Mayor Kenney and Councilman Henon Release 2016 Annual Report and Announce Upcoming Initiatives at Annual Manufacturing Roundtable
Philadelphia – Today Mayor Jim Kenney and Councilman Bobby Henon joined the members of the Mayor’s Manufacturing Task Force, a group of prominent leaders with ties to the manufacturing and industry sectors, at the Navy Yard to discuss recent accomplishments and future goals to advance manufacturing in Philadelphia. At the meeting, Mayor James Kenny released the Manufacturing Task Force 2016 Annual Progress Report with CEOs of manufacturing companies, such as AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation and Penn Scale Manufacturing, leaders of organizations including Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center, PIDC and Benjamin Franklin Technology Partners, and government officials from the City and State.
“The manufacturing sector offers numerous opportunities for Philadelphia,” said Mayor Kenney. “While many believe that manufacturing is on its way out, the truth is that the sector has evolved to meet the needs of present economy and is very much alive. Moreover, the manufacturing sector offers jobs with family-sustaining wages, something we very much need in Philadelphia.”
Job-readiness and skills development is a key priority highlighted in the annual report, along with innovation, energy and legislative initiatives. The report featured myriad initiatives to expose young people to manufacturing in order to build a viable talent pool.
Legislation to support the industry has been largely taken up by Councilman Bobby Henon, who recently introduced legislation to safeguard industrial properties as well as to incentivize new manufacturing businesses to the City.
“Philadelphia’s manufacturing and industrial sectors are vital to the continued growth of our economy. But this sector can’t expand without the support of industry leaders, policy makers and advisors from the nonprofit and for-profit world. The collective knowledge and resources that they bring to the table will help strengthen manufacturing and improve the business landscape,” said Councilman Henon. “I want to thank my fellow working group and task force members, the other co-chairs and especially Mayor Kenny for understanding that manufacturing matters to our economy and workforce. I also want to acknowledge the work of my fellow Council colleagues on this important issue.”
In 2013 the Department of Commerce and PIDC partnered to create a Manufacturing Task Force as part of an effort to revitalize Philadelphia’s manufacturing industry, a sector that has experienced significant decline over the last few decades, following a national trend of manufacturing companies moving overseas to lower production and labor costs. The Task Force was charged with developing a roadmap and actionable recommendations to improve Philadelphia’s competitiveness and to address barriers that inhibit growth in the sector. Thirty manufacturers from the region, with advisory support from government, colleges and universities, non-profit and for-profit development agencies, worked for a year to develop the Manufacturing Growth Strategy for Philadelphia, published in 2013.
After the report was released, a 13-member Manufacturing Working Group was established to oversee recommendations that came out of the Growth Strategy. The roundtable has become an annual event for the Manufacturing Working Group to report the progress made to strengthen and expand the manufacturing sector in Philadelphia.
Today’s meeting ended with a discussion of upcoming manufacturing goals. Planned initiatives include increased communication and support from the City to manufacturers, education and training programming to expand the available talent pool and legislative action.
Members of the working group also identified increasing exporting opportunities as a viable new goal for the city. According to Lauren Swartz, Director of International Investments at the Philadelphia Commerce Department, companies that export can sell goods about two times faster and can experience a 40 percent increase in growth.