As the CEO of a Charlotte, NC-based Design-Build firm, I have had firsthand involvement with the investment of billions of dollars in U.S.-based manufacturing facilities, and the thousands of jobs these facilities have created across our country. So, why would I have a connection to, or even care about, food aid sent to countries across the globe?
My company works directly with the producer of a product that saves the lives of severely malnourished children worldwide: Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).
These “RUTFs” are simple, wallet-sized foil packets of mostly peanut butter, whey, and vitamins. Like a turbocharged but squeezable protein bar, this small but mighty, nutrient-dense food revives and nourishes children who otherwise might die. This product is intended for children facing severe malnourishment and starvation. Regardless of why this is occurring, the fact remains that these children lack basic staples that we in America, a global top food producer, take for granted.
Unfortunately, the production and distribution of RUTF is under threat due to changes being made by the Trump administration. There is definitely merit to evaluating how taxpayer funds are being used. However, I believe it is critical that we not disrupt the flow of lifesaving products like RUTF.
While it may now seem that this is just another “tug on the heart strings” article, urging the U.S. government to spend dollars to save the world, I encourage you to read on. I do believe in assisting those in need, wherever they may live. But there is another side to this story that affects U.S. workers, farmers, and business interests. In fact, the RUTF aid program aligns with the Trump administration’s stated goal of realigning U.S. foreign aid to support humanitarian and national interests, such as local industries, workers, and economies.
My firm, A M King, is a classic American business success story. Started more than 20 years ago in one room as a bootstraps local job-creating enterprise, today we are 100% employee-owned, with 80 team members in highly paid professional jobs, and have generated more than $2.5 billion in revenue since our inception. Our specialty is designing and building food processing and food-storage facilities across the United States.
That’s what brought me to RUTF, professionally and personally. We have worked with an RUTF manufacturer, MANA Nutrition, to improve its Georgia production facilities. This nonprofit corporation buys 2 million pounds of peanuts a month from local farmers. From its 135,000 square-foot Fitzgerald production and warehouse facility, MANA Nutrition can produce 500,000 pounds of RUTF product per day and feed 10 million children a year.
The facility also brings vital jobs to the community, supporting the economy and providing opportunities for families across the region. I believe this is what the Trump administration means by supporting U.S. manufacturing.
Over the past several years of working closely with MANA Nutrition, I’ve come to know, understand, and appreciate their purpose, mission, and business. In my 40-year career of working with some of the nation’s largest companies and a range of CEOs, I can truly say MANA Nutrition is a company founded on a noble cause, with a desire to change the world for the better. It’s also a well-managed company, focused on efficient, effective business principles. Team members are all dedicated professionals who work hard and expect little in return.
Mark Moore, MANA Nutrition’s founder and CEO, was a missionary in Africa for many years. He knows the need from personal experience. He and others who fund this cause have made it their mission to end malnourishment. All funding to develop and build MANA Nutrition’s production facilities comes from private donors. This is not a company seeking government handouts to build and sustain a business.
I also know non-profits. I can discern when their mission is true and if their management is ethical. I also believe a non-profit should operate like a successful business, with efficiency and accountability. MANA Nutrition is one of these organizations. The only money MANA receives from USAID is to buy its RUTF product, which is then used only for humanitarian purposes.
Lest anyone wonder, while MANA Nutrition is a customer, my support for continuing the production and distribution of RUTF is in no way an indirect business plea. My company is well-established and financially strong. My goal is to see MANA’s mission and purpose continue, knowing they save lives every day with the product they produce.
If RUTF funding isn’t reinstated, MANA Nutrition may have to shut down, hurting not only the producer and their farmers, but their workers, community, and supply chain businesses. Most of all, it will impact those children who depend on America’s big heart.
As an entrepreneur, business founder, and a CEO, I understand the goal of ensuring U.S. taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, including on foreign aid. I also recognize that worthy investments that serve our national interests, even if they have broad bipartisan support, sometimes get caught up and canceled in efforts to make government work better. RUTF is worth saving. I’m urging the White House and Congress to keep funding the production and distribution of RUTF, for the benefit of American farmers and workers and children all over the world.
Brian T. King is founder and CEO of A M King.
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