Mac Arthur Corporation, an international supplier of industrial and automotive labels and diecut components, has announced that US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank appointed Mac Arthur Corporation CEO, Christie Wong Barrett, to the 2013 US Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council. The council was created in 2004 to act as a private sector advisory committee to the Secretary of Commerce on the US manufacturing industry.

“This is an exciting time to work toward renewing and sustaining US manufacturing. It will require insight from diverse perspectives representing a breadth of industry sectors, organization sizes, and stages of maturity,” says Wong.

Through this appointment Wong joins other top executives and leaders from US manufacturing companies for a two-year term advising the Secretary of Commerce on government policies and programs that affect US manufacturing and provides a forum for proposing solutions to industry-related problems. The Council also works to ensure that the United States remains the preeminent destination for investment in manufacturing. “Keeping our manufacturing sector strong is critical to job growth in the United States,” says US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank. “The Department of Commerce is focused on supporting US manufacturers as they build things here, so they can sell them everywhere. The Council has an important role to play in shaping the direction of our nation’s manufacturing strategy and supporting American businesses and workers.”

As CEO of Mac Arthur Corporation, a certified MBE, WBE, and WOSB manufacturer, Wong has experienced the challenges of operating and growing a business amidst the challenges of the economic downturn, market globalization, and the decline in Michigan-based manufacturing. With her direct experience both operating a manufacturing business and consulting to large multinational manufacturing companies, Wong is uniquely qualified to serve on the council.

“I am excited and honored to represent Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises and Small Businesses to provide input on manufacturing competitiveness and innovation in the US,” says Wong.