WASHINGTON — The Bush administration said Thursday it plans to nominate an executive of a California carpet and rug manufacturer as its new manufacturing chief at the Commerce Department.
Al Frink, co-founder and executive vice president of Fabrica International, a carpet and rug manufacturer based in Santa Ana, Calif., is the second nominee for the position of assistant secretary of manufacturing & services.
The administration’s top pick, Anthony Raimondo, chief executive officer of Behlen Mfg. Co., Columbus, Neb., withdrew his nomination last month over criticism that his agricultural equipment and building systems company laid off U.S. workers and shifted business to China.
“Al’s extensive background as a manufacturer makes him a great candidate to serve because he has walked in their shoes and knows firsthand the barriers that are challenging American manufacturers,” Commerce Secretary Donald Evans said at a town hall meeting in Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
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The Bush administration has come under fire from the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.), and other lawmakers for its handling of the economy and job-loss record, and the debate is only becoming more heated as the election approaches.
If confirmed by Congress, Frink will take on the monumental task of carrying out the administration’s initiatives for creating jobs and increasing competitiveness against the backdrop of some of the heaviest job losses in the manufacturing sector in decades. Frink also would oversee the implementation of recommendations in Commerce’s recently released manufacturing report, which contained recommendations on how to resuscitate U.S. manufacturing.
The report drew criticism from domestic textile and fiber firms, which lost 54,500 jobs last year. The textile and apparel industries combined have lost 339,100 jobs since President Bush took office in January 2001, according to Labor Department figures.
Domestic textile groups claimed the report failed to offer any meaningful initiatives on trade and, in particular, trade with China, which they claim has devastated their businesses. Importers, on the other hand, claimed the report established a much-needed agenda and put in place structural elements designed to keep U.S. manufacturers competitive.