Austin, TX – Texas manufacturers will gather Feb. 14-15 in San Marcos for the 2012 Texas manufacturers Summit, an annual conference geared toward education and discussion of the environmental, energy, workforce, tax policy and other issues impacting one of the pillars of the Texas economy.

The summit includes breakout sessions across three tracks: policy, business of manufacturing and innovation, including a must-attend panel discussion of the ever-evolving energy sector in Texas and how a number of generation sources play pivotal roles in generating power for the state’s energy needs.

“The cornerstone of the Texas economy is manufacturing,” said Fred Shannon, chairman of the Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM). “Manufacturing contributes roughly 13 percent of the Gross State Product and employs more than 838,000 Texans.”

“The 2012 Texas Manufacturers Summit is a chance for those Texans who work in and around the manufacturing sector to network, collaborate and discuss challenges and opportunities facing the sector at the state and federal levels,” added Shannon.

The 2012 Texas Manufacturers Summit, presented by TAM, San Marcos Manufacturers Association and TMAC will convene at the Embassy Suites San Marcos.

Featured summit speakers include Federal Reserve Bank CEO Richard Fisher, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) and Dr. Barry Lawrence of Texas A&M University.

Speaker Straus, recognizing the importance of the sector in job creation and as an economic driver, charged all House committees to focus on ways to grow the state’s manufacturing sector during their interim work.

"Improving the state's manufacturing capability is a key priority for Texas' future, and this summit provides a tremendous opportunity to network with the industry's leaders and learn more about the important policies and issues impacting it," said Speaker Straus.

“Building a stronger economy that’s broad-based with sufficient and efficient infrastructure, a low tax-rate and a prepared workforce to meet the needs of Texas manufacturers is critical to our state’s long-term prosperity and job creation,” said Shannon.

To register for the conference, visit www.txmanufacturerssummit.com. Registration is $350 for non-members, $275 for members of TAM and $100 for students.

Conference sponsors include: Presenting sponsor ExxonMobil and additional sponsors Chesapeake Energy, Lockheed Martin, Heldenfels Enterprises, Thermon, TEEX and Innovation Event Management.

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The Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM) represents over 400 large and small companies from every manufacturing sector, employing more than 838,000 Texans with an average compensation of $79,000 a year (the highest in the private sector). Texas Association of Manufacturers is online at www.manufacturetexas.org. Join TAM on Facebook.com/TXManufacturers.