WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today announced that Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded the Washington County Board of Commissioners $25,000 for a manufacturing supply chain study. The study will provide the Washington County Economic Development Commission with information to assist in developing a targeted list of potential supply chain vendors and better understanding linkages with companies within Washington County. In addition to the ARC funding, local sources will provide $25,000, bringing the total funding to $50,000.
“This grant is an investment in job growth in Washington County and the surrounding area. By better understanding supply chains across the state we can more efficiently bring high quality manufacturing jobs back to Maryland,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Finance and Small Business Committees. I have been promoting manufacturing as part of my Made in Maryland Tour for more than a year and applaud ARC for seeing the importance of bolstering manufacturing in Mountain Maryland.”
“The old saying goes, a country that doesn’t make something, can’t make something of itself. These funds in the federal checkbook are about investing in Western Maryland manufacturing jobs,” said Senator Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “By supporting Western Maryland manufacturers on the factory floor and the assembly line, we are promoting our economic security through jobs today and jobs tomorrow.”
The Washington County Economic Development Commission will use the funds to carry out a study to identify supply chain opportunities in the region. A contractor will be chosen on a competitive basis to assess existing manufactures demand for inputs, and develop a listing of current and potential suppliers. The study will seek to identify companies that could relocate to Washington County to support current manufacturing clients.
For more than a year Senator Cardin has traveled across the state on his Made in Maryland Tour, highlighting companies that are supporting quality manufacturing jobs in Maryland. The goal of the tour is to meet with employees and business owners, take stock of their challenges and successes, and help them identify ways that the federal government can help them grow and innovate.
Senator Mikulski knows that Washington doesn’t always have the answers and that the best ideas come from the people. That’s why she has embarked on her Maryland Jobs Tour over the past years, meeting with business owners and community leaders in Western Maryland and across the state, making sure that Marylanders have a government on their side that’s working for them.
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