This speech opened the 2009 Progressive Manufacturing Summit in Sarasota, FL.
Good morning, and welcome to the Fifth Annual Progressive Manufacturing Summit. We gather today at a time of great and profound economic, social, and political change. One year ago, at the 2008 Summit, no one could have foreseen the severity of the economic downturn or the speed at which it would tear through the fabric of our economy and the economies of other nations after Labor Day.
Since that time, developments have forced us to question many basic assumptions and to face many new realities. What is the true strength of our economy, and what builds lasting value? What is government’s appropriate role in private enterprise? What is the responsibility of business leaders to our society at large? And, for us in this room and our colleagues wherever they may be, what is the future of manufacturing itself?
Five years ago in New Orleans at the inaugural Summit, we met at a time when the last recession was still fresh in our minds. Manufacturers had not forgotten the business that was lost, the many jobs that were swept away, and the dire predictions for the future of our domestic industry.