Cole Parmer - Congressman Brad Schneider Champions Manufacturing and Small Businesses During Visit to Cole-Parmer

News Article

By Unknown

U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider toured our Cole-Parmer business in Vernon Hills, Illinois, (part of our Customer Channels Group) on June 24 and met with employees in a town hall meeting. Echoing a theme that recurred throughout his presentation, the freshman congressman advocated for investment in "infrastructure, innovation, manufacturing and education."

Schneider represents the 10th Congressional District in Illinois, which has the third highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

The congressman represents three Thermo Fisher Scientific sites, and leadership from each was on hand to discuss their respective impact on the community and our customers.Monica Manotas, Vice President and General Manager of Cole-Parmer served as host, and was joined by Jim Benkendorf, Vice President and General Manager of our Fisher Clinical Services business (part of the BioPharma Services Division) in Mount Prospect; and Art Fitchett, Director of North American Operations and Compliance for the Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Division in Bannockburn.

The congressman himself holds an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering. With about 30 years of experience as a consultant and small business owner, Schneider now meets with local business leaders whenever he returns to his district. He is a member of the Small Business Committee and introduced the AMERICA Works Act as his first bill. The legislation would address the skills gap in the workforce.

"In order to lead globally, we need to train our people, both the young and those at mid-career," said Schneider, explaining the need for that bipartisan legislation.

Engaging with employees at a town hall

After a meeting with our leadership and taking a tour, Congressman Schneider responded to employee questions spanning the topics of sequestration, the U.S. Postal Service, immigration, the sales taxation of Internet sales, foreign policy in Afghanistan and the medical device tax.

As Circulation Coordinator/Analyst Joe Zilka stressed the importance of the U.S. Postal Service for direct mail in business, Schneider recalled his days working for the Sears catalog in the early 1990s. "I understand what you do here," he said.

While acknowledging that the postal service has been under siege, the congressman emphasized the need to rethink the current model. "Seniors rely on postal delivery for medication, especially in rural communities. The post office is critical. For individuals and for businesses, we are looking into the post office [issue] as well as other means of distribution," he said.

To the Cole-Parmer business, as well as Thermo Fisher Scientific as a whole, the medical device tax of 2.3 percent, which was included in the 2010 healthcare law, is a compelling issue. The congressman stated, "It has had unintended consequences and I have signed on to repeal it."

The congressman "seemed to understand the complexity of all of these issues, but I was encouraged by his conviction to support the National Institutes of Health [NIH] and repeal the medical device tax," said Allyson Bryan, Director of Global Marketing and Business Development.

"What resonated with me most was his statement that, although opposing political parties might not agree with everything, let's talk about the 20 percent we do agree on and make progress from there," said Joe.

"Overall, he seemed personable, forthcoming and genuinely tried to answer the questions as tactfully and thoughtfully as he could," said Kimberly Kim, Product Portfolio Assistant.

Expressing optimism for economy and support for R&D

The congressman summarized his first six months in office, telling the group, "I love my job. We are slowly making progress. I know there is a tipping point. I don't see it yet, but I have hope that it is there," he said.

After the visit, the congressman reflected on what he saw and heard. "It was great visiting Thermo Fisher and Cole-Parmer today and seeing how your employees, products, and services are contributing to our local economy. As an industrial engineer, Thermo Fisher and Cole-Parmer are brands that I've long been familiar with. So much of our future and economic prosperity depends on research and scientific development, and it's the equipment being developed at companies like Thermo Fisher that will enable us to remain at the forefront of global R&D."

Source