This week, I presented legislation to fund the growth acceleration program (GAP) offered by Enterprise Minnesota. The funding will support our smaller manufacturing businesses across the state, allowing them to improve business services and products.

Manufacturing provides quality jobs that pay well and support our communities. In the world we live in, we must continue to support our manufacturing industry and investigate all possible avenues to bring jobs to Minnesota. We must foster as many opportunities as possible to create more manufacturing jobs and decrease our reliance on other nations for the goods we need.

The Minnesota Legislature first created GAP in 2008 to help bring business improvement services to manufacturers with 250 or fewer full-time employees. Since it was first implemented, GAP has helped 427 Minnesota companies achieve substantial results, generating an average $30-to-$1 return-on-investment and creating or retaining 10,040 jobs in Minnesota.

This past summer, I was able to tour two manufacturing businesses in Pine City that had used this program. When I visited, I was told multiple times how important the program was and how it had helped them innovate, reorganize, and compete in the industry.

When I presented the bill, I was honored to have John Norris, the Owner of Atscott Manufacturing, join me in support of the legislation. He spoke directly to the committee on how support services like this were critical to his business alive.

It is incredible to see what Minnesota manufacturers are doing across the state. Supporting initiatives like this will allow us to create more businesses and jobs and opportunities for Minnesotans allowing workers to be successful and independent with fulfilling careers.