Why should manufacturers support AHFA’s advocacy efforts?

A ground-breaking study published by the National Association of Manufacturers in 2003 found that domestically-imposed costs – by omission or commission of federal, state and local governments – add at least 22.4 percent to the cost of doing business in the United States. Such internal costs, the study concluded, impose a larger burden on U.S. manufacturers than any foreign competitor.

Escalating compliance costs for regulatory mandates, particularly those related to workplace safety, pollution abatement and corporate governance, are among the most critical obstacles.

Against this backdrop, when a federal agency initiates rulemaking that will impact some aspect of home furnishings manufacturing, which corporate entity within our industry will step forward to authoritatively represent the home furnishings industry? Which group of companies will volunteer to fund costly research to identify the potential impact of suggested proposals? Who will hire the technical expert to sit at the table in meetings that extend over the course of several years?

The answer is, no single company can carry these responsibilities.