The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) this week urged lawmakers to support House Bill 332, legislation that would help small defense manufacturers access lower-cost capital through Ohio’s linked deposit program.

Testifying before the Senate Financial Institutions, Insurance and Technology Committee, Eric Jenkusky, founder and CEO of T.J. Clark International in Delaware, Ohio, said small defense manufacturers face long production cycles, strict federal compliance requirements, volatile material costs and major upfront investments in equipment, inventory and workforce training.

“Ohio’s small defense manufacturers are doing work that matters far beyond the shop floor,” said James Lee, OMA managing director of public policy services. “House Bill 332 would help these companies access the capital they need to grow, hire and strengthen the defense supply chains America depends on.”

Jenkusky said the bill would help companies expand production, strengthen supply chains, invest in advanced manufacturing and hire skilled workers. These companies may not always make the headline-grabbing defense systems, but they make the parts, components and equipment that keep America’s defense industrial base moving.

The testimony comes as House Bill 292, another OMA-supported defense manufacturing priority, advanced to the governor after Senate passage and House concurrence. That bill would create the Ohio Defense and Space Commission, helping Ohio compete for more defense and aerospace work while strengthening the small and mid-sized manufacturers that support the state’s defense industrial base. 6/11/2026