Governor Mills Joins President Biden to Tout Maine Manufacturing

President Biden and Governor Mills highlight how Biden-Harris Administration investments are strengthening Maine?s economy

Auburn, MAINE ??Governor Janet Mills joined President Joe Biden at Auburn Manufacturing today in Auburn to highlight how historic investments by the Biden-Harris Administration are supporting the innovation and ingenuity of Maine people to build a stronger, more prosperous economy.

After greeting President Biden at Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport, Governor Mills traveled with the President to Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI), a Maine-based manufacturer of extreme heat protection textiles and fabrics. During the visit, President Biden, Governor Mills, and AMI CEO Kathie Leonard spoke about how unprecedented investments from the Biden-Harris Administration have helped businesses like AMI expand operations and create good-paying jobs.

?Thanks to the President?s leadership, including his historic investments in our state, and the hard work of Maine people, we are creating good-paying jobs and our economy is growing stronger every day,??said Governor Janet Mills. ?Maine?s unemployment rate is at a record low, we have a near record high number of jobs, and our GDP has grown at one of the best rates in the nation. New businesses are coming to Maine and existing businesses are expanding.?

The complete text of Governor Mills? remarks, as prepared for delivery, are as follows:

Thank you, Kathie, for hosting us here today. And welcome to Maine, Mr. President!

I am thrilled to welcome you to Auburn Manufacturing to talk about how your policies and the innovation and ingenuity of our people are building a stronger, more prosperous Maine.

Our state has a long and proud history of making high-quality products used by people around the world. For example, generations of hardworking Maine people have harvested timber from our forests and harnessed the power of our rivers to create high-quality paper products and textiles.

I grew up near paper mills in Western Maine. My classmates built their lives around those good paying jobs, and they lost more than a paycheck when our mills started to close.

As one former mill worker put it, ?Losing the mill was losing a job, but it was also losing the status of the job. It?s a job people look up to. Losing that pride, along with the relationships with everyone you work with, that was one of the toughest things.??

In other words, as you often say Mr. President, a job is about more than just a paycheck ? it's about dignity.

When I took office, I knew that to bring back good paying jobs and to grow our economy, we had to invest in our greatest asset: our people ? a belief I know the President shares.

Thanks to the President?s leadership, including his historic investments in our state, and the hard work of Maine people, we are creating good-paying jobs, and our economy is growing stronger every day.?

Maine?s unemployment rate is at a record low, we have a near record high number of jobs, and our GDP has grown at one of the best rates in the nation. New businesses are coming to Maine and existing businesses are expanding. More than 1,800 manufacturing companies now employ more than 56,000 people in our state, exporting everything from aircraft parts, semiconductors,? seafood, advanced forest products, and textiles made right here at Auburn Manufacturing.

President Biden?s American Rescue Plan has helped Auburn Manufacturing expand its production capacity. Now Auburn Manufacturing?s high-quality, extreme heat protection textiles and fabrics, crafted by 50 skilled Maine workers, are used every day across North America and in more than 30 other countries. We are incredibly proud of Kathie and her team here in Auburn.

Thanks to President Biden, and thanks to innovative Maine companies like this one, we are creating good manufacturing jobs once again. Jobs that Maine people can look up to. Jobs that Maine people are proud of, that provide for their families.

Thank you, Mr. President, for your support of American manufacturing. I am so proud to welcome you here today to learn more about the work we have done, with your support, to bring back manufacturing jobs to Maine and build a stronger, more prosperous state.

Thank you.