Congressman Cleaver Congratulates Local Business Leader
Kansas City – Congressman Cleaver is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Bill Zahner, CEO/President of the internationally acclaimed A. Zahner Company, to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Council. Mr. Zahner was one of 26 leaders in the manufacturing industry throughout the country recently chosen for this prestigious position.
“Manufacturing is a critical component in the success of our economy,” said Missouri’s Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II. “And Bill Zahner is a perfect example of a business leader who values employees and continually leads the way in his profession.”
The official notification was made recently by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank, who visited Kansas City in July of last year. The 2013 Manufacturing Council is in place to make sure there is open and ongoing communication between the federal government and the manufacturing sector.
One of the tasks of the Council will be to assist the Department of Commerce and the U.S. government with analyzing business practices, and to provide suggestions on how to keep manufacturing in this country competitive on a global level, while making it stronger here at home. The United States is the world’s largest manufacturing economy, employing nearly 12 million Americans last year, and producing $1.7 trillion in manufactured products in 2011, according to the Department of Commerce.
A. Zahner Company is a world class, fourth generation engineering and fabrication business, headquartered in Kansas City, and known throughout the world for the use of metal in architecture and art. The company continues to produce an impressive list of accomplishments from one end of the globe to the other. Recently completed projects include the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts in Kansas City, The World Trade Center Museum in New York City, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. Projects underway include the College of Media and Communication in Doha, Qatar, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, Ohio, and the new Emerson College in Los Angeles, California. Zahner boasts almost 200 employees in offices and plants in Kansas City and Dallas, Texas.
“I know Bill Zahner will represent Missouri’s Fifth District exceedingly well and will responsibly address issues and problems facing the U.S. manufacturing industry in these challenging times,” said Congressman Cleaver. “I know he will make effective decisions which will make a difference. And those in the Department of Commerce are looking forward to the privilege of working with him.”
Mr. Zahner was chosen from a wide and competitive pool of applicants. He will serve a two-year term.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and also serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus.