You may not recognize the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program by name, but you've seen it at work in Chillicothe and Ross County.

Fifty West Brewing Co., Hometown Threads, and a few others have received training, funding, and other assistance through the Ohio State University MEP. But that work is halted after the federal government froze funding for the Ohio MEP program in early December.

The suspension, affecting approximately $5.9 million in annual federal funds, has drawn intense criticism from manufacturers and lawmakers, who see it as detrimental to the state's economy and worry it could halt vital services in technology, workforce training, and growth. This is how companies modernize, adopt new technologies, train workers, and keep manufacturing jobs in our communities.

To his credit, Gov. Mike DeWine sent a letter to President Trump's Commerce Secretary requesting more information on the suspension and advocating for its continuation, calling it vital to Ohio's manufacturing industry. Sen. Jon Husted has followed his lead.

Our Chamber's position is clear: at a time when we are working hard to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., and as our community wrestles with the arrival of U.S. Paper Mill Co. and its implications, we need programs such as MEP to strengthen the manufacturing base of Ross County. In other states, congressional pressure has resulted in past freezes being reversed. 

Could you call or write U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor's office and let him know that MEP is vital to Ross County's future?