Manufacturing’s Busy Summer
With November right around the corner and cooler temperatures in the air, it’s clear that North Carolina’s summer is in our rearview mirror. It was certainly a busy season for manufacturers, so we wanted to provide a recap of the major developments and news that may impact your business.
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is Good for NC
At the beginning of October, negotiators announced that they had come to a trilateral agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada to preserve our important trade relationships. As we said when the deal was announced, nearly 400,000 NC jobs depend on trade with Mexico and Canada, our top two customers for exports. We were also pleased to see strong intellectual property protections in the final USMCA, which will help support the thriving biopharmaceutical and life sciences industries in NC. Read more about the deal from the President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Tom Donohue, here.
Recapping Manufacturing Day 2018
As you know, we celebrated Manufacturing Day on October 5th and it was a great success! Many thanks to Dell and Herbalife for allowing NC Chamber team members to attend your events and share in the excitement of the day.
We were thrilled to hear stories of other successful Manufacturing Day events throughout the state. The Doosan Portable Power Statesville team welcomed 80 eighth grade students for a visit and tour of their Lab, Electrical Engineering, Assembly Operations, Electrical Build, and more.
Manufacturers across North Carolina have cited their inability to find skilled workers as the number one challenge inhibiting their growth. Fortunately, events like Manufacturing Day that help spread awareness of the limitless opportunities available in this field are a step in the right direction.
NAM Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey Shows Record Optimism
The National Association of Manufacturers regularly surveys manufacturers on their businesses’ growth, challenges, and outlook. At the end of the third quarter of 2018, we heard exciting news that 2018 is on track to set a record-high for manufacturers’ optimism over the survey’s 20 year history! 92.5% of manufacturers are positive about their own company’s outlook and sales, employment and investment are expected to continue growing. Read more here.