U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to Speak at 2006 National Manufacturing Week(R); Department of Commerce's The Manufacturing Council to Meet at National Manufacturing Week

Carlos M. Gutierrez, the 35th Secretary of the U.S.Department of Commerce and the voice of business in government, willspeak at the 2006 National Manufacturing Week on Wednesday, March 22ndat 10 am. Following his remarks, he will invite media to tour theevent floor with him and will then speak at a meeting of theDepartment of Commerce The Manufacturing Council, to be held at theevent.

National Manufacturing Week, March 20-23 in Rosemont, IL, hasbecome the place for small and mid-size manufacturers to go to betterunderstand and foresee global manufacturing trends and opportunities,their impact on U.S. companies, and to develop solutions to help themimprove their manufacturing processes.

Secretary Gutierrez is expected to speak on America's leadershiprole as the most competitive economy in the world and the challengesfaced in maintaining that position. In recent remarks he noted thatthe U.S. is the world's leading exporter of goods and services, andthat U.S. productivity has had one of the fastest five-year periods ofgrowth in almost 40 years. To maintain leadership, he notes that wemust generate new technologies and continue to invent the future.

"We are thrilled to welcome Secretary Gutierrez to speak on U.S.manufacturing, innovation and competitiveness in the internationalmarketplace," said Kel Marsden-Kish, industry vice president, NationalManufacturing Week. "His global business insights and key learningsare of critical interest and value to our customers as they strive tobuild their businesses across a global market. Secretary Gutierrez isa brilliant speaker and we are pleased to welcome him to NationalManufacturing Week."

Showcase of U.S. Manufacturing Expertise

At 9 am on Wednesday, immediately prior to Secretary Gutierrez,Peoria-based Caterpillar CEO Jim Owens will present remarks on"Manufacturing Leadership in the Global Marketplace" - focusing onbuilding business in a world market. For 80 years, Caterpillar hasbeen building the world's infrastructure and, in partnership with itsworldwide dealer network, is driving positive and sustainable growthon every continent.

Prior to joining President Bush's economic team, formermid-westerner Gutierrez was chairman of the board and CEO ofMichigan-based Kellogg Company. Both men bring a unique perspective onthe powerhouse of U.S. manufacturing.

Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council Meeting

The Manufacturing Council of the Department of Commerce will holdits first of three annual meetings at National Manufacturing Week onWednesday, March 22nd at 11:15 am. Speakers include Secretary ofCommerce Gutierrez and Assistant Secretary of Commerce forManufacturing and Services Albert A. Frink.

The Manufacturing Council is a Secretarial Advisory Board at theDepartment Commerce consisting of fifteen manufacturing leaders fromacross the industry that serve as a strong voice for policies to growmanufacturing jobs. The council's membership reflects diversity ofindustry, size of industry and geography. The Manufacturing Councilworks with the Commerce Department to advocate, coordinate, andimplement policies that will help U.S. manufacturers competeworldwide.

Current members of the Council include Jim Owens, Chairman and CEOof Caterpillar, Inc., James Padilla, president and COO of Ford MotorCompany, and Don Wainwright, Wainwright Industries. Visit:http://www.manufacturingweek.com/images/100084/2006PDFs/MembersoftheCouncil.pdf (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pastedinto your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space ifone exists.) for a complete list.

National Manufacturing Week Provides Unmatched BusinessOpportunities

The 2006 National Manufacturing Week and National ManufacturingWeek Conference promises to deliver unmatched business buildingopportunities for U.S. manufacturers by bringing together more globalmanufacturing leaders than ever before. With a stellar line-up ofConference speakers, more than 1,000 exhibitors, and attendees fromaround the world, the 2006 event is the best resource for U.S.manufacturers to gain the knowledge, contacts, technology, andequipment they need to grow business and compete globally.

National Manufacturing Week is the only event for engineeringteams and executives responsible for design to manufacturing processto finished goods. Tens of thousands from the U.S. manufacturingcommunity, especially small to mid-size manufacturers, come togetherfor in-depth education and exhibits spanning the broad spectrum ofenabling technologies, systems, products and solutions necessary togrow and compete in the global economy.

Expanded Focus on Education, Seminars and Networking

Reflecting broad support from the U.S. manufacturing community,the National Manufacturing Week Conference will present an expandedreal-world conference reflecting the manufacturing process and gearedto the unique needs of small and mid-sized manufacturers. TheConference, which begins on March 20th, will contain five tracks, 23sub-tracks and features eight top keynoters and more than 350additional speakers. The National Manufacturing Week exhibition floorwill open on Tuesday, March 21st, providing more time on Monday forConference educational offerings to go into greater depth and detail.

The show is sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers(NAM) and supported by 15 associations and analyst sponsors. Theexhibition floor will open on Tuesday, March 21st, devoting more timeon Monday for Conference educational offerings to go into greaterdepth and detail.

Media Registration Open

Online media registration is now open. Visitwww.manufacturingweek.com to register online and obtain free mediacredentials including an All-Access Pass which allows unlimited accessto all show and conference events. National Manufacturing Week is THEevent for the U.S. manufacturing industry, the place where theindustry gathers and companies come together to find new products,education and solutions to build their business in the global market.

For more information on National Manufacturing Week 2006, exhibitsMarch 21-23, Conference March 20-23, visit www.manufacturingweek.com.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the nation'slargest industrial trade association, representing small and largemanufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states, isNational Manufacturing Week's sponsor. Headquartered in Washington,D.C., the NAM has 10 additional offices across the country. Visit theNAM's award-winning web site at www.nam.org for more information aboutmanufacturing and the economy.

Reed Exhibitions, which manages more than 430 trade shows annuallyworldwide, is a member of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leadingprovider of information-driven services and solutions. ReedExhibitions offers integrated market access programs coveringexhibitions, trade publications, direct marketing and the Internet toa database of 3.5 million in North America. Reed has North Americanoffices in Norwalk, CT; Waltham, MA; Palm Beach, FL; Las Vegas, NV;and Toronto, ONT (Canada) and also and operations offices worldwide.(NYSE:RUK)(NYSE:ENL).