NAFEM member outreach to elected officials continues

NAFEM continues to help elected officials understand the impact of trade policy on the commercial foodservice equipment and supplies industry. In August, NAFEM further explored ways to engage federal decision makers and staff to discuss the effects of Section 232 and 301 tariffs, along with pressing supply chain concerns like shortages and escalating shipping costs. These efforts are intended to expand on 15 virtual fly-in meetings NAFEM hosted in July.

In early August, NAFEM met with Representative Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-2). During that meeting, David Wasserman, CFSP, COO, Mercer Culinary, Ronkonoma, N.Y., talked with Rep. Garbarino from his district and invited the congressman to tour Mercer’s facility. “I was surprised that the elected officials we met with were so locally focused. They have studied these issues less from the larger-scale U.S.-wide perspective. Our conversations are a good start to building more inroads.”

For more than a decade, NAFEM has been building relationships to give members a voice in important national-level discussions impacting the industry. “Meetings like this, whether in person or virtual, showcase the vital contribution of NAFEM members in both feeding our nation and providing thousands of jobs,” said Charlie Souhrada, CFSP, NAFEM’s vice president, regulatory & technical affairs. “We’re pleased that the elected officials and those at the agencies we met with were engaged and asked good, probing, follow-up questions.

David Spooner, NAFEM legal counsel, Barnes & Thornburg, said, “It’s essential that we continue these discussions with elected officials across the country. They won’t lead to tariff relief in a week, but they will go a long way toward encouraging tariff relief down the road.”