According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, United States Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, paid a visit to PTR Baler and Compactor, a manufacturing company in Port Richmond that produces recycling and waste equipment, on January 13th.

Perez applauded the company’s implementation of newer, cutting-edge technology, but also made it a point to warn prospective (and more seasoned) employees to ready themselves to adapt to such changes.

Mayor Jim Kenney, who had formerly been devoting all of his attention to the attempted assassination of Officer Jesse Hartnett in West Philadelphia the previous week, sided with Perez, emphasizing the integral role of manufacturing and production in the American economy.

Over the past several years, PTR has flourished after having suffered a severe blow to revenue during the economic recession. The company’s upswing is due largely in part to the partnerships it has recently established with local programs, organizations and schools throughout the Philadelphia area. These affiliations have helped dozens of local students land jobs at the company.

PTR President Michael Savage Jr. urges others to consider the manufacturing industry as a viable career, claiming it is no less obsolete now than ever before throughout the country’s history.

“Whoever said manufacturing is dead in America hasn’t visited PTR,” Savage told Alison Burdo of the Philadelphia Business Journal. “These folks are not only building equipment[;] they are building the middle class.”