The president’s visit: What the economy really looks like

President Trump is set to speak in Manchester Thursday evening and there’s no telling what he will speak about. But I believe he should speak to the state of the economy. The economy has continued its stretch of growth – now the longest

Tom White

in American history – and at a significantly increased rate. This has proven true in New Hampshire as well, and we have much to be proud of.

Our business, New England Wire Technologies Corp., is over 120 years old and supports 430 employees. Our company is privately held – with a significant portion of it owned by the employees. This is real American enterprise. These are real jobs, for real people, with real families.

At NEWT, we manufacture the next generation of wire and cable technologies, powering industries from clean energy to medical technology. We also are proud to contribute to our nation’s defense with our innovative expertise.

Our manufacturing capabilities and skilled employees make us uniquely qualified to produce specialized, highly engineered wire and insulated wire products supporting the advanced Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) on-board Ford-class aircraft carriers. We take great pride in the fact we are one of the few, if not the only, company in the U.S. with the capability and capacity to deliver vital wire products for use in EMALS powerful motor technology. This technology will enable our country’s newest carriers to launch heavier and faster aircraft – and critically, drones, which our current carrier fleet cannot do.

These first-of-a-kind systems enable the U.S. to maintain our edge on modernization, improve the quality of our lives, and ultimately makes the life or death difference for our troops in combat.

This is what President Trump is protecting when he champions manufacturing jobs.

Manufacturing supports over 10% of New Hampshire’s workforce and nearly 12% of our total economic output. In real terms, that’s over 70,000 New Hampshire jobs and more than $9 billion.

The state’s economy is strong and it is growing, largely due to the growth in the manufacturing sector. In fact, an analysis of New Hampshire industry noted that smart manufacturing/high technology (SMHT) is one of the most important drivers of the state’s economy.

But this sector needs continued support for our state to continue to thrive. In the 1990s, almost one in four jobs were related to manufacturing. Today, it is closer to one in six.

We are looking for bold policies that will continue to spur this sector and support existing businesses, as well as keep graduates in the state and attract new talent.

Throughout the first-in-the-nation primary process, New Hampshire voters will be looking to hear from the president and all the candidates regarding how they plan to continue to grow our economy and support New Hampshire manufacturing and businesses. It will be an excellent opportunity for all the candidates to listen to the voters’ real concerns.

Manufacturing and the economy are keystones of the current administration. Now is another perfect opportunity to speak to this important part of our state’s economy. Personally, I hope he does so, as we have much to offer and want to hear how he will continue to support our state’s leadership in this critical sector – not just for New Hampshire, but for the nation at large.

Tom White is president of New England Wire Technologies in Lisbon, NH.