An Op-Ed on Federal Spending and Legislation

The following is an op-ed article written by Dave Farr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emerson Electric Co. His concern is the affect federal spending and legislation are having on the ability of USA manufacturers to compete globally, and to successfully invest in USA operations. It is a non-partisan, truly objective article, and thus worthwhile reading:

To: Emerson U.S. based employees

Attached is a copy of an op-ed that I recently wrote and submitted to local St. Louis newspapers relative to my concerns as the CEO of Emerson -- a global manufacturing company.

As the leader of this company of 120,000 employees, hundreds of thousands retirees, and 350,000 shareholders, I must be concerned about strategic global issues that will impact Emerson and our ability to survive, compete and win.

We are a diverse company and I realize that opinions vary. My responsibility is to do my best to represent the overall interests of our shareholders, our employees and our customers. In this instance, I want first to share this piece with you as employees of this great company.

I wish all of you a very special and joyous holiday season and a prosperous new year.

My personal regards,
David N. Farr

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America's Survival as a Prosperous Nation is at Risk

Major manufacturers today must compete in global markets if they want to survive, prosper, and grow. Emerson is no exception. We compete head-to-head with Asian and European companies here at home and in virtually every market of the world. The ability to manage quality, innovation, logistics, customer support, manufacturing cost and many other factors determines which companies survive or don't.