Ontario, CA – Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) drew to a close her “Made in the 35th” tour of manufacturing businesses in the 35th district. The tour, which took place from August 7th through 11th, included informational meetings, events, tours and site visits of manufacturers in a wide range of industries in the cities of Bloomington, Chino, Fontana, Ontario, Pomona, and Rialto.

“My ‘Made in the 35th’ tour highlighted the incredible array of products that are made right here in our backyard, from packaged cookies to military equipment, from hotel furniture to parts for the Mars rover.  It was inspiring to see the pride these companies take in their products and their employees and how many are family owned with employees who have worked at their facilities for decades,” said Torres.  “Our region’s manufacturing sector is often overlooked in the national political discussions on American manufacturing, but it employs thousands of American workers creating goods that are used around the world.  Any policy changes impacting this sector must take our region and our residents into account.”

While manufacturing has only grown 3.4% nationwide, manufacturing in the Inland Empire is far ahead of national trends with a growth of 13.3% in San Bernardino County.  A total of 34,500 people are employed in manufacturing in the 35th district with the average wage for manufacturing employees in California being nearly double the average wage for all sectors in the 35th district, $83,000 compared to $47,000.  Torres’s tour included:

• 6 cities
• 15 manufacturers, representing 2,268 employees.
• 5 Military/Defense suppliers
• 11 companies that had been in the 35th District for more than 25 years
• 1 company that had been in the District for less than one year
• 3 female-owned businesses

“Despite what is portrayed in the media, manufacturing in the Inland Empire is thriving. However, there is definitely more that can be done to support these businesses and spur economic growth in the manufacturing sector,” continued Torres.  “During this tour, I had the opportunity to hear straight from business owners about the challenges they face and how Washington can help.  From improving contracting practices to changing regulatory requirements, there is still a lot more work to be done to help American businesses succeed in an ever-more competitive global economy.”