House Manufacturing Caucus Tours Franklin County Plants
SHIPPENSBURG – Continuing their advocacy efforts on behalf of Pennsylvania’s manufacturing sector, Rep. Eli Evankovich (R-Westmoreland/Allegheny) and other members of the House Legislative Manufacturing Caucus, toured two plants in Franklin County on Thursday. Evankovich is co-chairman of the bipartisan caucus, which has more than 100 members.
The visits were hosted by Reps. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin) and Paul Schemel (R-Franklin), who represent the districts where the facilities are located.
“Our goal is give caucus members an opportunity to learn about Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry firsthand and give the companies we visit a chance to showcase their businesses. Most importantly, we want to know what these companies need state government to do to make their jobs easier. It is then up to us, as lawmakers, to turn those ideas into real and effective policy initiatives.”
The first stop for caucus members was the Volvo Construction Equipment plant near Shippensburg. Volvo employs about 1,000 people who develop, manufacture and market soil and asphalt compactors, motor graders, pavers and screeds, wheel loaders, and milling machines.
The Volvo Group has made major investments in the Shippensburg facility since purchasing it from Ingersoll Rand in 2007. Currently, the plant contributes $2 billion in economic activity to the region annually.
“I’m very pleased that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Manufacturing Caucus chose to visit Volvo Construction Equipment this week,” said President of Americas Operations Sean Glennon. “I admire their openness in requesting a very candid discussion on what issues sometimes make doing business difficult in Pennsylvania. It’s clear from our time together that they want to improve Pennsylvania’s economy and support the manufacturers that are so vital to the Commonwealth.”
“Franklin County is fortunate to have such a top-notch company headquartered right here,” said Kauffman. “The facility provides family-sustaining jobs with great benefits and is an asset to the greater Shippensburg community. It was a privilege to have the manufacturing caucus come here and tour a company that is doing things right. It also provided an opportunity to have a discussion about we can to in the Legislature to help further the growth of the manufacturing industry in Pennsylvania.”
The group also visited the Manitowoc Cranes plant in Shady Grove, which has a workforce of 1,350. The company manufactures mobile hydraulic cranes and has made significant investments in machinery and robotic equipment over the last five years. Manitowoc Cranes spends about $27 million annually with suppliers in Franklin County.
“I appreciate the time the representatives gave us today,” said Vice President of Operations Mike Reed. “We were able to show them the many improvements we have made to our facility and discuss how they can assist us in moving our business forward, including plant modernization, workforce development and energy solutions.”
“This was an excellent opportunity to visit two significant employers in Franklin County,” said Schemel. “It was good to hear what their concerns are and about the things that are being done right in government that help them do their jobs better. They need relief from some of the regulation, which is slow and crippling at times. They need policies that are friendly to them from a tax perspective and from an employee perspective. We need to know those barriers and these tours are providing us with some answers.”
“We heard again today how critical it is to get government to move at the speed of business,” added Evankovich. “We need to learn from our neighbor to the south, Maryland, where the permitting process is more streamlined. Businesses deal with fewer layers of government there. Rep. Schemel and I will be looking into whether we can adopt some of those same policies here in Pennsylvania.”
Other caucus members who participated in the tours included Reps. Lee James (R-Venango/Butler), Mike Regan (R-York/Cumberland), Tommy Sankey (Clearfield/Cambria) and Will Tallman (R-Adams/Cumberland).
Additional factory tours are planned in the coming months in other areas of the Commonwealth.
Representative Eli Evankovich
54th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andy Briggs
717.260.6474
abriggs@pahousegop.com
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