Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Announces Council to Strengthen Manufacturing Sector

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Recognizing the value of manufacturing to the state's economy, Governor Tom Corbett today announced the formation of a new public-private council to identify and prioritize top issues that can sustain and advance manufacturing in the state.

"Manufacturing adds more than $75 billion in value each year to our state's economy, and it is paramount that we do all that we can to preserve and support that sector of our economy," Gov. Corbett said. "The council will research issues and make recommendations that will further strengthen that industry and ultimately allow manufacturers to add jobs for Pennsylvanians."

The council, led by the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, consists of 23 members from a cross-section of manufacturing interests including heavy machinery, minerals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, steel and textiles. Matt Zieger, Team PA President and CEO, said the Foundation is funding the council and that no taxpayer dollars are being used to support this initiative.

"The council has a two-fold mission," Zieger said. "Members are being charged to determine regulatory or economic roadblocks that impede growth factors, and to identify ways to market the attributes that make Pennsylvania a great place for manufacturers to do business."

The council, co-chaired by Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker and Carlos Cardoso, Chairman, President and CEO of Kennametal Inc., will conduct meetings over six months starting in January 2012.

The group will focus on specific subjects, including: taxes and the regulatory climate in Pennsylvania; talent and innovation; international markets; energy costs; efficiency; and research and development.

The council will be charged with issuing a report to the governor and General Assembly that includes policy suggestions and a strategy to help Pennsylvania remain competitive in today's global economy.

The council will also include three members of manufacturing trade associations and one from the Industrial Resource Center.

The council members are:

C. Alan Walker, (co-chair), Secretary, Department of Community and Economic Development, Harrisburg
Carlos Cardoso, (co-chair), Chairman, President and CEO, Kennametal Inc., Latrobe
Samuel "Pat" Black, President & CEO, Erie Management Group, Erie
David Barensfeld, President & CEO, Ellwood Group Inc., Ellwood City
Greg Booth, CEO, Zippo Manufacturing Company, Bradford
Heather Chandler, President, Sealstrip Corporation, Gilbertsville
Frank Epifano, CFO, sanofi pasteur, Swiftwater
Janis Herschkowitz, President, PRL Industries, Cornwall
Jeff Kelly, CEO, Hamill Manufacturing Company, Trafford
Todd Kennedy, President & CEO, McClarin Plastics, Hanover
Leroy "Tighe" King, Chairman & CEO, Perform Group LLC, York
Daniel Langdon, President, East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc., Lyon Station
Michael McLanahan, Chairman & CEO, McLanahan Corporation, Holidaysburg
Louay Mishu, Plant Manager – Family Care, Proctor & Gamble, Mehoopany
Scott Meuser, Chairman & CEO, Pride Mobility Products Corp., Exeter
Michael Pearson, President, Union Packaging, Yeadon
Jim Rutkowski Jr., Vice President, Industrial Sales & Manufacturing Inc., Erie
David Simpson, President, Diamond Manufacturing, Wyoming
Mike Williams, Senior Vice President, United States Steel, Pittsburgh
Helen Yost, President, The Rowland Company, Philadelphia

Trade Associations:
Ralph Pontillo, President, Manufacturer and Business Association, Erie
David Taylor, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Manufacturer's Association, Harrisburg
Darlene Robbins, President, N.E. PA Manufacturer's and Employers Association, Pottsville

Industrial Resource Center:
Jack E. Pfunder, President and CEO, Manufacturer's Resource Center, Bethlehem

Media contact: Kelli Roberts, 717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor