Pa. L&I secretary, Ciresi promote job, industry opportunities in western Montgomery County
Southeast Delegation August 29, 2022 | 1:21 PM
POTTSTOWN, Aug. 29 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier showcased the strength of and opportunities for development in western Montgomery County businesses and industries, through roundtable discussions and visits to local businesses in Limerick and Pottstown on Thursday.
“I want to thank Secretary Berrier for coming to our district to meet with the men and women whose businesses and factories are the engine of Montgomery County’s economic power,” Ciresi said. “I am especially appreciative of her discussions on how the commonwealth can best support workforce development and industry expansion in the 146th Legislative District. State support of local industries is the key to helping business owners thrive by providing critical resources, training a highly skilled workforce to succeed in profitable industries, and support economic growth in Pennsylvania.”
Berrier’s tour began with a roundtable discussion with multi-generational business owners in the Pottstown-Collegeville area. She outlined how the Department of Labor & Industry can support local businesses by connecting them with job applicants and supporting workforce development, such as through PA CareerLink and apprenticeship programs. Roundtable participants included Tom and Jane Perkins, owners, TP Trailers; Paul Sawchuck, owner, Sawchuck’s Garage; Rick Wojton, owner, Wojton’s Nursery; and Leonard Evans, area auto repair and restaurant business owner.
Following the roundtable discussion, Berrier visited examples of the local workshops and factories driving western Montgomery County’s economy. She used her visit to professional car builder Jamie Orr’s workshop in Pottstown to discuss the potential for expanding automobile manufacturing in Pennsylvania. Additionally, Berrier and Ciresi highlighted Pottstown’s L’oe Show Weekend event for car enthusiasts, which will run from Sept. 1 – 4. The event will showcase the public unveiling of a new limited-edition vehicle.
To focus on Pennsylvania’s industries, Berrier later toured Precision Polymer Products, a producer of high-quality rubber components, which has had its company headquarters and manufacturing plant in Pottstown since 1996. There, Berrier took the opportunity to stress the importance of workforce development for Pennsylvania’s economic growth and learned about the company’s plans for continued expansion and investment in the local community.
As a member of the House Tourism and Recreation Committee, Ciresi brought Berrier to meet with representatives from the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board and Pottstown Area Economic Development (PAED) to talk about how Montgomery County and Pottstown are using tourism to celebrate local communities, create jobs and support the economy.
A highpoint of the visit was Berrier’s visit to Custer’s Garage, where she and Ciresi wrote messages of support for the children of Solomonova school district in Ukraine on a school bus being donated and shipped there by the Levy School Bus Co. The school district has an urgent need for school transportation as five of their seven schools have been shut down due to a lack of bomb shelters. This donation was made through the collaboration of Warren Levy of the Levy School Bus Company, Ciresi, and Pottstown professional car builder Jamie Orr.
More information is available by calling Ciresi’s office at 484-200-8265.