palletcentral

PalletCentral • November-December 2022 13 Hallie Fuchs is manager, public affairs. She also helps manage the NWPCA Political Action Committee for the Association. She may be reached at hfuchs@palletcentral. com or by calling 703.519.6104. Get to know Glenn "G.T." Thompson (R-PA) What led you to run for Congress? Service to others has defined my life from a young age – first as a Boy Scout, then as a volunteer firefighter, and professionally as a health care provider for nearly 30 years. Giving back to my community is part of who I am. The title is representative, and that's how I view the job, being the voice and the vote for the people of Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District. What are the top concerns you hear from small businesses in your district? The top concerns I hear are workforce shortages and rising costs due to inflation. There are 10.7 million job openings in the U.S. but we need people with the skills necessary to fill those jobs. I am proud to serve as a senior member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the bipar- tisan Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus co-chair. Through our work, we have made great strides in providing learners of all ages the skills necessary to obtain high-quality, family-sustaining jobs. What are your top priorities to benefit the manufacturing and forestry products industry? My district is home to the Allegheny National Forest (ANF), Pennsylvania's only national forest. Forestry has always been a priority for me, so I wanted to serve on the Agriculture Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Forest Service and forestry issues. And there has been a forestry title in the farm bill since 1990. The current farm bill expires on September 30, 2023, but we still need to catch up in the farm bill process. Given the great chal- lenges before the Forest Service and forested communities, the forestry title has grown in scope and importance since the passage of the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills. We must also increase our timber harvest levels across the national forest system and grow new markets for forest products. By increasing harvest, we can support forest health, local jobs and forest products, and funding counties that rely on timber receipts for essential services. As a Ranking Member of the committee, forestry, restoring forest health and addressing the wildfire crisis, are major priorities for me and many of my Republican colleagues in the House who represent forested districts. reads, "rough this door walk the best pallet builders in America." Ben Remmey prides himself on his 160 employees, some of whom are from the local Amish community. He centers the company's efforts on building meaningful relationships with staff which fosters hard work. His employees produce 14,000 new pallets a day. Remmey was at total capacity with the big green dome plant in 2019, and like the new headquarters, it was clear that they needed to build a new facility as well. He purchased land two miles away and opened the new location at the pandemic's start. By the fall of 2020, pallet demand had surged again, and the new plant increased production capability by an additional 20%, adding dozens of jobs for the rural community. Rep. ompson saw this firsthand, asking questions, touching the wood boards, and bending down to inspect the heavy machinery. His advocacy for the Forest Service and support of the wood packaging industry is why NWPCA has had a relationship with him for years. He has been a Member of the House Ag Committee for more than a decade, also serving as Chairman of the Conservation and Forestry subcommittee. ompson will have a hand in the upcoming Farm Bill, a crucial piece of legislation for the pallet industry. e ability to host Congressman ompson at Remmey – e Pallet Company highlights the strong relationships that NWPCA builds with members and congressional leaders. He's the top Republican on the powerful Agriculture Committee and an ally who understands the importance of forestry for the 15th district and the state.

• Cover