Chris King Delivers “Bikes Mean Business” Message to the White House

This guest blog post written by Chris Distefano, who formerly served as marketing director for Chris King Precision Components. Chris King and Chris Distefano recently visited Washington, D.C. to participate in discussions about American manufacturing and export. Distefano is now communications director for Rapha.

In August of 2011 I coordinated a visit to Chris King Precision Components by the Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing & Services for the US Department of Commerce. (Jonathan Maus of Bike Portland wrote about that visit here: http://bikeportland.org/2011/08/03/us-dept-of-commerce-tours-chris-king-manufacturing-facility-57230)

In the time since that visit both Chris King and I have been in contact with the Assistant Secretary’s office regarding issues related to American manufacturing and export; I also participated in a panel discussion at the quarterly meeting of the US Manufacturing Council speaking to the need for increased vocational education and training.

Chris King (right) and Chris DiStefano outside the Longworth House Office Building

As a follow up to these efforts, Chris King was invited to attend a White House meeting with other US manufacturing and business leaders to “receive a macroeconomic and budget overview from top Administration officials and to engage in a discussion on job creation and key areas of focus for spurring American economic competitiveness.” I was also invited to attend and participate along with Chris.

The meeting was held Thursday September 13, 2012 in two locations. A pre-meeting briefing was held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, led by Assistant Secretary Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale. Our pre-meeting briefing centered on the National Export Initiative (http://trade.gov/nei/) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (http://www.exim.gov/about/mission.cfm)

Following this briefing, participants made the short walk to the West Wing of the White House and met in the Roosevelt Room next to the Oval Office. A copy of the day’s agenda is noted below. Along with Chris King and 11 other business leaders from around the country, I was also invited to participate. (What a privilege for me to join my friend Chris King in bringing a “Bikes Mean Business” conversation to these meetings.)

Chris King (right) with Congressman Earl Blumenauer 

In all, 12 business leaders were invited from around the country. California, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan and Oregon were represented. Several of the invitees hailed from Detroit as the city is on a clear track to progress. Businesses represented ranged from automotive manufacturing supply companies to data systems to consumer products.

Agenda for White House Business Council meeting:

White House Business Council
Roosevelt Room Briefing
White House
September 13, 2012

Welcoming Remarks & Program Overview
Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale
Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing & Services, U. S. Department of Commerce

Macroeconomic Overview & Discussion
Alan Krueger
Chairman of President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors

Education Policy & Discussion
Anthony Miller
Deputy Secretary, Department of Education

Remarks
Gene Sperling
Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy

Closing Remarks
Patrick Hidalgo
Deputy Director  of the White House Business Council
Nicole Lamb-Hale
Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing & Services, U. S. Department of Commerce

Chris King rides around Washington, D.C.

It was an engaging couple of hours in the Roosevelt Room and I greatly enjoyed the conversation and debate. Chris was quick to speak following Alan Krueger’s remarks as he and two other invitees pushed the issue of export competitiveness, existing barriers to trade, and solution steps to improving exports. I spoke following the Education Policy presentation and also enjoyed Chris speaking back and forth with Deputy Secretary Miller about industrial arts education at earlier grade levels than we have now.

Three things that I’ll always remember from this meeting:

1) Looking across the table and seeing Chris King speaking to an engaged audience at the White House. What a privilege for me to be there. “Bikes Mean Business” on the biggest stage.

2) Alan Krueger’s voice. If you close your eyes, it’s Eben Weiss (aka BikeSnobNYC). Identical voices.

3) Everyone has a bicycle story and they are eager to tell us these stories. Bicycles are engaging and a positive consumer product that can promote America’s manufacturing excellence in foreign markets. (One woman in our group told Chris that her husband, a cyclist, was not jealous that she was visiting the White House but that she was meeting Chris King.)

I am unable to provide any images from the meetings as cameras and phones were not allowed in the Roosevelt Room. Staff did take some photos and I will send as soon as we receive them.

The meeting wrapped a little late but the Secret Service finally said we had to go. We grabbed our things and took some pictures out by the door. Just as we walked away, Marine One took off to get the President who had just returned from Colorado. We missed him by about 30 minutes or so. You might think I’m disappointed but I’m not. It’s given me the motivation to return to that room with a conversation that cannot be missed. Bikes Mean Business will be spoken in the White House again very soon.

Chris and I took advantage of our time in the nation’s capital by also scheduling appointments with Oregon Congressional Representatives Earl Blumenauer & Suzanne Bonamici. Topics discussed were the White House Business Council meeting and recent transportation bill.

With a full two days of meetings behind us, we took Friday afternoon to hit the streets using Capital BikeShare. We were both impressed to see that the system is popular. I’ve attached a photo of Chris taking a photo of an empty station. Every city needs bike share.

In closing I have a tremendous amount of optimism for what can be achieved in this country and I am confident that the bicycle industry can contribute in a significant role.