Providence, RI – This month, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has been visiting local manufacturers as part of a “Making It in Rhode Island” tour to hear about the economic challenges they face and to discuss his plan to keep jobs in the state. As he continues fighting to help Rhode Island businesses grow, Whitehouse today announced that Leslie Taito, CEO of the Rhode Island Manufacturing Extension Service (RIMES), will be his guest at President Obama’s State of the Union address next Tuesday.
“My priority is to keep fighting to get our economy back on track. That means bringing new business to our state, but it also means supporting existing companies and keeping good jobs here,” said Whitehouse. “RIMES plays an important role in helping Rhode Island manufacturers grow and create jobs, and I look forward to working with Leslie to help our local businesses succeed.”
“I am thrilled and honored to have been invited by Senator Whitehouse to attend the State of the Union address. We are greatly appreciative of the Senator’s efforts in support of our manufacturing base here in Rhode Island and across the U.S.,” said Taito. “Manufacturers are a vital component of our economy and we must work diligently to provide them the tools and the opportunity to survive and thrive. I am extremely proud to represent the Rhode Island manufacturing community at this significant event.”
Whitehouse’s “Making It in Rhode Island” plan contains a number of proposals to help local manufacturers – from leveling the playing field with foreign competitors to providing access to capital. Next week Whitehouse will introduce the Offshoring Prevention Act, which would end a perverse tax provision that rewards companies for moving factories overseas.
The plan also calls for increased support for the Manufacturing Extension Program, a partnership between the states and the federal government that provides small manufacturers with technical and business consulting services. RIMES is the local affiliate of this program.
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