TMA's Zach Mottl Appointed to United States Manufacturing Panel

(Schaumburg, IL), The Technology & Manufacturing Association of Illinois' Immediate Past Chairman, Zachary Mottl, was recently selected to serve on the Manufacturing Council. Mr. Mottl is Chief Alignment Officer at Atlas Tool Works in Lyons, Illinois. Also selected from Illinois were Marsha Serlin, from TMA member United Scrap Metal in Cicero, and Craig Freedman of Freedman Seating in Chicago

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced the appointment of 30 private sector leaders to the Manufacturing Council (the Council) on February 11, 2015 for the 2015-2016 charter term. The Council was established in 2004 to serve as the principal private sector advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce and the Government of the United States, on matters relating to the U.S. manufacturing industry. "I am deeply honored that Secretary Pritzker chose me for this important Council," Mr. Mottl stated. "It validates the critical work we do at Atlas, and I am pleased to have this opportunity to advocate for the needs and wishes of all of my manufacturing colleagues from TMA and the rest of the Illinois manufacturing community. We all have many opportunities before us, yet we still face many challenges. I hope to give critical insight so the Government can allow all of us to maximize our ability to capitalize on our opportunities to the benefit of our great country"

"Support for U.S. manufacturing is a top priority for the Obama Administration, and for the Department of Commerce in particular," said Secretary Pritzker. "The U.S. has now added 786,000 manufacturing jobs over the past 58 months, the strongest growth since the 1990s. The strength of U.S. manufacturing is critical to our nation's economy and our competitiveness on the global stage.

"The Department of Commerce continues to make investments that will keep our manufacturing sector on the cutting edge of innovation, including two new Commerce-led National Network for Manufacturing Innovation institutes, proposed in the President's fiscal year 2016 budget. I look forward to working together with the new and returning Manufacturing Council members, whose unique expertise and perspective will be integral to our efforts to boost the economy and create U.S. jobs."

The Manufacturing Council and its sub-committees work to ensure regular communication between government and the manufacturing sector and provide a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to industry-related problems. Council members advise the Secretary of Commerce on government policies and programs that affect U.S. manufacturing and recommend ways to ensure that the United States remains the preeminent destination for investment in manufacturing across the globe.

For more information about the Manufacturing Council and to see the members' biographies, visit www.trade.gov/manufacturingcouncil.

For more information about the Technology & Manufacturing Association of Illinois, visit www.tmaillinois.org.