SYRACUSE – Standing at INFICON, a Dewitt manufacturer of high-tech instrumentation, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced that the first piece of legislation she introduced in the 113th Congress is a federal funding competition that encourages states and regional public-private partnerships to design and implement comprehensive strategies that spur growth for local manufacturing industries, particularly in the thriving fields of clean-tech and high-tech manufacturing, and that train workers with the skills that businesses need.

New York State has been crippled by manufacturing employment loss, with over 123,000 manufacturing jobs lost since 2005. In Central New York, an estimated 9,448 manufacturing jobs were lost from 2005 to 2010, including more than 5,500 jobs lost in Onondaga County. However, computer manufacturing in Central New York increased by nearly 13 percent from 2004 to 2008.

To bolster more growth in New York manufacturing, Gillibrand’s bill, called the Made in America Manufacturing Act, would create a competitive program that awards states and regions with funding to support local manufacturers through low-interest loans to build new facilities and upgrade equipment, and access to capital and technical assistance to develop exporting opportunities and to connect innovative small suppliers with larger companies. Funding would also go towards job training and vocational education programs that partner businesses with colleges, local workforce centers and other skill providers to prepare workers for manufacturing jobs. 

“It’s time to see ‘Made In America’ again starting right here in New York,” said Senator Gillibrand.  “I believe New York’s great manufacturing communities are well positioned to compete for funding that would help carry out their innovative ideas to spark more growth in high-tech manufacturing sectors, jumpstart new businesses, and create good-paying jobs right here where we need them the most.”

“High tech manufacturing businesses that export their products have a profound positive economic impact on their community," said Peter Maier, President of INFICON Inc. “Senator Gillibrand’s “Made In America Manufacturing Act” will be an important step to strengthening manufacturing businesses in New York and throughout the country for sustained growth and a brighter future. It will support the creation of broad-based partnerships to develop and implement the best ideas to improve workforce skills, process efficiencies, support facility expansion and job growth.”

In an effort to boost manufacturing, particularly in advanced manufacturing sectors such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, and aerospace, Senator Gillibrand’s first piece of legislation introduced in the new Congress would award up to $20 million in competitive funding for each statewide or regional manufacturing hub. 

The Made in America Manufacturing Act would allow localities to use funding to: 

• Set up a revolving loan
• Create job training programs
• Provide capital and technical assistance