continuation of those provisions is at stake: some of them have expired already, , and others are scheduled to sunset at the end of this year.

What should be done: The impact of tariffs on manufacturers and consumers can be mitigated and the problem of expiring tax policies solved with a commonsense strategy from the administration and Congress, Timmons told the HBJ.

• On tariffs, there needs to “be some sort of a runway to allow us to start lower and then perhaps ramp up over time to give manufacturers the ability to pivot and make those long-term investment decisions here in the United States,” he said. “If [tariffs] are implemented in a very thoughtful, common-sense and strategic way, the impact on manufacturers will be minimized.”
• As for the tax provisions set to be eliminated, congressional leaders must remain focused on keeping them. “When President Trump signed those reforms in 2017, the following year, we had the best job creation in manufacturing that we’ve had in this country in 21 years,” Timmons said.

Manufacturers have a new opportunity to connect with students and encourage them to explore careers in manufacturing. The Manufacturing Institute (the 17�Թ�����’s workforce development and education affiliate) has developed a gamified experience called Innovators Quest, specially designed to introduce students to manufacturing-related skills in a fun-filled format.

The experience is made up of four realms in a board game format with hands-on building challenges. As they seek to recover the “Crystal of Innovation,” students in grades 4 through 9 can try their hands at 3D printing, robotics and other crucial skills. Manufacturers can sponsor Innovators Quest sets, which they can take to schools, afterschool programs, local community events, Boys and Girls Clubs and more.

The quest: The conceit of the game is that the aforementioned crystal has fractured, and the students must fix it by completing four challenges in whichever order they choose.

• While the students play collaboratively, completing challenges together, they all take on the role of different innovator characters who have different mixes of manufacturing-related strengths, including “analytical, visual, intuitive, strategic and extroverted.”
• “We want all students to see themselves in at least one of these characters,” MI Director of Student Engagement Jen White explained to us.

The challenges: The four challenges ingeniously explore manufacturing concepts while still entertaining the participants, as the writer of this article can vouch.

• One challenge instructs students to build paper airplanes. But the lesson isn’t just about building—it’s about perfecting and testing your products. The players must make 10 airplanes following two separate designs, then put together an electric plane launcher. Finally, they test their airplanes to see if they sail the necessary 6 feet to “fly away” with a handful of the crystal fragments. Skills and concepts learned: collaboration, iteration, precision, electromechanical building, aerodynamics, following directions and testing.
• A second challenge draws on the principles of additive manufacturing. Players are asked to use 3D pens (which dispense a line of malleable plastic that can be made into shapes or figures) to construct the pieces of a bridge over which the crystal fragments must be transported. Skills and concepts learned: additive manufacturing, precision, following a blueprint, welding parts together, collaborating on different pieces and structural integrity.

We won’t spoil the other two realms, but they involve a similar blend of fun challenges and manufacturing skills exploration—including the construction of a small robotic toy and a test of deductive reasoning.

The bottom line: “Innovators Quest was developed based on proven approaches to empower manufacturing employers to engage students early and often,” MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “By sparking their interest in skills needed in modern manufacturing, this student engagement tool illustrates the limitless possibilities of the many careers in our industry. The time to invest in our future workforce is now.”

• “Innovators Quest is an important initiative that will provide students with early knowledge about the variety of opportunities for a career in manufacturing and highlights the value of teamwork, collaboration and communication in the production environment,” said American Honda Motor Co. Executive Vice President Bob Nelson.��“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Manufacturing Institute to build that future workforce.”

Learn more: about Innovators Quest and how your company can sponsor a kit to build manufacturing career awareness in your community. To secure a sponsorship before the 2025–2026 school year begins, contact [email protected].

Manufacturers are increasingly worried about the future of trade and rising raw material costs, according to the .
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What’s going on: In the most recent survey, conducted from Feb. 11 to Feb. 28, trade uncertainties moved to the top of the list of manufacturers’ concerns—with 76.2% of respondents citing them as their primary worry. Increased raw material costs came in second, cited by 62.3% of those surveyed.

• In fact, manufacturers expect prices on their companies’ product lines to go up by 3.6% in the next year, an increase from 2.3% in Q4 2024 and the highest since Q3 2022, when inflation was more than 8%.
• Manufacturers also anticipate the cost of raw materials and other inputs to rise 5.5% in the next year, the highest expected rate of increase since Q2 2022, when inflation was between 8% and 9%.
• Manufacturers foresee export sales to increase just 0.1% in the next year. That’s the lowest anticipated rise since Q2 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• In addition, the percentage of manufacturers with a positive outlook for their company inched down from the last quarter, to 69.7% from 70.9%.

Taxes: Manufacturers also feel strongly that their businesses need the “rocket fuel” of the tax reform extension. If Congress fails to extend pro-manufacturing provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017:

• 69.35% of respondents said they would delay capital equipment purchases;
• 45.23% would delay hiring;
• 44.72% would pause operations expansions;
• 41.71% would limit R&D investment; and
• 40.20% would curb employee wages or benefits increases.

Our take: “The pressure of increased costs, trade instability and sluggish demand is dampening the sector’s momentum, making it more difficult for manufacturers to plan, invest and hire,” 17�Թ����� President and CEO Jay Timmons a social post Thursday.

• “We are calling for a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that includes a commonsense trade policy in addition to making President Trump’s 2017 tax reforms permanent and more competitive, securing regulatory certainty, expediting permitting reform to unleash American energy dominance and key manufacturing projects and increasing the talent pool.”