Leaders, Employees React to Carrier Deal
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowReaction continues to roll in on a deal expected to keep more than 1,000 Indiana manufacturing jobs from leaving for Mexico. Vice President-elect Governor Mike Pence credits President-elect Donald Trump with sealing the deal with Carrier Corp. and its parent company Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). Pence praised the manufacturer’s decision to pump $16 million into the furnace production facility over the next two years as "a renewed day for manufacturing in America." Following the announcement Thursday at the plant, longtime Carrier employee Jeffery Blackford told Inside INdiana Business "I’ll be able to retire with dignity now."
The company says it is making the facility on the city’s west side a Center of Excellence.
Trump said "companies are not going to leave the United States anymore without consequences" and added that he plans to push for federal business tax rates to be cut down to 15 percent, which he says would be among the lowest in the world. Trump also said he wants to peel back the amount of regulations placed on the "great leaders of industry and even small business people, who are being crushed."
Following the event at Carrier, leaders from throughout the state weighed in on the agreement.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said:
Today’s announcement is welcome news for hundreds of hardworking Indianapolis families and I am thankful that it appears many dedicated Carrier employees will continue to have good-paying jobs in this city. As Mayor, I’m mindful of who wasn’t in the room today – hundreds more Indianapolis workers whose jobs are leaving or have already left our city. We owe it to those families to come together as a state and a country to enact much-needed reform that will prevent future offshoring of Indianapolis jobs and invest in our local workforce. Working families in Indianapolis need our help more than ever, and I will continue to fight for them each and every day.
Governor-elect Eric Holcomb said:
We are thrilled that President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Pence reached a deal with United Technologies to keep Carrier’s over 1,000 Hoosier jobs here in Indianapolis. The holiday season is off to a great start. Our team will be laser-focused on showing entrepreneurs and job creators that there is no better place to do business than Indiana and we will have a great partner in Washington DC as we continue to grow our Hoosier workforce.
House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-88), whose district includes part of Marion County said:
Today’s announcement is welcome news as over 1,000 hard-working Carrier employees faced looming layoffs. We appreciate the efforts of the incoming administration, including our own Gov. Mike Pence, who followed through on their promise and reached a meaningful agreement to save much-needed jobs. It’s clear that burdensome federal regulations and taxation is crushing American businesses large and small, and there’s more work to be done to ensure American companies can stay competitive and continue to invest in our communities and our workforce. It was an honor to be with the president-elect and vice president-elect today, and I am confident that this is just the beginning.
Trump said the company’s investment could exceed $16 million, though UTC Chief Executive Officer Greg Hayes stuck with that number. Hayes said factors including discussions with Trump on plans to reduce regulatory hurdles played a role in the decision to keep production in Indianapolis. The company previously stated that tax incentives were also important, but neither Hayes, Pence or Trump detailed precise figures.