In the News

Congressman Hern hears from local manufacturers about their supply chain crises

Michele White, FOX 23

Tulsa, OK, August 4, 2022
TULSA, Okla. — Car dealers say new car prices are at sticker value or higher and it’s difficult to get certain cars in on their lots.

And used car dealers are paying three to four times at auctions to buy cars, which trickles down to the consumer and limits their inventory.

Congressman Kevin Hern talked with local manufacturers who are feeling the impact of the shortage of all products, including what goes into cars.

“So, there’s only a certain amount of rubber that’s in the world or semi-conductors and everybody’s fighting for them and it just so happens that you have the largest amount of those assembled in an automobile,” Hern said.

Local manufacturers brought up changes they wanted to see.

“I have not heard a lot of the conversation today about in-sourcing, about bringing things that have been out-sourced over the decades to certain companies, bringing those back in house,” Hern said.

Matt Mason, who is a buyer for Milo’s, said he wanted to see the local or federal government to fund incentives and programs to attract and teach the next generation of workers how to build things, an area of business that has seen a decline.

While that is a long-term plan to solve the struggles manufacturers are having, Hern says the immediate solution is for Congress to pass a balanced budget.