Bill in Congress would boost manufacturing jobs in Maine

COLLINS PHOTO COURTESY / MEDILL DC, FLICKR, KING PHOTO COURTESY / U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, FLICKR U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King have joined a bipartisan effort to make permanent the 2014 Manufacturing Communities initiative launched by the Obama administration.

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By Staff

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King have joined a bipartisan effort in both the Senate and House supporting a bill to stimulate rural economic development and create good-paying jobs by revitalizing the country’s manufacturing sector.

The Make it in America Manufacturing Communities Act would codify into law a program started by the Obama administration that allows communities around the country to compete to receive preferential consideration for federal economic development funds. Without authorizing legislation, the program’s future is uncertain. The bipartisan bill supported by Collins and King would make it permanent and allow more communities around the country to compete for the designation.

The Greater Portland region is one of 24 communities named as “Manufacturing Communities” under the 2014 initiative, which gives them greater access to funding from 11 federal agencies. Last fall it was redesignated as one of the country's Manufacturing Communities for Food Production by the U.S. Department of Commerce, advancing local efforts to build on the region’s 31% share of Maine’s food manufacturing employment.

“Maine’s manufacturing industry is an integral part of our economy and has long been a source of pride as well as quality, good-paying jobs,” Collins said in a release. “The IMCP program has already demonstrated its success by bolstering Maine’s manufacturing sector in the Greater Portland area. This legislation will expand this valuable program so that more communities in Maine and across the country will have the opportunity to attract investments, increase innovation, and create jobs.”

“This legislation will help give existing IMCP communities, like the Greater Portland region, a competitive advantage when it comes to federal economic development funds and make the program permanent so that more communities across Maine can work towards the designation, strengthen economic diversification and growth, and help spur job creation,” King added.

Criteria for 'Manufacturing Communities' designation

In order to earn the Manufacturing Communities designation, communities would demonstrate the significance of manufacturing in their region and develop strategies to utilize their “Manufacturing Communities” designation in making investments in six areas:

Workforce training and retraining
Advanced research
Infrastructure and site development
Supply chain support
Promotion of exports and foreign direct investment
Operational improvement and capital access for manufacturers that supports energy or process efficiency, equipment or facility upgrades, the development of business incubators, among other activities.

The legislation encourages a regionally-driven approach to strengthening the manufacturing industry.

To compete for funding through the program and earn the “Manufacturing Communities” designation, communities would create regional partnerships with key stakeholders such as local and state economic development officials, local governments, manufacturers, labor organizations, and higher education or other training providers.