Texas Congressman Michael Burgess Honored as MEMA’s 2016 Industry Champion

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Dr. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) was honored today by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) as the 2016 recipient of the Joseph M. Magliochetti Industry Champion Award, a special recognition given to elected officials who have shown outstanding leadership on behalf of motor vehicle component suppliers.

“Dr. Burgess has a strong record of support for the motor vehicle parts supplier industry and is a leader in advancing vehicle safety,” said Steve Handschuh, MEMA president and chief executive officer. “He understands the significance of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and how they are reducing vehicle collisions and injuries.”

Burgess represents the 26th Congressional District in Texas and serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. He has jurisdiction over the automotive industry and oversight of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “In this capacity, Dr. Burgess has convened several hearings and reached out to MEMA for testimony and offer expertise to members of Congress,” Handschuh noted.

Burgess was a key supporter of the highway bill, known as the FAST Act, which included provisions directing NHTSA to update the New Car Assessment Program 5-Star rating to include collision avoidance technologies. He helped make the Research & Development Tax credit permanent, which is important as motor vehicle suppliers assume a greater role in the research, development, engineering and manufacturing of advanced technologies. Burgess also supports legislation to promote regulatory accountability, provide tax relief to small businesses, protect long-standing workplace election rules and promote remanufacturing.

The Industry Champion Award is presented in the memory of Joseph M. Magliochetti, a former MEMA chairman who also served as the chairman and CEO of Dana Corp. until his death in 2003. He was widely recognized as a leader and a visionary in the supplier industry, and his tenure as MEMA’s chairman left a legacy of advocacy and outreach on behalf of motor vehicle suppliers. This annual award recognizes a member of the House or the Senate who has worked diligently on behalf of parts manufacturers in the United States.

More than 150 representatives from motor vehicle parts supplier companies attended the Legislative Summit on May 17-18, participating in 100 meetings with members of Congress and their staff. The Ride & Drive, held concurrently with the Summit, attracted nearly 180 members of Congress, congressional staff, regulators and media representatives who had the opportunity to see and drive vehicles equipped with the latest technology.

The 2016 MEMA Legislative Summit agenda included: 

• An examination of cybersecurity by Jon Allen of Booz Allen Hamilton, executive director of the Automotive Information Sharing & Analysis Center (ISAC)

• A presentation about the opportunities for suppliers in the global economy by Eric Farnsworth, vice president, Americas Society and Council of the Americas

• A panel discussion of the future of mobility moderated by Brian Daugherty, MEMA Chief Technology Officer, featuring panelists Blair Anderson, deputy administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Adrian Lund, president, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; Rob Abbott, vice president of safety policy, American Trucking Associations; and Xavier Mosquet, senior partner and managing director, The Boston Consulting Group

About MEMA

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) represents vehicle suppliers that manufacture and remanufacture components and systems for use in passenger cars and heavy trucks providing original equipment (OE) to new vehicles as well as aftermarket parts to service, maintain and repair over 256 million vehicles on the road today.  Suppliers are the largest employers of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. directly employing over 734,000 Americans with a total employment impact of 3.6 million jobs. Our members lead the way in developing advanced, transformative technologies that enable safer, smarter and more efficient vehicles, all within a rapidly growing global marketplace with increased regulatory and customer demands. Ultimately, about two‐thirds of the value of today’s vehicles come from suppliers. MEMA represents vehicle suppliers through the following four divisions: Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), Motor & Equipment Remanufacturers Association (MERA) and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA).  For more information on the motor vehicle component supplier industry, visit www.mema.org.