5/10/2005 - Manufacturing’s continued competitiveness focus of MMA visit to D.C.
MMA Chairman Bobby Dews led a delegation of 22 manufacturers to Washington, D.C., April 26-28 to discuss with the state’s congressional delegation the problems Mississippi manufacturers face in remaining competitive. The trip began with a Tuesday night dinner attended by congressional staffers to explain the game plan for the Wednesday visits to the congressional offices. Manufacturers then met Wednesday with both U.S. senators, then split into teams based on region to visit with their U.S. representatives. Wednesday morning prior to the congressional office visits, the National Association of Manufacturers provided a briefing on issues currently being discussed at the Capitol. MMA members then met with Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott and later separated to attend meetings in the offices of Reps. Roger Wicker, Bennie Thompson, Chip Pickering and Gene Taylor. The meetings focused on trade issues from China to Central America, recent congressional action on energy legislation and class action reform. After racing about the Capitol and as the sun went down, MMA members, congressional staffers and Washington Capitol Hill respresentives of companies doing business in Mississippi gathered for a reception on the roof of 101 Constitution Ave., the building that houses the Washington offices of Entergy, Inc. The building, which is the closest private building to the Capitol, provided breathtaking views of the U.S. Capitol. The Mississippi manufacturing delegation was composed of the following: Bobby Dews, C. L. Dews & Sons Foundry, Hattiesburg Jay Moon, MMA, Jackson Bryan Hawkins, Hawkeye Industries, Tupelo Tony Stringer, Stringer Industries, Tylertown Michael Thomas, Mississippi Lignite Mining, Ackerman Jim Finley, Craft-Co, Morton Chuck Grogan, Batesville Casket, Batesville Phil Morris, Morris Recycling, New Albany Trent Mulloy, Laurel Machine & Foundry, Laurel Don Robohm, SeaChick (Miss.), Inc., Escatawpa Mark Jackson, Baxter Healthcare, Cleveland Bill Gilreath, Entergy, Jackson Bill Crump, Viking Range Corporation, Greenwood Jim Sheble, Nucor Steel Jackson, Inc., Flowood Glynn Pittman, Electric Mills Wood Preserving, Scooba Tim Weston, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tupelo Mark Leggett, MMA, Jackson Ali Manesh, Mississippi Science and Engineering Technology, Corinth Gary Mitchell, Innovative Circuits, Inc., Corinth Learnard Dickerson, Kerr-McGee, Hamilton John Baas, MMA, Jackson Joe A. Mercado, Lockheed Martin, Meridian Mindy Overly, Koch-Cellulose, Brunswick, Georgia Glenn Lynd, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Pascagoula Richard Reed, Avon Engineered Fabrication, Picayune Derek Easley, MMA, Jackson Neil Carpenter, Avon Engineered Fabrication, Picayune [Photo: From left to right, Sen. Trent Lott and MMA Chairman Bobby Dews of C.L. Dews & Sons Foundry in Hattiesburg, Bill Crump of Viking Range Corp. in Greenwood and Joe Mercado of Lockheed Martin in Meridian. To see more photos from the D.C. visit, click on the PDF link below.]
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