Vice President Joe Biden will visit an American Seating Company factory in Grand Rapids today. Biden is here to, "pitch the administration's plan to reward businesses that bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.," the Associated Press reports. Michigan Radio's Lindsey Smith reported earlier this week:
American Seating Company has been making seats for tour busses, trains, and big stadiums for about 125 years. Dave McLaughlin is Vice President and General Sales Manager of Transportation Products Group at American Seating. He’s been working there for 27 years. He says the company is trying not to view Biden’s visit as simply a political event. “I’m sure there are people that are looking at it as a political event,” McLaughlin said, “We really need help as a nation in rebuilding our manufacturing infrastructure.” The company employs 500, mostly unionized workers. Most are in Grand Rapids, but all in the United States. McLaughlin says about 75-percent of the company’s goods and services are sourced from companies based in Michigan, Ohio or Indiana.
The Vice President's visit follows President Obama's stop in Ann Arbor last week. The President spoke about the need for college affordability at the University of Michigan on Friday.
