“While we need to put even more Americans back to work and lift incomes this shows our companies… it’s absolutely clear we are ready to compete and America is open for business,” Pritzker said, speaking to about 75 people at Lake Shore Cryotronics.
Lake Shore made the perfect backdrop for Pritzker to push President Barack Obama’s efforts to boost foreign exports — Lake Shore President Michael Swartz said foreign exports account for 60 percent of annual revenues.
Pritzker said the administration plans to beef up the National Export Initiative launched by Obama in 2010 and expand an event linking hundreds of foreign investors to investment opportunities in the U.S.
Pritzker said JobsOhio, Ohio’s privately operated business development organizations, participated in the SelectUSA event and Swartz said Lake Shore works closely with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal agency under the Department of Commerce that promotes competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology to increase economic security.
“The president understands that those partnerships are important and he understands we need to invest more heavily in [research and development] and at places like NIST,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker, 54, is a Chicago billionaire who previously served as CEO of a private investment firm she founded and as a member of Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
Pritzker gave a nod to bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, that would establish a Network for Manufacturing Innovation to pair public and private agencies to create manufacturing jobs. She stressed the need for immigration reform and education so skilled workers are ready to fill newly created jobs.
“These cutting edge technologies must be developed here in the U.S. for us to continue to compete and lead around the world,” Pritzker said.
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