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Industry witnesses urge support for HB 284 to prioritize American iron on state projects
Summary
Witnesses from the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association and McWane Ductile Ohio told the House Development Committee that House Bill 284 would boost Ohio manufacturing, strengthen supply chains and keep taxpayer dollars circulating locally by expanding a domestic iron-and-steel procurement preference.
David Cole, who represents the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association, told the House Development Committee that House Bill 284 would extend Ohio's longstanding domestic preference from steel to iron products used in state-funded infrastructure.
Cole said ductile iron pipe is used primarily for drinking-water infrastructure and described the association's century-long ties to utilities in the state. He urged members to view the bill as a jobs and supply-chain measure: "A vote for this bill is a vote for Ohio jobs. A vote for this bill is a vote for Ohio, manufacturing," he said.
Tom Crawford, vice president and general manager of McWane Ductile Ohio in Coshocton, reiterated industry support and gave local impact figures: "We have over 600 employees," he said, adding the plant now runs a roughly $35,000,000 payroll and estimates about $40,000,000 in annual local economic impact. Crawford described recent capital investment to expand capacity and said the plant purchases about 125,000 tons of scrap material per year.
Both witnesses argued HB 284 would boost domestic production, reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and multiply state dollars within Ohio communities. Cole framed the bill as aligned with federal American Iron and Steel (AIS) principles and said it contains "the necessary requirements and waivers to make Ohio's AIS program a success as well." Crawford added that recent investments were made specifically to be able to meet increased demand.
Committee members asked detailed questions about scale and sourcing. Representative Abdulahi asked for numbers on jobs lost overseas; Cole said he did not have exact figures in his testimony and offered to provide them to the committee. Members also pressed Crawford on raw-material sourcing and recycled content; Crawford said most scrap is sourced regionally in the Northeast U.S. and reported roughly 97% recycled content for the plant's products.
No formal action or vote occurred during the hearing; the committee concluded the public testimony on HB 284 and moved on to other bills on the docket. Committee staff requested any follow-up data witnesses offered for the official record.
