Sean Hackbarth Sean Hackbarth
Senior Editor, Digital Content, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Published

January 17, 2025

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Economic growth is local, driven by businesses of all sizes working together to create opportunity and strengthen communities.

As part of the U.S. Chamber’s State of American Business 2025, President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark visited All Metals Fabricating, a manufacturer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, to spotlight the critical role of small businesses in the U.S. economy.

Owner and CEO Lance Thrailkill shared how his company transforms sheet metal into products used in industries ranging from alternative energy to defense, serving businesses of all sizes.

“You're not only employing people here, but if you think about these parts and where they go, it's crucial to other employment in other businesses around the country,” Clark observed. “And so it proves what I always say, that the whole economy is an ecosystem.”

A Small Manufacturer’s Big Impact

Thrailkill shared how his company invests in its workforce and community, partnering with local schools to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and offering internships and apprenticeships. “Manufacturing is a cool space to be,” he said. “You can go straight into manufacturing and work with the coolest equipment in the world and have an opportunity to start making money on day one.”

He also stressed the need for innovation in manufacturing, calling for government incentives to support automation, robotics, and AI. “If we want to stay at the top of the world economy, then we have to be at the top of manufacturing,” Thrailkill said.

Clark noted that to support small businesses like his, the Chamber is fighting for the extension of the 2017 tax cuts and encouraging more people to pursue skilled trade positions.

About the authors

Sean Hackbarth

Sean Hackbarth

Sean writes about public policies affecting businesses including energy, health care, and regulations. When not battling those making it harder for free enterprise to succeed, he raves about all things Wisconsin (his home state) and religiously follows the Green Bay Packers.

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