National Association of Manufacturers
November 9, 2016

NAM Brings Business Leaders Together to Help Heal the Nation

Washington, D.C., November 9, 2016 – Following the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released a letter from more than 1,100 manufacturing and business leaders pledging to help bring the country together after a divisive election. NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons also pledged manufacturers’ efforts to find ways to work with the president-elect and the 115th Congress on the pressing issues facing the country.

“Tonight marks the end of one of the most contentious elections in our nation’s history. While many are celebrating tonight, others are disappointed—some with the results, some with the process. It’s time for healing, and that work must begin now,” said Timmons.

“Manufacturing and business leaders from across the country have pledged to rebuild trust in our democratic and economic institutions so that we can ensure our exceptional country offers abundant opportunity to all.

“Regardless of political party affiliation, the president of the United States deserves the respect of all Americans, and for the sake of our country, manufacturers want our next president to stand tall on the world stage and stand up for America’s entrepreneurs. We will do our part, sharing our ideas and our expertise with President-elect Trump and the 115th Congress to lead by example and set a productive tone for this next chapter in our nation’s history. At the same time, we will celebrate and defend the values that make our nation great; chief among those are free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity. Manufacturers expect our newly elected leaders to worry less about the powerful political extremes and concern themselves solely with solutions that will lift all Americans up and leave no one behind. These solutions, which the NAM will lay out in detail over the next several weeks, must be the focus of our policymakers if we truly want to see widespread growth and prosperity in this country.

“This election makes clear that Americans agree that manufacturing is the nation’s priority. They want our industry to lead the world and create more jobs. They know that when manufacturing is strong, America is strong. It will be up to us to channel that enthusiasm towards the right policies.”

Signatures for the letter, and these important commitments from business leaders, were gathered over a period of nearly two weeks, well before the results of the election were known. The effort was initiated by Timmons; Tenneco Inc. Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair Gregg Sherrill; and Emerson Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair-elect David Farr. To view the letter, click here

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Manufacturers: We Are the Solution

To the President-Elect:

We believe in an exceptional America. We believe we are stronger as a nation when we are united. And, we believe we, as business leaders, all have a unique responsibility to bring our country back together again—a responsibility we wholeheartedly embrace.

We write today not only to offer our congratulations but also to express our commitment in reuniting our country and our people after this particularly difficult election. It is our shared belief that we, representing companies large and small, have an urgent need to restore faith in our vital economic and government institutions and to bolster the promise of America—to lift everyone up and leave no one behind. American families, businesses and our communities cannot truly prosper and reach their full potential in a country that is divided and distrustful.

We will look for areas upon which we agree and can work productively with your new administration. To be sure, we are aware that there will be times when we disagree on the specifics of important policies, and we will respectfully make our voices heard when we do. We do believe, however, that we can be constructive—both when we agree and when we do not—if we can all approach challenging situations in good faith, guided by an unwavering commitment to a greater purpose. 

The days after a hard-fought presidential election have traditionally been a time to mend the divisions in our country, with political parties and nominees moving beyond the harshness of the campaign season and putting our nation, and our democratic system, first before all else.

You can count on us to help lead the way in bringing about that healing and reconciliation.  

Jay Timmons
President and CEO
National Association of Manufacturers

Gregg Sherrill
Chairman and CEO, Tenneco Inc.
Chair of the Board of Directors, National Association of Manufacturers

David Farr
Chairman and CEO, Emerson Electric Co.
Chair-Elect of the Board of Directors, National Association of Manufacturers