Early in the morning of Oct. 1, a staff team from the Association of Washington Business climbed into a big vinyl-wrapped bus with graphics promoting Washington’s manufacturing sector and set off on our ninth annual bus tour.

The yearly road trip not only lets us shine a spotlight on Washington’s rich legacy of manufacturing, but it also lets us connect directly with the 271,000-plus women and men who get up every morning and go to work for a manufacturer.

Right away, I was reminded how valuable it is to get out on the road and meet face-to-face with Washington’s makers – people like Jerry and Nick Cloud, two brothers who are the fifth generation from their family to lead Eckstrom Industries, a company founded in Everett in the 1890s.

And Dirk Rozema, the third-generation leader of Rozema Boat Works, founded in Bay View in 1955 by his grandfather, a Dutch immigrant.

And High Energy Metals, a company in Sequim that does explosive welding to bind different types of metal.

It really is amazing to go inside the buildings that we all drive by every day without ever really knowing what’s happening and to see the diversity of companies and products we make right here in Washington.

Manufacturing matters, and Washington cannot afford to take it for granted.

Unfortunately, as I shared in the third annual Washington State of Manufacturing address – delivered on the first day of the tour – our manufacturing economy is at risk because of troubling policies coming out of Olympia and Washington, D.C.

In Olympia, Democratic majorities have enacted the largest tax increase in state history and layered on regulations that employers describe as “rules on top of rules.” In Washington, D.C., Republican leaders are advancing broad trade measures that raise input costs, disrupt supply chains and put Washington exporters at a disadvantage abroad.

These policies result in real cost increases for manufacturers. And the cumulative effect results in fewer investments, delayed hiring and lost opportunities. If we continue on this path, Washington will struggle to meet the bipartisan and unanimous goal our Legislature set to double manufacturing by 2030.

But we shouldn’t give up now. In fact, we should double down on the goal.

To put us on a path toward achieving it, we need to rein in the cost of doing business in Olympia. That means slowing the trajectory of spending and prioritizing fiscal responsibility. Don’t try to balance the state budget on the back of employers.

We must also restore stability to federal trade policy. Remember that 40% of Washington jobs are connected in some way to trade. Blanket tariffs that change from week to week make it impossible for manufacturers to plan. And when they can’t plan, they pull back from making capital investments and hiring new employees.

Finally, we need to prioritize permitting reform. Washington is one of the most regulated states in the country, which means it takes longer and costs more to build new projects and expand existing manufacturing operations. We need to change this. We need to make it easier for employers to build new projects and expand existing operations.

Washington manufacturers aren’t asking for a handout. They’re asking for a fair shot. Give employers competitive taxes, clear rules and reliable trade policy, and they will do what they’ve always done: innovate, invest and create jobs that strengthen every corner of our state.

Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.