‘Jobs, jobs and jobs’ Casey optimistic about economic recovery, ability to bounce back
Every politician today has three priorities. “Jobs, jobs and jobs,” U.S. Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. said.
Casey, who is optimistic about the economy and the ability of the American people to bounce back from adversity, recently presented an Export Achievement Award to Mark German, president and CEO of International Liner at Mount Braddock.
Casey fielded questions from some of the workers at the local plant about the economic recovery and employment.
When asked if the economy would recover, Casey said he believes things have “flattened out.
“The job loss numbers were terrible when things began back in 2008. We lost 700,000 jobs in each of the months from December 2008 through March 2009,” he said.
“But we are up 785,000 jobs so far in 2010.”
Casey credited much of the hiring to U.S. small business. He emphasized that a key vote is scheduled this week on a bill that would make $12 billion available in tax breaks to small businesses and $30 billion to community banks for loans to thaw small business lending.
According to Associated Press, the House has already passed many of the provisions, but they have stalled in the Senate because Republicans and Democrats could not agree on how to pay for them.
While Casey feels the bill is important to the recovery, he said, “There is no one initiative that is going to do it.
“I think the worst is behind us. I’m optimistic we have turned the corner but (complete recovery) won’t happen in the next few months,” he said.
Casey used Pittsburgh and Allegheny County as an example of a community that recovered.
“They were hard hit when the steel industry fell apart in the 1970s. But the community recovered by diversifying its industries, not relying on one single major employer.
“We know all the problems are solvable. We can do whatever we want if we put our minds to it,” Casey added.
Exporting for Pennsylvania companies, he said, is one part of the process.
Pennsylvania ranks 10th among all 50 states for exporting, according to Lyn Doverspike, director, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, who participated in the presentation to International Liner.
She explained the Export Achievement Award was created to recognize small- and medium-sized enterprises and organizations that have successfully entered the international marketplace for the first time or that have successfully entered a new market.
“We work with several hundred companies,” Doverspike said.
Her agency was created specifically to help U.S. companies export their products and services.
“We have three offices in Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia. We have 120 offices overseas in U.S. consulates. We help any business with export counseling to market intelligence and research,” Doverspike said.
“There are 12,000 exporting companies in Pennsylvania,” she added.
So far this year, Doverspike said, two export achievement awards have been presented, one to International Liner.
International Liner manufacturers a complete line of truck bed liners for the overseas market, including double, single and regular cab models.
The company sells 100 percent of its product to foreign companies.
German said some of his company’s success has come from recognizing that “the four-door pickup truck has become the world car.
“In the startup days, I would travel overseas with no more than a phone book and taxi and began making cold calls, trying to sell companies on the concept of bed protection for pickups, an American invention. So, from these meager beginnings, we now do business with many foreign companies on a multi-year contractual basis,” he said.
German especially thanked U.S. Commercial Service in Pittsburgh for its help.
“I think they have availed themselves of all of our services over the past 10 years,” Doverspike said.
“International Liner should take pride in their success and I hope other 30-employee or less companies are moved by their success to look at exporting for themselves and for 25 years International Liner has grown and sustained itself on nothing but export sales,” Doverspike added.
U.S. Commercial Service services include:
n Market intelligence to help U.S. exporters target the right market for their products and services.
n Trade counseling to provide them with the information they need to navigate the export process from beginning to end.
n Business matchmaking services to connect U.S. companies with the right partners and prospects.
n Trade advocacy for U.S companies to level the international playing field for international procurement.
The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration.
In addition to International Liner, German also manufactures lowered suspension systems through Ground Force and a variety of automotive filters through Green Filter. He employs from 30 to 40 people in the facility in Mount Braddock.
“Our sister companies, Green Filter and Ground Force, are also following in International Liner’s footsteps and are beginning to show promise in the exporting world,” German said.
International Liner has 64 truck bed templates on hand and can produce custom engineered molds to fit exact vehicle specifications and applications.
German said the truck bed liner company has been in business for more than 25 years, the past 20 operating out of the Mount Braddock facility.
For more information about the U.S. Commercial Service, call 1-800-USA-TRADE (872-8723). For market research, trade events, trade leads and information on how to export, go online to Export.gov.
For more information on International Liner, go online to www.internationalliner.com.