Business Discussion and 'In-Sourcing' Brings Acting Commerce Secretary To Creve Coeur Area

Businesses around the globe are starting to in-source manufacturing jobs to the United States. That topic highlighted a visit from Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank to Maryland Heights-based on Tuesday morning.

Blank toured the company, which manufactures small parts on contract, with owner Kim Williams and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley. She also participated in a panel discussion on jobs in the U.S. manufacturing industry.

Williams said his business is becoming more competitive with Chinese companies.

Blank is seeing something similar. She said China is not looking as attractive as it once did because of slack intellectual property laws. For instance, businesses will sell goods that bear another company’s name stamp without consent.

Williams said Chinese companies’ prices are beginning to increase, which makes Wilco’s quotes more competitive.

Dooley told Maryland Heights Patch that foreign companies are in-sourcing to the U.S. and St. Louis County.

The panel’s moderator asked how manufacturers can work with local and state government. Williams said local government needs to work closer with manufacturing to eliminate red tape.

Maryland Heights Mayor Mike Moeller, who also attended the event, said that he considers the city to be very business-friendly and that the city tries to attract all the business it can.

While the manufacturing industry is seeing an influx of in-sourcing, Blank said, the housing market is the industry with the slowest growth.

Wilco Molding employs 25 people, said Gary Guetterman, director of operations and business development. The company has about 40 customers.

The stop there followed a business roundtable at the Helix Center in Creve Coeur, a high-tech business incubator which opened its doors earlier this summer.