NJBIA’s Siekerka Presents National Manufacturing Leadership Award

NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka, who also chairs the Conference of State Manufacturers Associations, presented the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry with COSMA’s 2026 Leadership Award at the conference’s annual meeting this week.

The award recognizes an association for its outstanding advocacy, organizational excellence, innovation, industry promotion, and growth over the previous year.

The Arizona chamber received the award for successfully working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to secure regulatory relief for the Phoenix-Mesa area, where manufacturers faced stricter air quality requirements because of pollution drifting in from outside the region.

“The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry has blazed a trail for all manufacturers by helping the EPA align federal policy with scientific reality and pragmatic solutions,” Siekerka said. “Thanks to their leadership, manufacturers in other states have a replicable playbook for collaborative and effective advocacy.”

COSMA’s members serve as official state partners of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), focusing on manufacturing priorities at the state level, while elevating federal policy from the ground up in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

NAM President & CEO Jay Timmon said Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden “exemplifies the best of manufacturing association leadership in the United States.”

“By leading with integrity, focusing on bipartisan solutions and delivering an impact across our sector and the communities we serve, Danny has earned wide respect not only from the business community but lawmakers of both parties and at all levels,” Timmons said.

A selection committee comprised of previous honorees reviews submissions from within COSMA’s membership and selected the winner for work in advocacy, organizational excellence, innovation, industry promotion and growth over the previous year. The award was presented Tuesday at the conference’s 2026 meeting in Colorado Springs.

“We’re grateful to COSMA and the NAM for this recognition,” Seiden said. “It means even more coming from organizations that understand the work it takes to support a strong manufacturing sector.”

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Skydio Commits $3.5 Bn to Expand U.S. Manufacturing and Secure American Drone Leadership

Skydio ©

Skydio’s commitment is an investment in American drone dominance, powered by rapidly growing demand for autonomous flying robots that serve America’s critical industries.

Skydio, the largest U.S.-based drone manufacturer and the world leader in flying robots, today announced plans to invest $3.5 billion in the United States over the next five years to expand its domestic manufacturing, accelerate R&D, and strengthen American supply chains. The investment is expected to create over 2,000 new Skydio jobs, support the creation of more than 3,000 additional roles within the U.S. supply chain, and direct more than $1 billion to domestic suppliers.

Skydio already manufactures more dual-use drones than any company outside of China. The company has shipped more than 60,000 flying robots to more than 3,800 customers, including more than 1,200 public safety agencies throughout the country, every branch of the U.S. military, and 29 allied nations, as well as more than 450 utility and energy companies.

A key component of the investment is SkyForge, a new company program designed to ensure the future of flight is built in America. In addition to the billion-dollar investment in U.S. suppliers, Skydio plans to open a new U.S. manufacturing facility five times larger than its current space. The company has outgrown four American manufacturing facilities in eight years; this will be its fifth expansion to meet extraordinary demand. Skydio’s investment in world-class suppliers will help expand – and in some cases initiate – domestic manufacturing of crucial parts and components. The company will invite select suppliers to co-locate production capacity with Skydio, giving suppliers access to production space and Skydio’s engineering talent to help incubate a growing industry.

In the span of little more than a decade, drones evolved from toys to tools to critical infrastructure for the industries that form the backbone of this country. Skydio leads this new era of drones as infrastructure on the strength of its AI and autonomy innovation: In public safety, for example, our Skydio DFR gives agencies aerial awareness that allows drones to arrive on scene first 71% of the time, resolving nearly a quarter of calls without sending a patrol unit. When lives and livelihoods are on the line, Skydio’s systems are in the field, every day, protecting both.

With this commitment, Skydio is making clear that the United States will lead in flying robotics autonomy, manufacturing, and scale. The investment will reinforce domestic electronics and component manufacturing and strengthen secure supply chains vital to national resilience. At the same time, Skydio will continue to scale domestic production capacity to meet the growing demand across public safety, national security, and utilities.

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