Yesterday, President Obama visited TPI Composites in Newton, IA. While there, he gave speech on manufacturing and the green economy:

And one of these modern windmills has more than 8,000 different parts -- everything from the towers and the blades to the gears, to the electrical switches.  And it used to be that almost all these parts were imported.  Today, more and more of these parts are being made here in America -- right here.  We used to have just a few dozen manufacturing facilities attached to the wind industry.  Today we have nearly 500 facilities in 43 states employing tens of thousands of American workers -- tens of thousands.

So we’re making progress.  And you know it better than anybody.  I mean, when I was talking to Quinten and Mark and a whole bunch of the other folks who are working here, they reminded me of the experience at working at Maytag and putting your heart and soul into a company and making a great product, and then, suddenly having that company leave, and how hard that was for families and how hard it was for the community.  But folks made the transition.

And now, when you look at what's happening here -- 700 to 800 jobs, over $30 million being put back into the community -- this gives folks hope.  It gives people opportunity.  I met some folks who have been in manufacturing for 30 years, but I also met a couple of young folks who were just getting started.  And that's what we're looking for.  Nobody wants a handout.  Nobody wants to get something for nothing.  But if we've got a chance to create energy and create value and put people back to work, why wouldn't we do that?

Read the whole speech here.