Rockwell Automation Calls for National Industrial Strategy

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (9/1, Schmid) – Warning that U.S. manufacturing competitiveness is "very vulnerable," Rockwell Automation Inc. Tuesday lauded President Barack Obama's decision to appoint a policy "czar" to shape the nation's manufacturing strategy. "American industry needs a transformation unlike any other in its history," said Rockwell chief executive Keith Nosbusch. "If the U.S. government does not support a comprehensive U.S. industrial strategy for competitiveness that encourages U.S. factories to invest and innovate, then American manufacturers will find themselves squeezed between low costs in developing countries and highly efficient manufacturing in other developed countries," Nosbusch said. Earlier this summer, Nosbusch called on Washington to double federal spending on research and development for manufacturing innovation. He also supports tax credits to drive investment into "advanced technologies that automate and modernize factories."