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April ?, 2004

The Honorable [insert congressperson's name]

[If you do not know your Congressional Representative's name, go to http://www.congress.org/ and enter your zip code to find your representative's name.]

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Rep. [insert congressperson's last name]

I write to express concern regarding the recent spike in metal and steel prices and its potential impact on the economy and my company. [Insert your company name] employs [insert number] of workers in [insert your state] and has been in business for [insert number] of years. [If desired, add any other information about your company.]

I am doing all I can to reduce costs to stay competitive in this global economy. The recent manufacturing recession has forced us to become more productive and reduce costs wherever possible to maintain our competitive edge. However, the recent steel situation has the potential to wipe out any gains we may have made due to restructuring and productivity enhancements.

Please review the attached testimony on this issue recently submitted to the House Small Business Committee by our trade association, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. This testimony points out specific examples of how the recent steel situation is hurting the plastics equipment industry. It is nearly impossible to pass the costs of this steel increase on to our customers, who also are getting squeezed by higher costs and an inability to raise their prices. We are determined to survive and grow. However, high-energy prices, excessive litigation costs, ballooning health care rates, intense global competition - and now the steel situation - are making the environment here even more difficult for manufacturers. I hope that Congress takes this situation seriously and explores possible avenues to ameliorate the situation.

Sincerely,

[insert your name and company name]

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