I had the pleasure this week of visiting several southwest Missouri manufacturers and seeing firsthand the great products created right here in our district. On Thursday, I toured the Springfield Coach Group, where they buy new cars and proceed to cut them in half to turn into limousines. I also visited the National Audio Company, which makes a lot of products for the Library of Congress in Washington. Then it was on to Leggett & Platt Flex-O-Lators factory in Carthage and New Aire Fireplace Systems in Carl Junction. Friday, I attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Ozark for Springfield-based Allen Global Companies and celebrated its expansion into Kazakhstan.
Federal trade and foreign affairs policy have a central place in many of these businesses as well as numerous others around the district. Over the past five years, 12 businesses in the Seventh District have received Export-Import Bank assistance, helping southwest Missouri-made products make it to the global market. I co-sponsor a bill to reauthorize Ex-Im through 2019 and allow for continued success from Missouri businesses abroad.
Trade partnerships build foreign relationships and open doors for American businesses, such as Allen Global. I hosted Kazakhstan Ambassador Kariat Umarov in August 2014 to tour Ozarks businesses including Allen Global, which ultimately led to its expansion of Allen Filtration Eurasia, which will soon distribute southwest-Missouri-made products to Kazakh companies. The U.S. and Kazakhstan have mutually benefited from our 22-year-old trade partnership, with the perks now seen here in the Ozarks.
Also important is Trade Promotion Authority, which is currently being crafted in Congress and would bring us a step closer to solidifying trade deals to benefit the American workforce and elevate America's standing on the world stage. Specifically, manufactures such as Leggett & Platt, Springfield Coach Builders and Allen Filtration that do business overseas stand to benefit from growing trade partnerships abroad, with a better chance of opening their products to and accessing new markets. With more than 815,000 jobs in Missouri tied to trade, southwest Missouri families and workers would certainly feel the benefits of streamlined trade negotiation.
All in all, hard work has shaped our American history. It is a priority of mine to help America's manufacturers have the steam to forge a strong future. The best way we can build that reality is to cut Washington's unnecessary red tape, create a tax structure that encourages business and maintain a strong, open global trade. I will remain a staunch advocate for policies to help business, create jobs and grow our economy.