Screen Machine president talks jobs, regulations at RNC

Steven Cohen, president of portable plant manufacturer Screen Machine Industries of Licking County, Ohio, took center stage at the Republican National Convention last Wednesday. In a nearly three-minute speech, Cohen focused on small businesses and many of the challenges they face, including overseas competition and patent protection.

“As a manufacturer, our products are the heartbeat of our business,” Cohen said. “We can’t tolerate other companies stealing hard work without compensation. It can take several years and tens of thousands of dollars to achieve patent status. Once granted, we expect it to be protected.”

Cohen added that American products are often stolen and copied overseas for a fraction of the price, and that manufacturers exporting products on the cheap to the United States don’t face the taxes and regulations American businesses do.

“While we face higher government-imposed costs, cheaper imports from overseas companies flood our markets,” Cohen said. “Unnecessary regulations and mandates imposed on businesses make our products more expensive to make and less competitive to sell.”

Watch Cohen’s speech in full on YouTube.