As lead cosponsor of the bipartisan Concrete Masonry Products, Research, Education and Promotion Act, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) hailed this week’s 355-38 vote for passage of her bill by the U.S. House of Representatives as a big win for local manufacturers and jobs in Tampa Bay area, Florida and throughout the country.

“Local manufacturers and many across Florida worked diligently with me to boost jobs in the concrete masonry industry through this legislation. If signed into law, businesses will have the ability to pool resources for research and to develop safer, more durable and more efficient products which would be a boon for building construction,” U.S. Rep. Castor said. “This bill supports an industry made up of primarily small, local businesses that create local jobs in the competitive construction market.”

U.S. Rep. Castor added:  “Buildings made of structurally-strong materials, such as concrete block, are vital to reduce the impacts of property insurance losses as the climate changes and Florida experiences more extreme weather events. Producers also will be able to develop durable, energy-efficient and affordable products that are better able to withstand volatile weather conditions in their particular regions, such as seismic events in the West or extreme weather in the Southeast.

“This legislation is a win for jobs and our local manufacturers. Nationwide, construction workers average higher wages and this legislation will bolster Florida’s construction employment made up of nearly half-million workers – which is already up by 6 percent over last year and outpacing the nation’s 3  percent increase. Our numerous small manufacturers across the state can now seek to develop more resilient and more energy efficient building materials, remain competitive and most importantly create local manufacturing and construction jobs.”

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