Taft Promotes Job-Creation Agenda in Willoughby
WILLOUGHBY, OHIO (May 27, 2004) - Governor Bob Taft today visited The Kennedy Group, a family-owned, Ohio-based labeling and packaging manufacturer, to discuss his job-creation agenda and congratulate the company on its 30th anniversary.
"The Kennedy Group demonstrates the continued strength of Ohio's manufacturing sector, which provides 850,000 good jobs in Ohio," Taft said. "Through my job-creation agenda I am focused on growing Ohio's economy and creating more good jobs for Ohioans."
A family-owned manufacturing company, The Kennedy Group develops and manufactures labeling, packaging, promotional labels, identification and tracking systems for a number of industries. The Governor toured the company's state-of-the-art facilities with President Mike Kennedy, Vice President for Marketing and Sales Pat Kennedy, and Vice President for Operations Todd Kennedy, all brothers, and Founder Bert Kennedy, their father. Taft presented the company with a mock check for a $63,000 Ohio Investment in Training Program grant to assist with training employees to use new equipment for the company's RFID (Radio Frequency ID) solutions business.
During his remarks, Taft highlighted his job-creation agenda, including workers' compensation and tax reforms; a moratorium on health care mandates during the current legislative session; and the Jobs Bill, which passed yesterday. The bill:
? Extends the enterprise zone exemption from 10 to 15 years;
? Provides $10 million to fund Third Frontier non-bioscience Wright Centers of Innovation operating and capital costs;
? Creates the Worker Guarantee Program to recruit, train and screen workers for companies that create at least 100 new jobs; and
? Provides an additional $12.8 million for the Ohio Investment in Training Program.
Taft also renewed his call for comprehensive tort reform, urging Ohio audience members to ask the Ohio General Assembly to pass bills currently pending in Columbus that address lawsuit reform.
