Phyllis Eisen

Global Manufacturing - It's Not Your Father's Industry

Today's U.S. manufacturing is exciting, innovative and in a growth mode. The rumors of its demise are just plain wrong. The industry today, though faced with many domestic and global challenges, is still the heartbeat of our economy and will continue to drive our growth, our exports, our R&D and be the shining example of what cutting-edge productivity can influence. But we deal with many key issues, including rising costs, unfair trade and monetary policy, an unstable energy policy and runaway health care costs. Beyond that, the quality of our workforce is in question as we deal with the most crushing global competition, changing demographics and technology that tests us all. Ms. Eisen's discussion will challenge us all to think differently about manufacturing's contribution and obstacles in an exciting global economy.

Phyllis Eisen is vice president of the Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and executive director of the Center for Workforce Success, the education, training and research arm of the NAM. Ms. Eisen serves on the Board of Directors for the National Center for Education and the Economy, the Precision Manufacturing Association Foundation and on the executive committee of the Washington, DC chapter of the Industrial Relations Research Association. She currently serves on the Department of Labor's Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship.

SPONSOR: Washington State Community, Trade & Economic Development and Tri-City Development Council