DOVER, OH —Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined New Philadelphia Mayor Joel Day and Dover Mayor Richard Homrighausen, as well as southeast Ohio business and economic development leaders to underscore the need for economic policies that work for Ohioans, including a meaningful investment in jobs, infrastructure and future Ohio workers.

  • Earlier this year, Brown released a roadmap for a $1 trillion investment in American infrastructure built by American workers using American iron and steel.
  • For the past five years, Brown’s office has teamed up with local manufacturers and plants, community partners and schools to host manufacturing camps across Ohio.

“We can’t grow a strong economy if we only focus on the coasts or on big cities – our smaller cities and towns are where so many Ohioans live and raise families,” said Brown. “If places like Dover and New Philadelphia are left behind, our entire economy suffers. If we aren’t fighting for these places, then we aren’t doing our jobs right.”

Southeast Ohio communities have been hit especially hard by economic policies that put corporations and special interests above workers and local communities. Brown met with southeast Ohio stakeholders to outline his blueprint to invest in infrastructure and his summer manufacturing camps aimed at growing the local economy and creating jobs.  

“From municipal government standpoint, jobs create much needed income tax revenue to fund city services. From a community standpoint, jobs create income to support families, churches, charities and support many small businesses in New Philadelphia,” said Mayor Day.

“Job creation is the life blood of any community and must be worked at continually. It is what makes a community thrive and grow into an important center of activity and an example of success,” said Mayor Homrighausen.

President Trump promised $1 trillion of investment in American infrastructure during his campaign. Earlier this year, Brown joined Senate colleagues to release a roadmap for making that promise a reality. As part of the plan, Brown included Buy America language to ensure American infrastructure is built by American workers, using American iron and steel.

Brown also wrote to Trump and shared legislation to ensure that Buy America rules apply to all taxpayer-funded public works and infrastructure projects to ensure that American tax dollars support American manufacturing and domestic jobs.  

The proposal highlighted by Brown includes funding for ports and waterways, as well as funding for critical national projects, including freight, highway, and bridge projects. Ohio has one of the nation’s largest interstate systems and a major public transit network that would benefit from nationwide investment in infrastructure.

Brown also wants to encourage future job creation and economic development by helping Ohio students to learn about Ohio’s manufacturing sector. For the past five years, Brown’s office has organized summer manufacturing camps to help introduce kids and their parents to an up-to-date, real-world understanding of American manufacturing, while teaching them the role manufacturing plays in building and maintaining our economy and our middle class.

In Tuscarawas County, Brown’s office has helped organize the Dale Lauren Foland Summer Manufacturing Camp for the last two years to help students learn about manufacturing, teamwork, and local production facilities.

Campers visit local manufacturers, tour plants, and work with their peers on hands-on projects specific to their communities. The camps are open to boys and girls. The ages or grades for each camp are determined by local organizers.

Brown’s office started organizing summer manufacturing camps in 2013, and since then, the number of camps throughout the state has grown every year.

Brown was joined at the roundtable by Mayors Day and Homrighausen, as well as representatives from the Buckeye Career Center, Economic Development and Finance Alliance of Tuscarawas County, Eleet Cryogenics, Inca Presswood Pallets, Kent State University Tuscarawas, Lauren International, Ohio Means Jobs, Progressive Foam, ProVia, SUPERB industries, Tuscarawas County, and the Tuscarawas Chamber of Commerce.   

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