By Rick Dandes
WATSONTOWN — Joe Watkins, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, toured Moran Industries on Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by company President John Moran Jr., and he said he was impressed with the cleanliness, efficiency and modernity of the operation, which employs 300 people.
Moran Industries has been hailed as a world-class storage and distribution center, giving visitors the “wow factor” and serving as a model for other industries around the state.
Watkins said he requested the tour because “everything I know about this company is wonderful. Despite the economic climate, the next governor and lieutenant governor will have to tackle the challenge of creating jobs in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. People want to work, and a lot of companies are struggling right now.”
Moran is a company that is succeeding, he said. “And next year, I hear the company may add to their workforce.”
Watkins said he wanted to “pick the mind of John Moran, and see what has made him so successful.”
During the walking tour, Moran said technology has been the key to his company’s success. “The new technology has made us more efficient, and it has helped our customers keep up-to-the-minute track of their product inventory.”
He also told Watkins that his company’s expansion was privately funded and hasn’t cost any taxpayer dollars.
Watkins, a pastor for a Philadelphia church, said his government background, working in the U.S. Senate and as an aide to President George H.W. Bush, paired with his years as a business owner, have helped create his platform based on experience and fiscal responsibility.
The candidate told onlookers that the current political climate in the state does not reward businesses. “There is excessive regulation and taxation,” he said, “and that really hurts businesses. I want to help create a climate that encourages businesses to come here. Businesses are the solution, not the problem, and we shouldn’t levy them with high taxes. We need to make Pennsylvania competitive.”
People want an environment that is business-friendly and will allow small-business owners not only to survive but, more importantly, to thrive, Watkins said. “We want to reduce regulation, do something about taxing, so businesses can hire more people.”
He spent the earlier part of the day meeting and greeting people in Snyder, Union and Northumberland counties. “I’m not just talking to them, I’m hearing what they have to say,” Watkins said. “And what I’m hearing is the same things again and again. We need to have a governor that will create jobs for us.”
