Burr Campaign Announces "Manufacturers For Burr" Leadership Team | Eastern NC Now

    Raleigh, NC - The Burr campaign today announced its "Manufacturers for Burr" leadership team, highlighting Senator Burr's work to promote American manufacturing, a building block of our economy. The group includes women and men who are business leaders and have devoted countless hours to building their respective businesses and creating a foundation of good-paying jobs here in North Carolina. Manufacturers have been hit hard during the Obama years, and Senator Burr has worked hard to reduce government red tape so that the job creators in North Carolina are able to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit. Enforcing the fair trade laws currently on the books has been a staple of Senator Burr's agenda, and he's not afraid to call out a bad deal when he sees one, like he has with the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

    "Government has a tendency to bog down manufacturers with onerous regulations and high corporate tax rates. Senator Burr understands it's a necessity for business owners to have a stable regulatory climate and lower tax rates in order to do what we do best, create jobs. Senator Burr's commitment to providing job creators with the tools we need to be successful gives me great confidence and it's one of the main reasons why I'm enthusiastically supporting him this fall." - Frank Dowd IV, Co-Chair of "Manufacturers for Burr" leadership team


    Allen E. Gant, Jr., Glen Raven: Allen leads the company founded by his grandfather in 1880 and continuously family owned throughout its history. He joined Glen Raven in 1971 and served in a number of increasingly responsible positions with the company before being named president and CEO in 1996. Gant, who attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was honored with a degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Elon University, is a global business and textile industry leader. He has served as a member of President Bush's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN), member of the Board of Directors of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC), TextilePAC, past chairman and board member of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO). He is also active with numerous community and educational organizations including the Board of Trustees for Elon University, Board of Trustees of Alamance Regional Medical Center and Board of Directors of the Alamance County Economic Development Foundation. He serves on the Board of Visitors of the UNC School of Business, and in 2008, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award in Business Administration from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

    Frank Dowd, IV, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry: Frank, IV joined Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company (CP&F) in 1984. CP&F is a 114-year- old manufacturer of cast iron and plastic pipe and fittings headquartered in Charlotte. Charlotte Pipe and Foundry makes its products exclusively in the United States, employs over 1,400 associates and has not laid-off any full-time employees in 33 years. During his career at Charlotte Pipe he has worked in a variety of sales and management roles. Frank assumed the role of Chairman and CEO in 1998 when Ned Hardison retired. Frank stepped out of the CEO position in December, 2011, after 13 years, and currently serves as a full-time Chairman of the Board. Over the years, Frank has held leadership positions on numerous boards of charitable and non-profit organizations and educational institutions, including Charlotte Country Day School, the Carolinas Healthcare System, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, North Carolina Outward Bound, the Good Fellows Club and the Dowd Foundation. He also served on the board of Bank of American Corporation. Frank is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which he attended as a Morehead Scholar. He received his law degree and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Virginia. Frank and his wife Janis have three children.

    Susan Rothecker, SMT Co.: - Susan is the CEO of SMT, which is a quality provider of contract manufacturing services specializing in sheet metal fabrication and finishing. SMT is located in Raleigh, NC has a diverse offering of services including precision metal fabrication, laser cutting, punching, machining, welding, screen printing, assembly and featuring our 30,000 square foot powder coat conveyor system. SMT produces metal cabinets, kiosks, frames and a variety of custom chassis for many major clients in diverse market sectors. SMT has been in business since 1969 and is woman owned and operated.

    Stephen Shuford, Shurtape Technologies: Stephen is the CEO of Shurtape Technologies, LLC. Based in Hickory, NC, Shurtape produces and distributes a broad range of contractor, industrial and consumer tapes, including duct, masking, film, foil and double-sided tape products. The company is a fifth-generation family business that was established in 1880 as a cordage and twine producer. After graduating from Princeton University in 1991, Mr. Shuford began his career in corporate finance for a regional investment bank in Nashville, TN. He later earned an MBA from The University of North Carolina before joining the family business in 1997. Through a series of acquisitions, divestitures and greenfield expansions, Mr. Shuford helped complete the transformation of the family business from domestic textile manufacturer to international adhesive tape company selling products under the Shurtape®, Duck®, FrogTape®, Kip® and Painter's Mate® brands. In addition to his role at Shurtape, Mr. Shuford serves on the Board of Directors of the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation and on the Board of Trustees of Charlotte Country Day School. He resides in Charlotte, NC, with his wife and two sons.

    Matt Barr, Carolina Color: Matt Barr is the Chairman and CEO of Carolina Color, a leading color concentrates supplier based in Salisbury, NC. He joined Carolina Color in 1999 and served in a number of increasingly responsible positions with the company before being named Chairman and CEO in 2011. In addition to his role at Carolina Color, Mr. Barr serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers, on the Board of Trustees at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, and on the Board of Directors at Novant Health Foundation-Rowan Medical Center. Mr. Barr resides in Salisbury, with his wife and three children.

    Frank Grainger, Fair Products: Over his 40-year career, Frank Grainger has been a leader in the tobacco industry, agribusiness, economic development and in higher education. Frank was born and raised in Columbus County, North Carolina and still is a tobacco grower there. Frank started Fair Products in 1984, buying the company from Fairmount Chemical.In addition, Frank is a board member of the North Carolina Tobacco Foundation, Inc., the Southern Crop Protection Association, and has served on the NC State Grange Tobacco Executive Board. An avid supporter of North Carolina State University, Frank has served as a university trustee and as a co-founder and chairman of NC State's Economic Development Coalition - 2000. Frank was also a founding member of the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Society, and has also served as a director of NC State Athletic Department's Wolfpack Club. Frank also is a board member of the Research Triangle Foundation.

• Contact: Jesse Hunt
•     jhunt@burrforsenate.com