Governor Pillen Touts Nebraska Manufacturing At Endicott Clay

By Gordon HopkinsNebraska Governor Jim Pillen was in Endicott on a chilly and foggy Wednesday morning, October 25, 2023, along with Mike Johnson, COO and Executive Vice President of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, to tour Endicott Clay Products. Local politicos, including Jefferson County Commissioners and Senator Tom Brandt were also present.Governor Pillen signed a proclamation declaring October Manufacturing Month.Endicott Clay is an internationally recognized, family-owned manufacturer of premium clay building materials and one of the largest employers in Jefferson County.Endicott Clay was among the businesses to make it into the final four of the “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition coordinated by the Nebraska Manufacturing Alliance and the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.After the tour, led by CEO Ryan Parker, Pillen held a brief press conference, where he touted Nebraska manufacturing.“As a company, we’re 103 years old and we didn’t get there by mistake,” said Parker in his introductory remarks.“We never, ever know, when any of us are going to give a first impression. And we do it every day. And let me just tell you, the first impression of your business is absolutely amazing, what you all are a part of,” said the governor to an audience of Endicott Clay employees. “And here’s the thing that’s so cool about Nebraska, and the people of Nebraska. I hope that you realize, you all together make the impression you are the best in the world at what you do. Think of that.”Pillen said, “If you were second, third or fourth, you sure as heck wouldn’t be having brick in all those football stadiums. You have brick, you have your product, going to the most coveted jobs, commercial jobs, in the world.”Johnson also spoke to the crowd, “Manufacturing GDP (Gross Domestic Product), the stuff that we make in Nebraska, has grown by 50 percent in the last five years, think about that.”“This is an industry where people can earn while they learn and make better lives for themselves and their families, connecting young people to this industry sector will bring that person a great job marketable skills and access to the good life in Nebraska. Nebraska manufacturers employ people from diverse backgrounds,” said Johnson. “Whether it’s clay into bricks, corn into biopharmaceuticals, agricultural products into packaged food goods, metal into specialty equipment or hogs into bacon and sausage, manufacturing is sophisticated. Its innovative. It’s anchored by teamwork and prides itself on getting things done. Manufacturing is growing across our country and in our state of Nebraska.”Currently, there are more than 2,000 manufacturers across the state, making it the state’s second largest industry with over 107,000 workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Nebraska’s current manufacturing employment is the highest in more than 20 years. Annual compensation has also increased, from $62,500 in 2017 to $75,000 today.The governor then responded to a few questions. When asked about supply chain issues and inflation, the governor said, “We’re going to continue to work hard to shrink state government. We’re going to become more efficient and improve our services, so we can become competitive with all of our neighbors, so we have the greatest business climate in the United States to do business.”Regarding agriculture, Pillen said, “We’re going to defend agriculture, because we got a bunch of crackpots talking about fake meat, trying to tell us say that we don’t how to take care of our livestock, and attacking every step of the way of what we do in agriculture.”The need for workforce housing has been a priority for Jefferson County Commissioners.“I’m a believer, again, that we business farmers and ranchers solve most of our problems,” said Pillen. “And I think that every community across the state is doing very innovative ways to go ahead and address it. And I think that there are opportunities where the state can provide some startup funding.”Pillen also emphasized the younger generation, “We need to make sure we protect our kids. We need to train our kids. We need to keep them right here for great careers. Right here. Because we also live in the safest place in the world, by the way. Pretty important for our kids.”When asked about the workforce shortage plaguing nearly every industry across the country, Pillen talked about encouraging people to remain in the state through tax policy, “We’re working hard to make sure we have a bold plan for property taxes. So we have to be competitive with our with our tax situation.”The governor said, “It is really important that we get out and get that message out because if we don’t brag about it, how do our kids know what incredible great careers there are?”Pillen was also asked about immigration in relation to the workforce shortage but he did not did not speak to that matter.

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