SCHUMER URGES DOD TOP BRASS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH AMPHENOL TO GET SHIPMENTS FLOWING & GET WORKERS BACK ON THE JOB – SENATOR SAYS COMPANY IS STRUGGLING WITH BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE

Amphenol is Critical to the Southern Tier Economy and to the Nation’s Defense Industry; Schumer Urges Top Brass To Immediately Intervene And Work Directly With Company 

Schumer to DOD: Don’t Let Red Tape Choke Off Amphenol Jobs

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that he spoke with Mr. Alan Estevez, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and the Director of Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Lt. General Busch at the Department of  Defense and urged them to assist Amphenol with implementing a plan that would enable Amphenol employees to return to work as soon as possible. Schumer informed Mr. Estevez and Lt. General Busch that as a result of the Department of Defense’s stop shipment orders, the company was forced to lay off near 100 employees last week. Schumer said these layoffs were simply unacceptable and they were the direct result of excessive bureaucracy within the DOD.  

“It’s simply unacceptable that Amphenol has had to lay off valuable employees because of inflexibility and red tape. This is why I immediately intervened with DOD top brass on behalf of the company and its workers. I made it very clear to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Estevez that these jobs are too important to the regional economy to lose and that the DOD needs to work with Amphenol to address the supply and testing issues so these workers can get back to work ASAP. The DOD’s leadership must monitor this situation closely and prioritize working with Amphenol in order to prevent the loss of any additional jobs,” said Senator Schumer.

Schumer said the stop ship order has halted a significant portion of Amphenol’s business and has had a number of unprecedented adverse impacts on the company. Schumer said that Amphenol has not only had to lay off employees, the company risks losing valuable business relationships while the DOD continues to delay. Schumer is currently working with the Amphenol CEO Adam Norwitt, local and federal officials to resolve this situation as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Amphenol Aerospace, is a Division of Amphenol Corporation, located in Delaware County. Amphenol is the largest employer in the region, employing nearly 1,000 manufacturing and related jobs. The company produces interconnect components for the military, commercial aerospace and industrial markets.