Dupage Policy Journal

Our state’s manufacturing base is struggling thanks to misguided policy decisions and rampant inflation. Policymakers created an environment where small manufacturers are priced out of the market, and they desperately need to reverse course.

The consequences of doing nothing will be communities left devastated and our state lagging farther behind our prospering neighbors.

Manufacturers are fighting the same battles as the local bakery or bookstore due to recent economic pressures. Lawmakers have passed numerous laws and regulations that have stacked cost, after back-breaking cost, on our bottom line. Skyrocketing energy, materials, and regulatory compliance expenses are jeopardizing our operations.

Employee training, once a means to enhance our workforce's skills, has become a financial drain due to constant regulatory changes. Maintenance costs, essential for keeping our machinery running smoothly, are skyrocketing because of increased material costs and more stringent regulations. Even product innovation, the very lifeblood of our competitiveness, is stifled by compliance expenses and red tape, leading to delays and barriers in bringing new products to market.

These factors combine to create a toxic environment where our ability to grow and thrive is continually compromised. Without relief, we risk losing not only our edge in the marketplace but the core of what makes our industry vital to Illinois' economy.

If this pattern persists, legislators will spawn a business climate where only major players succeed, pushing small, dedicated companies like ours to the sidelines. Our industry has weathered a lot in the past 20 years, from NAFTA, the 2008 recession, to COVID, but the only people who can fix this mess are the ones who created it, our representatives in Springfield.

We need them more than ever to pass reforms that ease the burden on small businesses and create a fair playing field for everyone.