Looking for Customers in Colombia
Wednesday, July 30, 2008During President Bush’s visit to Lincoln Electric Holding on Tuesday (see below), he noted that company president John Stropki wasn’t in attendance. From the President’s remarks:
I’m sorry John is not with us, he is in Colombia. Isn’t that interesting? He’s in Colombia trying to make sure that Lincoln Welding can sell more products down there. One of the issues that in a time of economic uncertainty — and these are uncertain times, no question about it — they’re uncertain because you’re paying high prices at the gas pump. They’re uncertain because you’re reading the newspapers about the housing issue. They’re uncertain times.
And during uncertain times, we ought to be playing to our strengths, and implementing good common-sense policy. Well, one of our strengths is right here in this company. You’re good at making a product that people want. People want it here in the United States of America, and when people are introduced to it around the world, they want it as well.
So John is down there trying to get new business. The problem is that our government policy relative to a country like Colombia is backwards.
And…
We want our products, like those manufactured right here in Euclid, Ohio, going into that Colombia market without a special tax on it.
And Congress needs to pass that trade bill. It would be good for workers right here in this plant and good for workers all across America. This government ought to be working to make it easier for you to sell products. Because if you sell a product, you got people working here in steady jobs. (Applause.)
WKYC-TV had a nice feature on Lincoln Electric earlier in the month.