Assistant Secretary Frink met with factory employees and attended a roundtable discussion with local industry leaders. He visited Cutco to learn more about its commitment to American manufacturing, in an industry that has been severely eroded in the U.S. by imports.
"Cutco represents the hallmark of American manufacturing," Frink said. "It is an excellent example of a company that can prosper in the global economy while making its products in the U.S. I believe in the innovative capability of American manufacturers and their products, and Cutco's products are among the best."
Erick Laine, chairman of the board of Cutco's parent company, Alcas Corp., said that in today's marketplace, there is no way Cutco products can compete on the basis of price, but it can and does compete on the strength of its product's quality and performance.
"We're excited to be able to show secretary Frink first-hand, the strength and quality of our product, the excellence of our manufacturing approaches and the great people who make our product," Laine said.
"Hopefully from this visit and the roundtable discussion there will be something positive secretary Frink can take back with him and apply in his contacts with other U.S. manufacturers."
Cutco has been manufacturing high-quality kitchen cutlery in Olean since 1949. The company is committed to making American-made cutlery and is the largest manufacturer of kitchen cutlery in North America.
More than 800 people are employed at the Cutco headquarters in Olean and its factory workers are represented by the United Steelworkers of America Local 5429.
Assistant Secretary Frink is the chief advocate for the U.S. manufacturing sector with the federal government. He advocates, coordinates and implements policies to help U.S. manufacturers compete globally. Frink founded Fabrica, an internationally recognized carpet manufacturing company in Orange County, Calif. The company was acquired by the Dixie Group in 2000.
