Recent Presidential Action Would Give Federal Procurement Preferences to Companies That Make Products Using Materials Made from Agricultural Products

Brown Recently Announced the “Grow it Here, Make it Here” Initiative to Help Ohio Companies Expand into Burgeoning Industry

CLEVELAND, OH—Today, Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted a new jobs initiative that would give federal procurement preference to companies who make bio-based products. Investing in biobased products, which link two of Ohio’s most important industries – agriculture and manufacturing—could be a job-creation boon for a state like Ohio. Brown, Fudge and Vilsack visited Cleveland’s Sherwin-Williams, which makes paint made with soybean oil, to outline how the new initiative, to create jobs through increased biobased procurement and promotion, could mean new manufacturing and agricultural jobs in Ohio.

Biobased products are composed wholly or significantly of biological ingredients—waste streams and renewable plant, animal, marine, or forestry materials.  From natural pet foods and biobased paint, to soy ink and toner, these companies are creating jobs in Ohio’s small towns and rural communities, and generating a link between agriculture and manufacturing. President Obama recently released a new presidential memorandum to create jobs through increased procurement of biobased products by the federal government, and Brown recently announced the “Grow it Here, Make it Here” initiative to boost the biobased products industry to expand markets and create jobs in Ohio. Brown’s initiative would increase access to capital for biobased manufacturers, improve marketing of biobased products, and further the commercialization of new agricultural innovations. Ohio has an emerging biobased-manufacturing industry, with nearly 130 companies in Ohio already producing biobased products, and has the potential to lead the nation in the creation of new biobased products.

Last year, Sherwin-Williams was awarded the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. The award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) on behalf of the White House, recognizes Sherwin-Williams’ innovative new paint formulation, which utilizes soybean oil and recycled plastic bottles (PET) in the substantial reduction of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). In manufacturing the new paint formula, Sherwin-Williams has used 320,000 pounds of soybean oil, 250,000 pounds of PET, and eliminated 1,000 barrels of oil.

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