I have been a Wilmington City Councilman since 2001 … during both good times and times that were not so good.

In 2008, DHL cut 9,500 jobs in the United States and 7,000 of those were in Wilmington. Eight years later and our community can still remember and feel the effect of this loss.

Wilmington has always been a city that prides itself on their contributions to the manufacturing industry, and I am worried that foreign competition and shoddy trade tactics from countries like China will hurt us even more. Because of this, I am extremely proud of the work first mentioned by Senator Rob Portman in his article “Creating Jobs, Leveling Playing Field.”

Senator Portman has worked tirelessly to promote the interest of the Ohio manufacturing industry. He testified in front of the International Trade Committee in May and, as a result, the ITC has recently issued anti-dumping duty orders on imports from China, India, Italy, Korea and Taiwan. This is a huge win for American industry, and Senator Portman deserves much of the credit.

As a Wilmington councilman, I know the work ethic and determination of our people. Wilmington is now on the “up” side of the curve and gaining momentum in manufacturing. We will continue to bounce back from the loss of DHL and I believe the work of Senator Portman will help us to continue this momentum.

Please support Senator Portman in the fall election, so that he may continue the important work he has started!

Mark McKay

City of Wilmington Councilman