WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) met with Parker Hannifin Plant employees for the ribbon cutting and tour of Parker Hannifin’s new Gas Turbine Fuel Systems (GTFS) facility today.  The site is the manufacturing home for fuel nozzles and thermal management components used in the aerospace and defense industries. 

“Parker could have chosen to build this facility anywhere, but it chose Ohio because it’s clear that Ohio’s aerospace industry is critical to next-generation American manufacturing,” Brown said. “As I’ve heard in factory plants and businesses across Ohio – we need a strategy that combines a predictable climate for investments and innovation. We need a strategy that provides incentives for the private sector to invest in supply chains and open new markets. Simply put, manufacturing is not only a ticket to the middle class, but is a key to our national security.”

Parker Hannifin, a manufacturer of components for aerospace and defense industries, employs more than 3,000 Ohio workers. Parker Hannifin’s GTFS Division expanded its facility with 71,000 additional square feet to support increased on-site product development and testing. The expansion was made possible in part by a $2.8 million loan from the State of Ohio Research and Development Loan Program. Because of the loan, Parker Hannifin was able to offset part of the costs of renovating the building, acquiring new equipment and hiring and training new employees.  

Brown’s visit to Mentor is part of his “Made in Ohio Tour,” kicking-off earlier this week. With the top priority of creating Ohio jobs, Brown is fighting for a multi-pronged effort to promote economic development – from working to position Ohio as the Silicon Valley of Clean Energy Manufacturing, to establishing the state as a hub for high-growth industries. Brown is working to expand Ohio’s aerospace industry. A leading proponent of the Glenn Research Center, he has also hosted two procurement conferences with Airbus, aimed at fostering growth in Ohio’s partnership with Airbus. The key components of Senator Brown’s jobs strategy are:

?    Promoting the expansion of Ohio businesses by strengthening small business lending programs and aiding President Obama’s goal to significantly boost U.S. exports.

?    Transitioning away from our dependence on foreign oil to a clean energy future in which jobs are centered in the small businesses, manufacturing facilities, and universities of Ohio.

?    Developing Ohio’s workforce so that Ohioans are prepared to fill the jobs of the 21st century and revitalizing the state’s infrastructure to attract those global industries.

?    Making sure that Ohio industry isn’t undermined due to unfair trade by pursuing remedies to counteract China’s currency manipulation and subsidization of domestic industries.
Brown has been a leader in federal efforts to transform Ohio’s manufacturing base. He is the author of the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act, legislation that would help small to medium-sized manufacturers become more energy-efficient or transition to the clean energy supply chain.  The IMPACT Act would establish a $30 billion Manufacturing Revolving Loan Fund to support these manufacturers as they are expanding or establishing domestic clean energy manufacturing operations or and improving energy efficiency. Ohio—particularly northeast Ohio—is home to dozens of advanced and clean energy companies.