In 1993, President William Clinton went to Lexmark International in Lexington to promote his North American Free Trade Agreement initiative. Lexmark was a printer manufacturing and development plant spun off from IBM in 1991.
As a Lexmark employee, I was able to ask the president a question: Would NATFA include provisions to protect American intellectual property? The president answered that IP was critical to the future growth of American business and manufacturing. He was committed to protecting American IP.
In 2000, Lexmark moved its laser production from the Lexington plant to northern Mexico and southern China. In 2016, Lexmark was sold to a consortium led by Apex Technology of China and PAG Asia Capital.
President Donald Trump has made the protection of American manufacturing and intellectual property one of his highest priorities. Americans are proud that Trump fights for American jobs while also believing in free trade.
John Markle
Nicholasville
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