Michigan U-S Senator Gary Peters is riding his motorcycle across Michigan this week, and he made a stop in Escanaba on Tuesday for a tour of Engineered Machine Products.
He said it was important for him to hear from EMP about their needs.
“I;m not an expert in this area,” Peters said. “These folks are the experts, so I really need to come here and hear directly from them. I can be their advocate in Washington, DC, just as I’m the advocate for everybody in the State of Michigan, but I need to do more listening and make sure that I’m hearing what they have to say.”
Peters was impressed with EMP’s ability to compete on not only a national, but international level.
“Especially over in the machine part of this company,” Peters said. “They’re very proud that they have brought business back from Asia to the United States. We can do that. People who say that jobs are going over to Asia, or over to China, and are lost, they’re not. Just ask the folks here at EMP here in Escanaba. Those jobs can come back.”
Peters has a proposal to help manufacturing by creating a National Institute of Manufacturing, which would bring all of the federal government’s manufacturing departments under one roof.
The senator also got a demonstration of the Escanaba FIRST Robotics team’s robot.
“As you could tell, I was having fun driving the robot, and they (the kids) were also having fun driving the robot,” Peters said. “This is about young people excited about a project, excited about working together and learning about advanced technology.”
The senator will continue his motorcycle ride to Ishpeming for an event on Wednesday.
“It’s a long ride, but it’s a great ride,” Peters said of the trip from downstate on his bike. “There’s no better way to see Michigan, and enjoy Michigan, than on a motorcycle.”
Peters also addressed the issue of gun control, in the wake of the mass shootings last weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Those video comments are below, along with more photos.
