The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Brindisi secures win for Sherrill Manufacturing
Members of the United States military could soon be eating off of flatware produced in the Silver City.
SHERRILL, N.Y. » An increasing number of the United States Military could soon be eating off of flatware produced in the Silver City.
Congressman Anthony Brindisi, R-22. successfully passed the Support Procurement of our Nation’s Stainless Steel Act, or SPOONSS, through the House of Representatives as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
The SPOONSS Act requires the Department of Defense to purchase American-made flatware and dinnerware for service members.
After fighting to get the SPOONS Act included in the NDAA, Brindisi’s advocacy on the issue earned him praise from the business community.
“I want to thank Congressman Brindisi for moving the ball forward on this legislation,” said Greg Owens, CEO of Sherrill Manufacturing. “This will keep good-paying jobs in this country. I am hopeful we can get this legislation to the president’s desk.”
This legislation re-instates the Berry Amendment’s long-standing Department of Defense domestic sourcing requirement for stainless steel flatware.
The Berry Amendment restricts the Department of Defense frombuying certain goods produced outside of the United States. From 1976-2006, the Berry Amendment included a domestic sourcing requirement for stainless steel f latware. However, when Oneida Ltd., the primary domestic supplier, shifted its flatware manufacturing overseas in 2007, this provision was eliminated. As a result, the DOD determined that stainless steel flatware was “a commercial commodity little produced in the U.S. after Oneida Ltd. ceased its domestic manufacturing operations.”
Brindisi secured this provision in the NDAA. The SPOONS Act was introduced in previous years but was defeated each time it came to a vote.
“When choosing between supporting and creating American jobs over Chinese jobs—I’ll choose hardworking Americans every time,” Brindisi said. “Congress constantly talks about bringing back and keeping good-paying American jobs. This actually gets it done.”
The Department of Defense was previously required to purchase American-made flatware, but due to a supply problem, this requirement was removed in the 2007NDAA. Since then, domestic flatware and dinnerware production has rebounded. Oneida County’s Sherrill Manufacturing produces several lines of flatware under the Liberty Tabletop brand and continues to grow its American workforce and revenue.
Sherrill Manufacturing acquired Oneida Ltd.’s facilities and assets in 2005. Since then, domestic flatware production has rebounded, with Sherrill Manufacturing posting remarkable growth and relying on a domestic supply chain of more than 100 companies.
Since 2007, Owens and Sherrill Manufacturing President and CEO Matt Roberts have transitioned back to a local manufacturing plant in Sherrill while also making a commitment to creating a flatware brand that can boast being 100 percent made in America.
While the bill must still pass such hurdles as Congress and President Donald Trump’s desk, the support of such legislation - at least at the local level - has drawn support from both sides of the aisle as former Congresswoman Claudia Tenney also advocated for the bill during her tenure in District 22.