Manufacturing Advocacy Day In Albany
Randy Wolken, President & CEO

On Wednesday, MACNY and our Manufacturers Alliance partners traveled to Albany to advocate for critical policies to grow manufacturing in New York State. So much has changed in our state and nation. COVID-19 and its impacts have severely challenged manufacturers and businesses. Supply chains have been turned upside down, available skilled workers have decreased as the need has grown, our political dialogue has often become confrontational, and rapid inflation has severely challenged manufacturers. We need supportive policies and investments to grow manufacturers.

While in Albany, we conducted 25 meetings with key legislators on the issues of tax policy, labor and HR issues, continued investment in workforce development efforts like MACNY’s Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (MIAP), and the impact of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) on manufacturing. In the past, our trips to Albany to meet with legislators and staff have increased our ability to influence key policy and legislative outcomes. This annual event demonstrates that manufacturers care deeply about our state’s direction regarding investing in manufacturing.

Manufacturing and business leaders must not sit on the sidelines. MACNY will continue to work hard to lead efforts in advocacy for you. We need you to help us and to lend your voice to our efforts. Our elected and appointed government officials want to hear directly from you. You need to tell them how their policies, laws, and administrative actions affect your business, profitability, and ability to hire and retain workers. We can facilitate this through digital tools like i360, which allows you to send letters directly to elected officials. It can also help you make phone calls to the very same people. It is a powerful tool – but only if you use it.

We need you to continue to come to our in-person and virtual meetings with legislators and advocate for what you need from them. Virtual events provide a convenient way to participate from your desk and return to work when you are done. We also have opportunities for you to join us for in-person meetings with legislators at manufacturing facilities here in our community. When you join us, you can tell your own stories and remind elected or appointed officials just how important your business is and what they can do to be more helpful.

Matt Geitner has recently joined MACNY as the Director of Government Relations. He is coordinating all forms of advocacy on your behalf. In my roles as President & CEO of MACNY and The Manufacturers Alliance, and Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Co-chair, I am working daily to help put forward a pro-manufacturing and pro-business agenda within our region. So, if you are not involved, get involved! You can do so by reaching out to me at [email protected] or Matt at [email protected].

We need you to stay involved. We need your voice and efforts to educate and advocate for your interests. Our representatives need to know that your businesses that employ millions of New Yorkers need to be supported. And we need policies that encourage growth. As you know, manufacturing and business growth are essential to economic prosperity.