Elected officials are eager to learn how their constituents are affected by legislation that comes out of Washington, D.C. Plant visits provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your facility, educating legislators on your company, products, and contributions to the community.
Organize a working group at your company to handle various aspects of the visit. The group might include a senior executive, government relations and public relations personnel, and the plant manager.
A written request to your elected official’s offering a visit to a particular facility is a good way to begin the process. Follow-up phone calls with the scheduler are important to move the request along. Be prepared to tell a little more about your facility, employees, and what you hope the visit will accomplish.
MEMA can help by providing background on the legislative work of teh lawmaker. Prepare a one-page outline detailing who you are, what you produce, and a brief history of the facility.
Show off your facility on the tour by highlighting how machinery works, how items are put together, what new technologies are being used, and the overall productivity of the workers.
Tell your story, including how the plant has improved and contributed to the lives of its workers and the community as a whole. Discuss the number of people employed, the value of products produced, taxes paid, support of environmental programs, etc.
After the visit, follow up with a thank you note and reiterate the key discussion items. Provide the elected official with any photos taken. Look for ways to build upon the relationship established with the visit, such as invitations to future events and offers for further information.
Contact Ann McCulloch at (202) 312-9242 in the MEMA Washington, D.C. office for more detailed information or specific requests.