Manufacturer Optimism Hits Record High After Tax Reform Plan Revealed
President Trump touts tax reform proposal at National Association of Manufacturers meeting today according to a survey from the National Association of Manufacturers.

Optimism for small and large manufacturers over the last three economic quarters has averaged a record high of 90.87 percent, which is the highest seen in 20 years. It's also significantly higher than 59.77 percent optimism seen in the first three quarters of 2016.

The survey found that 64.3 percent of manufacturers said the promise of tax reform would allow them to expand their business, 57.3 percent said they would hire more workers, and 52.2 percent said they would increase wages and benefits for employees.

The survey results were presented at the National Association of Manufacturers board of directors meeting Friday where both manufacturing members and President Trump touted tax reform and the framework that was released on Wednesday.

"We are so excited, so optimistic—our nation is a coiled spring and we're about to launch," said Drew Greenblatt, president and owner of Marlin Steel Wire Products. "Our company is buying one million dollars’ worth of new equipment this week to take advantage of this wonderful new tax reform."

"That means new jobs will be created in our city," he said. "That means we'll be more efficient, more effective, and our employees will have the best tools in the world."

"Manufacturing jobs are solid middle-class jobs, our people pay far more taxes than they consume," he said. "We're seeing right now a huge surge of optimism among manufacturers from relaxing regulatory burdensome regulations that we've seen over the last six to eight years."

"Manufacturers are more optimistic now than they've ever been in the history of manufacturing," Gimmel said. "The government is going to quit stacking things against us in terms of our ability to be globally competitive, and they're going to start getting on our side and give us the tools we need to really compete globally."

President Trump said the tax reform framework will make America more competitive globally and will be best for everyday hard-working American families.

"Manufacturing confidence is at an all-time high, America is finally back on the right track," Trump said. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass tax reform that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-worker, pro-family, and pro-America."

"We will cut taxes on American businesses to restore our competitive edge and create more jobs and higher wages for the American worker," said the president. "When it comes to business tax, we are now dead last among developed nations. We have the highest tax of any nation in the world—our rate is the least competitive rate."

"It is time to go from dead last to pretty much the front of the pack," he said. "We will dramatically cut our business tax rate so that American companies and workers can compete with our foreign competitors. This is a revolutionary change and the biggest winners will be everyday working families as jobs start pouring into our country."