Last week, Congressman Robert E. Latta (R-Ohio) toured the Findlay manufacturing plant of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS), located in his 5th Congressional District of Ohio to gain a better understanding of what local businesses need to prosper. He learned from ADS executives how the company identifies employees with the exact skills needed to continue the growth of ADS.
?I want to thank ADS for allowing me to visit their Findlay facility, which makes a variety of pipes for multiple uses that are distributed not only here in Ohio but across the United States,? said Latta. ?For me to be able to represent my district in Congress, it is absolutely essential for me to visit facilities, such as ADS, to hear about the opportunities and obstacles currently facing our job creators.??
Last week, the House of Representatives passed a very important piece of legislation, H.R. 803, the SKILLS Act (Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills) to reform and modernize federal workforce development programs. Workforce development is critical to revitalizing America?s economy, especially in northwest and west central Ohio, where many world-class manufacturing facilities, such as ADS, are located.
Currently, ADS, founded in 1966, has 3,800 employees. The company designs and manufactures pipe and other products used in municipal storm and sanitary sewers, highway and agricultural drainage projects. Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, it has a global network of 57 domestic and international manufacturing plants and 28 regional distribution centers plus engineering support and customer service groups.
Congressman Latta’s visit on March 22, 2013 featured a tour of the Findlay plant as it was producing large diameter, corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe used in storm water management systems.
?It was an honor to host Congressman Latta,? said Tom Fussner, executive vice president and CEO of ADS. ?We appreciate the opportunity to discuss the needs of our organization and to provide an overview of how we operate, with a focus on our employee development programs.?
During the past two years, acquisitions and heightened product demand enabled ADS to grow despite the nation’s recent tough economic times.?
