Senator Collins Visits Elmet Technologies in Lewiston to Celebrate $4.2 Million Contract
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Lewiston, ME—U.S. Senator Susan Collins visited Elmet Technologies in Lewiston today to meet with workers and management as well as host a Q&A with dozens of employees that touched on a wide range of issues, including health care costs, prescription drug pricing, and jobs and the economy. She also toured the facility and celebrated a $4.2 million Department of Defense (DoD) contract. Senator Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, fought for this funding in the Fiscal Year 2019 Defense Appropriations bill and announced the award in December 2019.
“Congratulations on all of the exceptional work that you are doing,” Senator Collins told the employees. “The United States has to maintain its competitive edge, and I can't tell you how proud I am that in our entire country, Elmet and all of you are leading the way. Your efforts are ensuring not only that 165 good jobs remain here but that our country remains strong and dependent on products made in America—and better yet, made in Lewiston.”
“I enjoyed today’s tour of this amazing facility and the opportunity to see innovative work done here,” continued Senator Collins. “I especially appreciated the chance to meet the people who have kept Lewiston on the cutting edge of technology. It was a wonderful celebration of Elmet’s 90th year in continuous business, and I am excited for what the future holds for this great Maine company.”
“Five years ago we acquired Elmet Technologies with the management team, some local investors and the help of the State of Maine,” said Peter V. Anania, Elmet Board Member. “We saw Elmet as a critical asset for the state and the United States as a whole. This has now been confirmed with the award Senator Collins announced, which is an undertaking to upgrade to the country’s critical Tungsten manufacturing assets. With Senator Collins’ help, we are poised to write the next chapter in the story known as Elmet.”
Elmet, founded in 1929, is the last fully-integrated and the only U.S. owned and operated manufacturer of certain refractory metals such as tungsten and molybdenum products. These products are used in a wide variety of medical, aerospace, electronics, semiconductor, and other applications.
A couple of years ago, members of Elmet’s leadership team approached Senator Collins to request her assistance in applying for DoD contracts. Tungsten and molybdenum are used in a number of military applications; however, there is currently a limited domestic supply base.
Senator Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, successfully advocated for a $10 million increase in the fiscal year 2019 defense appropriations bill for the DoD’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program (IBAS), which helps the Pentagon prevent supply chain vulnerabilities and address urgent operational needs. That resulted in a $4.2 million IBAS contract for Elmet Technologies that Senator Collins announced in December 2019.
The $4.2 million contract will enable the company to make infrastructure upgrades and other investments to compete for DoD contracts. As a result, this award not only preserves more than 160 good jobs in Lewiston, but also helps prevent overseas supply-chain vulnerabilities that could jeopardize our national security.
