Mike Knisley, Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council, appeared on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about the robust construction environment in the state, which he credits to good policy made in Washington, D.C.
Knisley said the construction boom is not related to just semiconductor plants, but to petrochemical facilities, automotive, datacenters, solar farms and manufacturing facilities. He credited this success to the good policies created in the nation’s capital that have spread to the Buckeye State.
Talk then turned to the Brent Spence Bridge, which sees roughly 6 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product roll over it each day. Knisley explained that multiple presidential administrations - both Republican and Democrat - talked about fixing the bridge, but only Joe Biden was able to get it done. Once the project is complete, the new corridor will keep commerce moving across America and have a profound effect on Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, as it will alleviate significant traffic congestion, he added.
Knisley then touched on the effects of the legislation passed under the Biden-Harris administration. The Inflation Reduction Act, he said, has led to generational change by leading to the construction of electrical vehicle plants across the country, including two in Ohio. The CHIPS Act propelled the Intel project in New Albany, Ohio, from a one-phase project to build to two plants to a four-phase project to construct eight plants. The Intel project has created a ripple effect throughout the state, Knisley added.
For more from Knisley, listen to the show above.