[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 27, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN RECOGNITION OF WIRE-NET

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 27, 2012

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize WIRE-Net, Cleveland's 
West Side Industrial Retention and Expansion Network, on the event of 
its annual meeting on Wednesday June 27, 2012.
   WIRE-Net is a premier business-led organization, one of the few that 
focuses on the shared interests of manufacturing companies and urban 
communities. Its mission focuses on providing programs and services 
that strengthen manufacturing to create healthy communities and fuel 
economic growth.
   WIRE-Net is a membership organization with 260 members. WIRE-Net was 
organized in 1988 to help manufacturing businesses--and jobs--stay in 
the community at a time when plant closings and downsizing were 
commonplace. Its staff went straight to the source, visiting almost 200 
companies to better understand their challenges. WIRE-Net found that 
even though manufacturing companies, most with fewer than 100 
employees, provided about 60 percent of the community's jobs, they had 
been overlooked and under-appreciated as community assets. WIRE-Net 
helped businesses get organized to win attention from federal, state 
and local government, and built relationships between business leaders 
and public officials. This effort helped get streets repaved, improved 
neighborhood safety, and led to new programs like Cleveland's 
Industrial Retention Initiative (CIRI) to support manufacturing. WIRE-
Net also effectively blocked efforts to weaken industrial zoning on 
Cleveland's west side.
   At this year's annual meeting, WIRE-Net recognizes its Executive 
Director, John Colm, for his 25 years of service to the community 
through the organization. WIRE-Net will also present its 2012 Mission 
Builder Award for plant expansion, new business growth, and/or creating 
jobs to: Electric Cord Sets; Miceli Dairy Products; Nestle 
Professional--L J Minor Division; Norlake Manufacturing; National 
Safety Apparel (NSA); and Philips Healthcare. This year's keynote 
speaker is Rob Atkinson, founder and president of the Information 
Technology and Innovation Foundation, who will discuss his work 
promoting U.S. based manufacturing and organizing the American 
Manufacturing Charter, which is supported by a broad coalition of 
labor, business, and economic policy leaders.
   Mr. Speaker and respected colleagues, please join me in recognizing 
WIRE-Net, its long-time Executive Director John Colm, the winners of 
its 2012 Mission Builder Awards, and its influential speaker Rob 
Atkinson at WIRE-Net's Annual Meeting on June 27, 2012.

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