Sacramento, Calif. – The first-ever finalists of the Coolest Thing Made in California competition hosted by the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) were announced today. From a pool of 100 nominated products and almost 77,000 votes later, the...
News & Insights
We’re changing the narrative of the manufacturing industry one story at a time. CMTA’s award-winning storytelling team showcases California’s 30,000 manufacturers by uplifting the voices of our makers. Find industry news and the stories from those “Making California” below.
Manufacturing Minute: Details on Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling’s $500 Million Expansion
Find out what's happening in the manufacturing industry on this week's Manufacturing Minute with Ananda Rochita. ⚙️ Details on Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling’s $500 Million Expansion ⚙️ Where Bosch stands on its move to Roseville, CA ⚙️ What to know about the first-ever...
Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to Present the Coolest Thing Made in California Award on National Manufacturing Day
Sacramento, Calif. – Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis announced today she will join the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) on National Manufacturing Day to present the award for the Coolest Thing Made in California. The inaugural...
World Leader in Metal Recycling Crushes its Way into CMTA Membership
Sacramento, Calif. –The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) welcomed the metal recycling and processing company, SA Recycling, to the organization today. SA Recycling has grown from a small scrap yard to coast-to-coast operations with some 130...
CMTA’S President & CEO Releases Statement on Passage of SB 253 (Wiener)
Sacramento, Calif. – California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) President and CEO, Lance Hastings releases a statement on the passage of Senate Bill 253 (Wiener), the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act. “Earlier Tuesday, the California...
16 California-Made Products Advance in the First-Ever Coolest Thing Made in California Competition
Sacramento, CA – The excitement continues as the "Coolest Thing Made in California" competition enters its next thrilling phase! Hundreds of products were nominated and now 16 remain. Voting for which products will move into the Top 8 starts Monday, September 11 and...
Voting Starts for the Coolest Thing Made in California Competition
Sacramento, CA – Hundreds of California-made products have been nominated to the Coolest Thing Made in California competition, now it’s time to let the public decide which innovative product will secure a spot in the highly anticipated Top 16 bracket. From Monday,...
Manufacturing Minute: CHIPS Act Funding, Satellite Contract & Coolest Thing Made in California
Find out what's happening in the manufacturing industry on this week's Manufacturing Minute with Ananda Rochita. ⚙️ What Northrop Grumman & Lockheed Martin will make with a new $1.5B shared contract. ⚙️ Just how many CHIPS Act Funding applications the government...
CMTA Unveils Inaugural Coolest Thing Made in California Awards Contest
Celebrating Innovation, Excellence, and Creativity in California’s Robust Manufacturing Industry Sacramento, Calif. –The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) is proud to unveil its groundbreaking awards contest in search of the Coolest...
Manufacturing Minute: New Investment by President Biden & Coolest Thing Made in CA Competition
October is just around the corner, which means a busy month showcasing makers for National Manufacturing Month! Check out this week’s Manufacturing Minute to hear the latest manufacturing news from California. ️⚙️ What to know about the Coolest Thing Made in...
Press Release
EPA: Support our manufacturers instead of harming them
OPINION – As California goes, so goes the nation.
This saying about how California is a leader in regulations – particularly standards that promote a cleaner environment – has never been truer than today. And while it’s usually a point of pride, there are out-of-touch national regulations being planned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would significantly imperil our manufacturing base if the agency successfully implements them. If that happens, our manufacturing sector’s decline would harm not just us, but the entire country.
The EPA has proposed a change to the regulations for a particulate matter called PM2.5 that is a common byproduct of manufacturing operations. PM2.5 has been regulated for decades and the manufacturing industry has been able to innovate to both comply with regulations. However, this new regulatory proposal surrounding PM2.5 comes at a time when the impact of implementation would cause severe and far-reaching consequences.
California’s manufacturing base is comparable to some countries. There are 35,000 firms supporting 1.2 million jobs that generates more than $300 billion annually. We have the number one shipping port in the nation for the massive number of exports we send overseas. Over the last three decades, California has become a leader in high-tech sectors such as aerospace, electronics, electric vehicle manufacturing, and even advances in the food and beverage industries. In fact, 16% of aerospace jobs and 28% of IT and analytical product manufacturing jobs in the country are in California. And as a result, California’s manufacturing companies are among the best and the most environmentally conscious in the world.
A new regulatory proposal surrounding PM2.5 comes at a time when the impact of implementation would cause severe and far-reaching consequences.
Because of California’s large manufacturing footprint, our state would be impacted more than any other state. A recent study from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) details that, if PM2.5 regulations were to tighten, it would create a total economic exposure of more than $30 billion and threaten an estimated 119,000 jobs. That is something the EPA ought to consider in its rule-making process so decisions are not made in a silo.
It’s no secret to anyone reading this that California’s economy got walloped by the pandemic and subsequent supply chain crisis, and these potential compounding issues from this onerous regulation certainly wouldn’t help in our continued recovery. Every sector in the state from agricultural to hospitality to manufacturing struggled mightily, but we proved our resilience and are continuing to recover. But that progress to full recovery will come to an abrupt stop if the EPA’s shortsighted and unnecessary PM2.5 regulation is allowed to move forward.
Even the EPA itself says that the levels of PM2.5 have decreased by 44% since 2000, which means that the current standards are working. In fact, six common airborne particles that are regulated under NAAQS have decreased by 78% between 1970 and 2020. California’s manufacturers are proud to be leaders in this effort, and they will continue to play an integral role in a cleaner environment.
The California Manufacturers & Technology Association believes in a balanced approach to regulations, including those that support cleaner air. But this new rule could cause significant challenges for manufacturers seeking permits for expansions. Additionally, the proposal is likely to negatively impact the construction of new infrastructure projects as funded in the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Of course, regulations are necessary and improving our air quality is of the utmost importance, but overly burdensome regulations, like the PM2.5 proposal under consideration, harm our members, their employees, their customers, and, by extension, our communities.
The current PM2.5 regulations are working – we know this because the EPA’s own data tells us that. There is no need to push up the regulatory schedule and cause undue harm to companies that are just now finding their footing from the pandemic and fervently trying to ward off another economic slide. We ask that our elected leaders tell the EPA to stop the regulations under consideration and let our manufacturers continue driving a strong economy.
-This OpEd was written by Lance Hastings, CMTA’s CEO & President, and was first published in Capitol Weekly on July 22, 2023.