(FLINT, MICH – August 30, 2013) The City of Flint and the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce will host a “Manufacturing Community Roundtable” on September 4 that will convene local governments in Michigan with top officials from the federal and state government, private sector manufacturers, and other organizations seeking to promote more robust manufacturing growth in Michigan and beyond. The Roundtable is sponsored by the Obama Administration in partnership with the State of Michigan, the City of Flint, the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations. The Roundtable will identify opportunities to foster manufacturing growth and community revitalization, promote public-private partnerships to boost manufacturing, and seek resources and pro-active approaches to overcome the barriers to these goals. The event will feature remarks from Senator Debbie Stabenow, Congressman Dan Kildee, and a number of other top federal, state, local and private sector officials.
There is strong and growing bipartisan support at every level of government, and in the private sector, for an expansion of U.S. manufacturing and for increased investment in this critical economic sector. The Obama Administration has launched a number of initiatives and proposed a number of new approaches for growing American manufacturing and strengthening the communities that are the foundation for this sector. Governor Snyder and Lt. Governor Brian Calley’s Administration have likewise made manufacturing a top priority and launched a number of initiatives and programs to support this growing sector.
The Roundtable in Flint, Michigan on September 4 is one of a series of Roundtables that will be held across America to convene manufacturing leaders, identify the barriers to manufacturing growth, seek resources that can help boost manufacturing and community revitalization, and foster further public-private partnerships on these issues.
The Roundtable will be held on September 4 from 9AM to 4:30PM at the Flint Riverfront Banquet Center downtown. On September 3, guests will join in a bus/walking tour of key manufacturing sites and projects in the Flint area.
The agenda for the Flint Roundtable is attached. The event is open to the press. In addition to the keynote speakers mentioned above, other key parts of this Roundtable will include:
- Top Local Officials: A session featuring mayors and city managers from Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Fenton, Flint, Hamtramck, Lansing, Sterling Heights, and Wixom;
- Top Federal and State Officials: A session featuring top federal and state officials to talk about how to support manufacturing progress, from agencies including the Economic Development Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, the Department of Labor, the Department of Energy, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the Michigan Urban & Metropolitan Initiatives Office. The day will include remarks from EPA Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus, and remarks from the Director of the federal Office of Recovery for Auto Communities & Workers Jay Williams.
- National Manufacturing Leadership: Remarks by Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, recently selected as the Chairman of the Advanced Manufacturing Task Force of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Remarks by Flint Mayor Dayne Walling in his role as the Chairman of the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities
- Corporate Leaders: A session featuring top corporate leadership from a number of manufacturing businesses and organizations
- Roadmap: Release of a new “Roadmap for Auto Community Revitalization”, a report sponsored by the Obama Administration describing how auto communities are rebuilding for a prosperous future.
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling says, “Cities such as Flint have faced challenges, but we are coming back. With continued investment in manufacturing communities, robust partnerships, and a focus on emerging sectors of economic innovation, we can keep America going strong on the road to revitalization.”