Northhampton News

Today, Rep. Ann Flood (R-Northampton) and the House Republican Policy Committee, led by Chairman Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), held a hearing to address workforce challenges faced by Pennsylvania manufacturers. The session aimed to explore ways to fill numerous family-sustaining jobs in the Lehigh Valley with skilled workers.

The hearing, titled “Manufacturing Momentum: Assembling PA’s Workforce,” was hosted at the Lehigh Heavy Forge Corporation, North America's last remaining super-heavy forging plant. Testifiers included Michael Druckenmiller, vice president of Lehigh Heavy Forge; Blair Woodring, director of business development at Precision Custom Components; Nancy Dischinat, executive director of Workforce Board Lehigh Valley; and John Rhatigan, chairman of the Marine Machinery Association.

Training and recruiting skilled workers were primary concerns for all testifiers. Druckenmiller highlighted this issue in his testimony: “If I could flip a switch and have access to a pool of qualified machinists, I could justify hiring 20 of them overnight…But there just are not enough of them out in the market today to do so.”

Flood emphasized the importance of manufacturing in the region: “Manufacturing plays a vital role in the Lehigh Valley, contributing to 16% of our region’s GDP. There is no better time than now for Pennsylvania policymakers to find solutions to keep this industry thriving and to secure the Lehigh Valley as a destination for family-sustaining jobs in manufacturing.”

Kail underscored Pennsylvania's historical ties to manufacturing: “Manufacturers have helped to build America and to protect our great nation. Pennsylvania’s rich history is in great part because of the manufacturing industry. We cannot miss this opportunity to re-invigorate an industrial force that could help Pennsylvania not just compete but dominate. We must maintain manufacturing momentum—Pennsylvania’s economy depends on it, our nation’s security depends on it.”