On Saturday, April 29th, AMES welcomed President Donald J. Trump on his 100th day in office, along with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, to our wheelbarrow manufacturing plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Following a tour of the facility and meeting with AMES employees, President Trump signed two executive orders. The first executive order calls for a review of all existing trade agreements and the second order establishes an Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.
We were honored to welcome the President of the United States and key members of his administration to AMES. We were encouraged by his signing of two important executive orders at our facility, signifying his administration’s dedication to American manufacturing and the creation of U.S. jobs. But you may be wondering, why would the President choose to visit a wheelbarrow factory on his 100th day in office?
My answer to that question goes back to the year 1774, the year AMES was founded after Captain John Ames made the colonies’ first metal shovels in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Since our inception 243 years ago, AMES has grown to become America’s leading manufacturer of long-handled tools, wheelbarrows, planters and lawn accessories, snow tools, striking tools, garden hoses and hose reels. Throughout history, construction workers have used AMES tools on iconic American building projects, such as the White House (1792), the Statue of Liberty (1886), New York Subways (1899), Mount Rushmore (1927-1941) and the Hoover Dam (1931-1935), to name a few.
AMES has become a global company since our humble beginnings in 1774. However, we remain committed to manufacturing in the U.S., where our manufacturing capabilities include woodturning, steel forming, steel forging, metal stamping, tempering, welding, injection molding and assembly.
We believe the President’s visit was both a tribute to AMES’ historic contributions to building our country, as well as an acknowledgement of the current need to grow and nurture U.S. manufacturing jobs in today’s increasingly global economy.
We at AMES know firsthand the importance of American manufacturing to our communities, our families and our economy. We are the third oldest consumer products company in the U.S., and we own and operate 12 U.S. manufacturing facilities across seven states. We currently have 300 issued & pending patents in the U.S., employ more than 1,200 U.S. employees and produce 20 million units annually.
The executive orders signed by President Trump at AMES are designed to keep jobs and wealth in America and to reinvigorate American manufacturing. We know that our local elected officials, as well as those at the highest levels of government, recognize the value and importance of American manufacturing. President Trump’s decision to visit AMES was an honor to our company and a sign that the current administration supports companies that choose to manufacture in America.
I want to thank everyone at AMES for the hard work, passion and dedication you bring to work every day. Without the commitment and contribution of every AMES employee, distributor, customer and business partner, such recognition on the world stage would not be possible. We are excited to continue to grow The AMES Companies and compete globally while keeping our jobs in the U.S.
Mark R. Traylor
President
The AMES Companies, Inc.