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Governor Kim Reynolds addresses manufacturers in Fairfield
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
FAIRFIELD – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was the featured speaker at the Manufacturer’s Appreciation Luncheon in Fairfield on Thursday, Oct. 23.
This annual event from the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce is an opportunity for local manufacturers to share updates on the industry and how they’re faring individually. At this year’s event, it also gave them a chance to share concerns with the state’s governor, who also spoke about what she’s done to help the business community during her eight years in office.
Reynolds spoke about participating in the Association of Business & Industry’s recent Elevate Iowa Manufacturing Tour, and how important manufacturing is to Iowa. She said it’s the state’s largest sector, and accounts for 200,000 jobs and 19 percent of Iowa’s Gross Domestic Product. She said that she was proud to lead the effort to reduce Iowa’s business tax from 9 percent to 3.8 percent, and to have passed an unemployment reform bill that resulted in $1 billion in savings. She spoke about having removed 4,000 regulations from the Iowa Code while also expanding workforce training programs.
“You represent the best of what we are, forward-looking Iowans,” Reynold told the crowd inside the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center’s expo hall.
After Reynolds’ remarks, business leaders in the audience were given the chance to ask questions or make statements. Nate Weaton of Weaton Companies thanked Reynolds for her leadership at the capitol. Fairfield Schools Superintendent Zach Wigle said he appreciated Reynolds’ work to keep schools open, and spoke about goals his school district was pursuing, such as ensuring that 100 percent of Fairfield seniors are “employed, enrolled or enlisted” after graduation.
Mike Parker of TrafFix Devices spoke about how his company is being affected by federal legislation, noting that tariffs have “hit us hard” and that his company lost about 5-7 percent of its workforce after the administration canceled the Temporary Protected Status for foreign workers from select countries. Monica Hadley of AERON Lifestyle Technology also mentioned that the cost of imports and the labor shortage was a concern for her company, including at its manufacturing plant in Mason City. Reynolds said she would pass along those comments to federal officials.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
