By Heather Graves
Correspondent
DE PERE – U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin visited C.A. Lawton Company Wednesday, May 29, to tour the facility, meet with company leadership and employees and highlight her Made in America Act – which supports American manufacturing including many right here in northeast Wisconsin.
“American needs what Wisconsin makes,” Baldwin said.
Founded in Wisconsin in 1879 by Civil War veteran Charles Lawton, C.A. Lawton Company has been producing large iron castings and machine components for five generations.
It has become one of the top casting iron foundries in North America.
Baldwin said for years she has focused her efforts in the Senate on strengthening the Made in America manufacturing economy.
Baldwin’s Made in America Act supports American manufacturing by identifying federal programs that fund infrastructure projects not currently subject to Buy America standards.
It ensures that materials used in these federal programs, including steel, iron and aluminum, are produced domestically.
“Every year, the federal government spends billions of dollars, of taxpayer dollars, on infrastructure,” Baldwin said. “When we engage tax dollars for these purposes we ought to, whenever possible, be getting our supplies and equipment from U.S. sources. Putting Americans to work in good paying jobs – keeping us in the business of making things.”
Baldwin said in Wisconsin, the manufacturing workforce is just under 20 percent, noting that only Indiana comes close to that number.
“I’m honored to represent a state that is a big manufacturing state,” Baldwin said. “I don’t think we have an economy that is built to last if we don’t make things.”