Debbie Flood, president of the Wisconsin-based architectural hardware manufacturer Melron Corp., spoke on the final night of the Republican National Convention on Aug. 27, 2020.
Transcript
My name is Debbie Flood. I own a small foundry and machine shop in Wisconsin, that manufacturers cast bronze architectural hardware. My father, who was a World War II veteran, started the business with some used equipment and the American dream. Today, we are one of the only U.S. companies left, who make our products from start to finish under one roof. We really make things and we love it.
When we lost nearly 50% of our business to China in the mid-2000s, we wondered how a small company like ours could continue to compete. At that time, Joe Biden was a Senator. He voted to normalize trade with China and help pave the way for them to join the WTO, even though they were hurting American companies like ours. But, we’re tenacious and we’re creative. We took a risk and purchased a 3D printer. 3D printing technology allows us to do things that China can’t.
Now, we can take a customer’s idea from sketch to sample to production, in just a few weeks. This opened up new opportunities for us. Later, we fought our way through the great recession. Then, Donald Trump was elected and we breathed a sigh of relief. He actually fought for American workers and American craftsmen. He actually cared about bringing back those three beautiful words, Made In America.
We no longer had to succeed despite government. Now, the government was on our side. We enjoyed a thriving economy stimulated by President Trump’s pro-business and pro-worker policies. Thanks to the Trump tax cuts, I’ve been able to raise my employees’ wages. So, they got a pay raise and a tax cut. Even in the face of the pandemic, the President doubled down on his support for business. Thanks to President Trump, our business was approved for the Paycheck Protection Program. That allowed us to keep our people working at a time when the future was very uncertain.
Our President understands that the best solutions unleash the innovation of American entrepreneurs and the creativity of American workers. Joe Biden doesn’t really know anything about business or creating jobs. He spent 47 years in government and it’s doubtful that he’ll finally figure it out in year 48. He’s pledged to raise our taxes and bring back excessive regulation. I own a business whose mission it is to solve problems. Anything can be solved with a little creativity. It takes courage, commitment, and ideas. Those are all things that come naturally to President Trump, and that’s why he has my support.
