Apr. 21—KNOXVILLE — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst toured the production floor and heard from employees at Weiler on Wednesday.
Weiler and The Association of Equipment Manufacturers hosted Ernst as part of AEM's national grassroots campaign "I Make America," which advocates for policies that support manufacturing jobs to help U.S. manufacturers compete in the global market. The campaign was launched about 12 years ago. Weiler is an AEM member company.
"[I Make America] is a grassroots campaign to mobilize as many of you in Iowa, where there's 132,500 jobs to support — 2.8 million jobs across the country — to give you a little bit of information about the issues that matter to our industry and give you the tools to help advocate together with us," said Kip Eideberg, AEM's senior vice president of government and industry relations.
Pat Weiler, president and CEO of Weiler, and Eideberg gave Ernst a tour of the production floor and discussed pro-manufacturing legislation that could benefit the manufacturing industry, including workforce development, housing and trade. Ernst also heard from employees about current issues that concern them, including supply chain issues, fuel prices, cybersecurity, immigration, the Keystone XL pipeline and the Russian war on Ukraine.
"[Weiler] is providing livelihoods for folks that live in the rural areas. We want our rural areas to continue to not just survive, but to thrive," Ernst said. "And when you have manufacturers like this that provide great competitive wages and benefits, it benefits the entire community. So it's important to listen to their concerns, understand what they're going through and the challenges that they have."
Ernst was praised by AEM for her votes in favor of the historic United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the 2018 Farm Bill, which AEM says have benefitted the manufacturing industry. AEM presented Ernst with its Champion of the Industry Award in 2021 for her support in the equipment manufacturing industry.
Pat Weiler also announced a new 122,000 square foot expansion to Weiler's Knoxville facility. The facility will be used for plate cutting and processing steel, welding and assembly. Construction will begin mid-June with completion slated for September.
"The plan is for us to handle another 100 to 250 people long term," Pat Weiler said. "It might take us 10 years to do that, but it's for future growth."
As Weiler continues to grow and expand, so does the need for employees.