October
3 -- Stihl Inc. hosted Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank, who
announced a $40 million multi-agency competition, the Make it in America
Challenge, to accelerate the trend of insourcing, where companies are bringing
jobs back and making additional investments here in America.
The
competition, which is being funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s
Economic Development Administration (EDA) and National Institute of Standards
and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST-MEP) and the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), will build
upon the administration’s bottom-up approach to strengthening the economy and
creating jobs by partnering with state, regional, and local economies.
Stihl
Announces Manufacturing Expansion, Job Creation
Acting
Secretary Blank pointed out that more and more businesses are choosing to
invest, create jobs, and make things here in America, and that the new
initiative was designed to promote that trend. “This administration’s top
priority is creating American jobs, and through the Make it in America
Challenge, we will be supporting business’ efforts to expand here at home. By
making competitive investments, the Challenge will help communities across the
U.S. accelerate economic growth, attract business investment, and create jobs.”
Virginia
Beach-based Stihl Inc., one of several manufacturing facilities in the Stihl
Group, is the headquarters for U.S. operations and embodies the American built
mentality. The company has steadily increased its investments in America since
its founding in 1974. Starting with 50 employees that assembled only one model
of chain saw, today, the company employs approximately 2,100 people nationwide,
with 1,900 in Virginia Beach, VA, and manufactures more than 270 model
variations of chain saws and power tools for sale in the U.S. and around the
world. The majority of Stihl products sold in America are also built in America
and Stihl Inc. not only exports products to more than 90 countries but produces
the majority of Stihl units for the world market.
“While
many American companies have chosen to move their operations overseas in
pursuit of cheap labor, since 1974 we have chosen instead to reinvest in our
technology, our workforce and our infrastructure right here in Virginia Beach.
As a result, we have since become the number one selling brand of
gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment in America,” said Fred Whyte,
president of Stihl Inc., who accompanied Acting Secretary Blank on a partial
tour of the more than two million square feet of Stihl manufacturing
facilities.
“Some
people may say that American manufacturing cannot compete in the world economy.
I beg to differ. American innovation, technology, and the American worker are
second to none and we are proving it,” said Whyte.
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