One Senator paying attention to plastics

US Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, paid a visit to plastic tube maker Essel Propack Ltd.'s plant in Danville, Va., on Jan. 11. He took the opportunity to talk up a bill that he says would help bring jobs to the United States.

This story from Media General News Service explains that Warner's bill is aimed at making economically distressed areas more competitive internationally.

Perhaps some Plastics Blog readers will consider it ironic that the Senator visited a plant with a parent in Mumbai, India, to talk about making US manufacturing globally competitive.

But it seems that Warner gets it. He helped recruit Essel Propack when he was governor of Virginia. He knows that manufacturers can set up shop anywhere, and his aim is to help them choose the United States.

Warner's not up for re-election this year. But with the mid-term elections set for November, we can expect to see more visitors from Capitol Hill in plastics plants in the next few months.

I hope more companies like Essel Propack volunteer to host visits like this. It's a good opportunity to raise the profile of the industry and to get out the word that manufacturing still plays an important role in the US economy.