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Economy and tax relief were atop the agenda Dec. 5 when President Bush visited the Deere-Hitachi Construction Machinery Corp. in Kernersville. The president cited the joint venture of Deere & Co. of Moline, Ill., and Hitachi Construction Machinery Corp., of Tokyo, Japan, as one of the successful byproducts of an economic policy built on tax cuts and trade agreements that open markets. Deere-Hitachi — a model of corporate strength and international cooperation — is a client of The Benefit Advocates. Buoyed by good economic news, Bush told Deere-Hitachi employees and guests that Americans and the U.S. economy are benefiting from tax cuts made by his administration. “This plant is actually in-sourcing,” Bush said. “Over the past four years, this factory has taken on production that used to be done in Japan and Mexico. You've tripled your workforce. That's what opening markets means. It means good, steady work. It means good opportunity. In the 21st century, no economy can afford to be an island. And to create new opportunities for our workers, we need to keep this economy open to trade and investment. And we've got to make sure that everybody else treats us the way we treat them, that we want to have free trade, and we want to have fair trade.” Deere-Hitachi began manufacturing hydraulic excavators in Kernersville in 1988. Through the joint venture, Deere and Hitachi integrate their marketing operations in the Americas to streamline decision-making, improve customer support, and strengthen the Deere and Hitachi brands. Workers of Deere-Hitachi are proud that their plant is now doing work formerly performed in Japan and Mexico — in-sourcing work many American companies are exporting overseas. At The Benefit Advocates, we’re proud to have Deere-Hitachi as a client because they share many of our same values, including originality, excellence and respect. For example, the company has both stood by its safety program and its ability to deliver products on time and on budget. The plant has never laid off any technician, but has instead found them work at the Y, at a school or other jobs in the community during periods of slower production. Employees have rewarded that commitment to make the plant one of the safest and most productive anywhere. The president’s visit to Kernersville again confirmed that track record of excellence and added the biggest chapter to the company’s history. “It makes me feel good,” said one Deere-Hitachi employee of Bush's visit. “It lets everyone know — what we have known for the longest time — that our plant is a force to be reckoned with.”
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President
Bush Visits Our Client: Deere-Hitachi
