{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/photos-peters-stops-in-grand-rapids-on-day-5-of-10th-and-final-motorcycle-tour", "PHOTOS: Peters Stops in Grand Rapids on Day 5 of 10th and Final Motorcycle Tour", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Gary C. Peters", "P000595", "www.peters.senate.gov", "garypeters", "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "GRAND RAPIDS, MI \u2013 U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) visited the new Automation Lab at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) during his annual motorcycle tour across Michigan. Peters highlighted the $998,000 in federal funding he secured to create the Automation Lab and strengthen GRCC\u2019s regional workforce development efforts. The fully automated facility serves as a training hub for students pursuing high-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing and automation, as well as those already working in the field who need additional training or credentials for promotion. This effort is part of Peters\u2019 long legacy of fighting to strengthen Michigan\u2019s robust manufacturing sector, expand skills training opportunities, and help place more Michiganders in good paying, in demand jobs.\n\n\u201cGRCC excels at preparing students to get good-paying, in-demand jobs right out of school,\u201d said Senator Peters. \u201cThis state-of-the-art and fully automated training facility will not only strengthen those courses, but also GRCC\u2019s efforts to connect students with local employers ahead of graduation to help keep that talent in Michigan. This level of dedication and community investment is remarkable, and why I was proud to help secure nearly $1 million in federal funding to build the new lab.\u201d\n\nPeters toured GRCC\u2019s new, state-of-the-art training facility with GRCC Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Sheila Jones, GRCC Professor John Doneth, Ingrid Tighe, President of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, and Cody Langlois, a graduate of GRCC\u2019s Manufacturing & Applied Technology Program. During the tour, GRCC staff led Peters through demonstrations of cutting-edge robotics equipment that will be used for classroom instruction for the first time this fall semester.\n\n\u201cMy experience at GRCC gave me the hands-on skills I needed to prepare for a good-paying career in advanced manufacturing right here in West Michigan,\u201d said Cody Langlois, a graduate of GRCC\u2019s Manufacturing & Applied Technology Program and current employee at JR Automation. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to Senator Peters for supporting GRCC and helping to secure the federal funding for this new lab. His support is creating opportunities for the next generation of Michigan manufacturing workers, and I\u2019m excited to see other students come through this lab and find the same kind of opportunity that GRCC helped provide for me.\u201d\n\n\u201cI applaud Senator Peters for his steadfast, unwavering commitment to American manufacturing,\u201d said Ingrid Tighe, President of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, the Michigan representative of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). \u201cThe investment in this critical program will not only support students but countless manufacturers in the region who need good talent to grow and thrive. In addition to supporting this project, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center appreciates everything Senator Peters has done to support our state\u2019s robust manufacturing sector and set Michigan workers up for success.\u201d\n\nTo view photos from Senator Peters\u2019 stop in Grand Rapids, click HERE.\n\nPeters has consistently prioritized investing in American manufacturing and workforce development. Peters helped author and pass into law the CHIPS and Science Act to boost U.S. manufacturing of semiconductor chips, strengthen critical domestic supply chains, and create good-paying American jobs. The CHIPS and Science Act additionally increased funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, which supports MEPs like the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC). Peters helped enact bipartisan legislation that expanded access to career and technical education (CTE) opportunities outside of the traditional four-year degree career pathway. Peters also introduced bipartisan legislation that was signed into law to allow more veterans to use their GI bill benefits toward securing a registered apprenticeship.\n\nPeters \u2013 an avid and longtime motorcycle rider \u2013 kicked off his \u201cThank you, Michigan\u201d tour in Bay City. He then made stops in Alpena, Marquette, Traverse City, and Grand Rapids, before he will conclude the tour in East Lansing. He will ride more than 1,000 miles across the state on this year\u2019s tour \u2013 which is Peters\u2019 10th and last official motorcycle tour.\n\n\u201cI've always said the best way to travel across our state is on a motorcycle,\u201d Peters said. \u201cRepresenting Michigan in the U.S. Senate has been the absolute honor of my lifetime. So, this year\u2019s tour is about saying thank you to all of the amazing people and communities I\u2019ve been able to partner with during my career to help make Michigan an amazing place to work, live, and raise a family.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/photos-peters-stops-in-grand-rapids-on-day-5-of-10th-and-final-motorcycle-tour"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 6.06773910112679, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}