Powder Coater Hosts U.S. Senator for Workforce Discussion

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), toured Brainerd Industries, a powder coating and stamping manufacturer in Miamisburg, Ohio, and met with the company’s leadership and local stakeholders to discuss career and technical education and how his bipartisan JOBS Act legislation will help more Ohioans get the skills and training they need to find in-demand jobs.

Brainerd Industries manufactures cosmetic trim parts for OEMs in the consumer electronics, appliance, television, computer and automotive industries. Its equipment and facility give it the flexibility and capabilities to meet a variety of application needs in the stamping, blanking, die cutting, printing and powder coating of metal and plastic.

“I enjoyed my visit at Brainerd Industries and had a productive discussion with the company’s leadership team as well as with local business leaders about how best to ensure today’s workers get the skills training they need to succeed,” Portman says.  “Strengthening career and technical education by passing the JOBS Act will help ensure we make skills training more accessible and affordable. I will continue my work on the federal level to make sure that Washington is an effective partner with local communities in providing Ohioans with the skills training they need to succeed.”

Portman has taken the lead to address this skills gap by authoring the JOBS Act, bipartisan legislation that makes high-quality and rigorous short-term job training programs more affordable by expanding access to Pell Grants for low-income students. President Trump included the JOBS Act in his Fiscal Year 2020 budget request and Portman is working to include this measure in broader legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act this year.  

As part of his JOBS Act and Workforce Tour, Portman has visited Warren Fabricating and Machining in Trumbull County, Stark State’s Akron Campus in Summit County, Delaware Career Center in Delaware County, Staub Manufacturing and a graduation ceremony at Sinclair Community College in Montgomery County, Rhinestahl Advanced Manufacturing in Warren County, a Department of Justice Reentry Conference and Human Service Chamber roundtable in Franklin County, a Drug Addiction and Workforce roundtable and a Ohio Labor’s Training Facility in Knox County, an EODA Annual meeting in Holmes County, Venture Products in Wayne County, an investiture ceremony at Central Ohio Technical College in Licking County, a Workforce roundtable hosted by United Way of Cincinnati, a graduation ceremony at Marion Technical College in Marion County, a roundtable at Southern State Community College in Highland County, a roundtable at The Point in Lawrence County, a roundtable at Hocking College in Logan County, a roundtable at Morgal Machine Tool Co. in Clark County, and a tour at Vantage Career Center in Van Wert County.