President Obama visits Techmer PM, announces manufacturing hub
New institute to strengthen U.S. leadership in advanced composite materials.
When U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced the creation of a $250 million manufacturing innovation hub in Tennessee, the backdrop could not have been more appropriate to the message.
In January the president visited Techmer PM LLC, a Clinton, Tenn., family-owned company with a subsidiary, Techmer ES, building a reputation for innovation in manufacturing advanced composites that can be used in 3-D printers. As part of the tour of the Clinton facility, the president saw the fully functioning Shelby Cobra, an electric car printed with 3-D technology using Techmer ES composites.
The proposed hub, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), is a consortium of the U.S. Department of Energy and 122 company partners and members, including Techmer ES. It is part of a larger plan to boost manufacturing, foster innovation and create jobs for the middle class.