On Monday, the Biden Administration announced it would provide $3.16 billion in funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is aimed at making more batteries and components in America, bolster domestic supply chains, create good-paying jobs and help lower costs for families.
Biden signed the IIJA into law in November 2021, which the administration said is the largest long-term investment in the country’s infrastructure and economy. The legislation provides $550 billion between fiscal years 2022 and 2026 for new federal investments in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and mass transit, as well as water infrastructure and broadband.
Air Force One will fly into the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Covington, Ky. at 1 p.m. Friday before convoying north to United Performance Metals. Company officials did not field media inquiries about the president’s visit but posted on United Performance Metal’s Facebook page that they were “honored” by Biden’s visit.
“UPM prides ourselves in helping transform the world by supplying specialty metals and services to innovative companies,” according to the post.
United Performance Metals is a global company headquartered in Hamilton that is a specialty metals solutions center. It offers a line of high-performance metals and alloys, processing services, approvals and supply chain solutions.
Hamilton City Manager Joshua Smith said the city welcomes the presidential visit, the first Ohio visit since Biden made a Lorain stop in February when he announced a $1 billion investment in the Great Lakes through the Act. Biden last visited Cincinnati in July 2021 when he conducted a town hall hosted by Mount St. Joseph University in Delhi Twp. where he discussed several topics, including infrastructure, bridges, the pandemic and gun violence.
“We appreciate that President Biden is visiting and recognizes Hamilton’s diverse advanced manufacturing base, and our importance in the national supply chain,” Smith said. “We hope visits like these will spur the federal government to re-evaluate regulatory barriers and to incentivize companies to consider reshoring or onshoring opportunities.”
Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dan Bates hopes the Biden visit both spurs new interest in the city and provides an affirmation to existing businesses they made the right decision being located there.
“Since it’s a presidential visit, it’s going to be everywhere,” Bates said. “It’s always amazing how the city or the chamber will get calls after something like this saying, ‘I didn’t know Hamilton was doing that?’ or ‘I didn’t know Hamilton had those kinds of opportunities?’”
Hamilton has an abundance of manufacturers, including Saica Pack, iMFLUX, Vinylmax, Hamilton Precision, Dynamat and thyssenkrupp Bilstein.
“People don’t realize what a leader Ohio is in technology and manufacturing, and southwest Ohio in particular. I think in Hamilton, people have no clue how much advanced technology and manufacturing is here,” Bates said. “And I think it’s a recognition that we are a leader in that industry.”
Ohio is consistently found on Top 10 lists related to the manufacturing industry.
Global Trade, a publication for U.S. companies doing business worldwide, said the Buckeye State “has a long history of manufacturing and a skilled workforce to put its money where its mouth is.” The industry magazine said Ohio is the third-largest state for any kind of manufacturing.
“It is that reputation for excellence along with the state’s heavily pro-manufacturing business climate that has earned Ohio significant investment in the technology-driven manufacturing sector,” according to the publication.
Mitch Rhodus, the mayor of neighboring Fairfield, will also be meeting with Biden on Friday, and believes the visit will have a ripple effect on Fairfield and other surrounding communities.
“I think it’s exciting to have any sitting president in your community touring the most advanced manufacturing facilities in the world,” he said. “It’s exciting times when you have the president in your community, regardless of what it’s for.”
Butler County GOP Executive Chairman Todd Hall said he finds it “ironic and very satisfying that a liberal Democratic president who is overseeing one of the worst economies in our nation’s history comes to very conservative and Republican-controlled Butler County to see how well we do things here. Maybe President Biden can learn a thing or two from us.”
In the first quarter of 2022, there was a downturn in the U.S. economy, according to CBSNews.com. However, the news agency reports economists expect second-quarter GDP to increase by 2.9%, citing FactSet. Economists expect growth to increase by 3.3% for all of 2022.
Butler County Democratic Party Executive Chairman Brian Hester said Biden’s infrastructure plan is “leading to a Renaissance of American manufacturing where businesses can have their supply chains rely on businesses in Hamilton instead of factories in China.”
“This week, (U.S. Senate candidate) Rep. Tim Ryan began his general election campaign with a visit to Butler Tech. President Biden, Sen. Sherrod Brown, and Tim Ryan know that our economy is stronger when more goods can be stamped ‘Made in the USA.’”
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