A Fourth of July to Remember
Randy Wolken, President & CEO
We live in unique times. America has not faced a pandemic of this magnitude since 1918. On this Independence Day, we will have a lot to be grateful for. We will also have much to continue working on.
As I reflect on this July 4th, I am struck by how much I value the freedoms we have. I am also reflecting on the need to continue to extend these freedoms to so many who do not yet feel free. This is true of too many of our own citizens as well as individuals throughout the world. America needs to be a beacon of hope. We need to be people of hope. Manufacturers have been a large part of our progress as a nation. I am convinced manufacturers will be a vital part of our future growth and prosperity going forward.
Early on in our nation’s history, manufacturing was critical for economic success. Products used throughout our nation – and then the world – allowed our country to achieve rapid economic growth. Millions were lifted out of poverty. Millions made the products that helped our nation expand. Our factories built what was needed to win two world wars. These same factories converted to peacetime products to put men and women back to work as they returned. This has been the story of the nation. This seems to be what we need to do again.
We have crossed into one of the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression. Millions are out of work. Our nation has witnessed rapid change and social unrest. Twenty-first Century manufacturing is needed to reemploy Americans and produce essential products in the U.S. again. We need to make our vital pharmaceuticals here again. We need to make personal protective equipment (PPE) here. We need to have solid supply chains that are resilient. We need all of this and more.
It won’t be easy. It will take a lot of work by manufacturers, supportive governments, and involved communities. We can do it. How do I know this? We have done it before. Together, we need to commit to rebuilding our manufacturing base here in New York and here in our nation.
As we celebrate our nation’s birth, let’s not only remember what we have accomplished. Let’s commit to more. Our nation needs it – and so does our world.
From everyone at MACNY, enjoy your Fourth of July holiday!