Letter to the editor: Sen. Tim Scott supports the state’s manufacturers

I’m writing to thank Sen. Tim Scott for standing with South Carolina manufacturers by opposing Scott Garrett as the head of the Export-Import Bank.

As the plant manager for GE’s gas turbines facility in Greenville, I know that South Carolina companies large and small rely on the Bank to sell goods we make here to customers overseas. And at a time when we are facing stronger business challenges than we’ve seen for many years – tough markets for industries like power and increased global competition around the world – U.S. manufacturers need a true champion helping them compete for projects that will support jobs at home.

The fact-of-the-matter is that the governments of Germany and China (among others) can support their own workers using Export-Import style banks. When these governments get involved in winning large international projects, American companies are effectively competing against a foreign government and not an independent enterprise. This is not a level playing field for American companies.

Lost in this Washington debate are the people of South Carolina who rely on exports to fuel local economic growth. GE alone has about 3,200 employees in Greenville, with a total economic impact on the state worth $4.9 billion annually – an impact that depends in part on selling our products overseas. It is comforting to know that we have a Senator like Tim Scott who understands and supports manufacturing in South Carolina.

With his vote, Senator Scott is supporting President Trump’s vision for American manufacturing and ensuring U.S. workers have the tools they need to succeed – I encourage his colleagues to follow his lead and get the Export-Import Bank running at full strength when they return this month.

Matt Krause,

Executive Plant Manager-GE Power

Greenville.