Jun 21, 2010 
Critical manufacturing competitiveness issues, including research and development (R&D) tax credits and defense readiness, were paramount in the discussions throughout the one and half day event.
Participating in his first CHD, Ray Sharpe, president and CEO of Isola Group SARL, thought the event was, “a very good, very worthwhile experience. It was well organized and quite frankly, I was surprised at the access I had to my legislators and their staff. It was very encouraging.”
Beginning on June 9 with a series of briefings, the event equipped attendees with the information and tools to help them successfully advocate for the industry and their companies, from tips on effective lobbying to updates on the status of critical industry issues, such as enactment of a permanent R&D tax credit, opposing the Employee Free Choice Act, and enacting legislation requiring a Defense Industrial Base Assessment of the printed board industry and its supply chain. The Defense Industrial Base Assessment would provide a comprehensive overview of the U.S. printed board industry. It is expected that the assessment will recommend actions strengthening the electronic interconnect industry’s ability to supply electronics products to the DoD.
Given the critical role of electronics in the U.S. national defense, participants easily engaged their legislators by explaining how the Defense Industrial Base Assessment of the electronic interconnect industry and its supply chain would benefit the DoD.
With their participation, IPC members witnessed the value of face-to-face engagement with elected officials. From IPC’s efforts in Washington to make the R&D tax credit permanent or its work in Brussels on responsible environmental regulations, IPC initiatives are enhanced by members’ active participation.
For more information on IPC’s Capitol Hill Day or other industry advocacy or government relations efforts, visit http://www.ipc.org/gr or contact Ron Chamrin, IPC manager of government relations, at RonChamrin@ipc.org or +1 703-522-0225 for more information.
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China.
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