Senator Tours Harris Products Group
Senator Rob Portman held a town hall meeting during his visit to the facility.
Posted: November 21, 2014
U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) visited The Harris Products Group (Mason, OH) to observe National Manufacturing Day. “We are proud to be an integral part of U.S. manufacturing and to mark this day with Senator Portman,” said David J. Nangle, the president of The Harris Products Group. “More than half of these ‘Made in the USA’ products are delivered to customers outside the U.S. – in more than 90 countries around the world. That demonstrates how competitive high-quality U.S. manufacturing can be in the global marketplace.”
After a brief introduction by Nangle, Portman talked about the current political landscape for business, touching on tax reform, the EPA, international trade, the budget deficit and the national debt.
“Congratulations to you and keep it up,” Portman said to nearly 200 employees who gathered on the plant floor for the event. He also commended the company for its unique bonus program, which rewards employees for the company’s overall success. “Business needs to be sure that the people who drive the business – the American workers – have a stake in its success.”
Portman answered questions from employees about a variety of topics, including ways U.S. companies can protect their product patents, a mental health bill he authored in the Senate, and ways to improve the way government operates. “Washington and the country have become too polarized and too partisan,” he said. “We need to come back together and be willing to work together.”
In addition to the town hall meeting, Portman took a tour of the Mason facility, stopping to talk to team members in customer service, casting, and production.
Manufacturing Day is organized annually to engage people in learning more about U.S. manufacturing and its impact on the U.S. economy. The U.S. Manufacturing sector, if it stood alone, would represent the eighth largest economy in the world, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Nationwide, more than 50,000 people participated in more than 1,500 events to celebrate and educate the general public about the nature and benefits of modern manufacturing.
The Harris Products Group, a Lincoln Electric Company (Cleveland, OH), is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of cutting, welding, brazing and soldering equipment and consumables and gas distribution systems that are sold and used in more than 90 countries. The company’s Mason facility also serves as its international corporate headquarters.
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