[5]NIKE Press release & Speech,
Nike Welcomes President Obama to its World Headquarters
— Outlines Support for TPP and Vision For Advanced Manufacturing in the U.S.
NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) welcomes President Obama to its World Headquarters in support of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The company announced its intention to accelerate investment in advanced footwear manufacturing in the United States, if TPA is passed and a TPP agreement is finalized.
Footwear tariff relief would allow Nike to accelerate development of new advanced manufacturing methods and a domestic supply chain to support U.S. based manufacturing.
This advanced manufacturing model is expected to lead to the creation of up to 10,000 manufacturing and engineering jobs in addition to thousands of construction jobs and up to 40,000 indirect supply chain and service jobs in the United States over the next decade.
“We believe agreements that encourage free and fair trade allow Nike to do what we do best: innovate, expand our businesses and drive economic growth. Nike has always led the way in product innovation, and now we will be able to accelerate our investments to continue to drive manufacturing innovation,” said Mark Parker, President & CEO NIKE, Inc.
U.S. manufacturing would allow Nike to deliver product faster to market, create innovative performance footwear, provide customized solutions for consumers, and advance sustainability goals.
“We commend President Obama for his strong leadership to advance these important trade initiatives,” said Parker. “Our employees and our business depend on free trade and the ability to reach athletes and consumers around the world.”
Nike employs 26,000 people in the United States, including more than 8,500 in Oregon, and does business in 190 countries around the world. The company contributes an annual economic impact to Oregon of more than $2.5 billion.
Nike currently has a manufacturing footprint in the United States that includes footwear air sole manufacturing in Oregon and Missouri and relationships with manufacturing partners across the United States that employ thousands of Americans.
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Mark Parker, President & CEO NIKE, Inc. speech before the President:
Good morning!
Well, this is not just a typical day at Nike.
It’s an absolute honor to host President Obama today. Welcome to Nike, Mr. President.
I’d also like to welcome Representatives Bonamici and Blumenauer, who have been so important in terms of partnership with the White House through their support of Trade Promotion Authority.
I want to thank our partners in the Oregon business community for being here today as well.
Nike is a true American success story. Forty years ago, we began selling shoes out of the back of a van.
Today, we lead our industry, helping athletes reach their potential in 190 countries.
And that journey was made possible because of the power of trade.
Nike is a company that stands for a lot of things: innovative products, pursuing athletic potential — but we are also proof that trade works. And we believe that companies should see that kind of success, all companies.
We see it every day at Nike. Free trade opens doors. It removes barriers, it creates jobs. It lets us invest more in the things that matter. And that’s innovation. It’s creativity, and people.
Thanks to open markets, Nike employs 26,000 people across the country. Here in Oregon, Nike and our more than 8,500 employees add $2.5 billion to this state’s economy every year.
Of course, as our many friends who’ve joined us today prove, economic growth like this doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Trade has a powerful ripple effect.
But free trade is not just critical for our present success, it drives our future growth.
A free flow of goods in the global economy unleashes our capacity to invest and to innovate.
I’m proud to say that if Trans Pacific Partnership is ratified, Nike will accelerate
our efforts to begin advanced manufacturing here in the United States.
Over the next decade, that could mean 10,000 new jobs in manufacturing and engineering from Nike and our partners and up to 40,000 jobs across our supply chain.
The future of Nike and this country depend not only on what we make, but how we make it.
And we want to get to the future faster.
And that’s why we support President Obama’s strong leadership on trade and his hard work on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.