Senator Marshall Tours New Age Industrial, Discusses Tariffs, Energy Costs, and Economic Outlook

by Derek White

Senator Roger Marshall toured the New Age Industrial facility with Daniel Porter and Larry Nelson

On a recent visit to Norton, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall toured New Age Industrial, a major aluminum manufacturing company that employs approximately 160 workers in the northwest Kansas community. The tour highlighted both the innovative work being done at the facility and the challenges the company is facing as a result of rising energy costs and impending tariffs on imported aluminum.

New Age Industrial transforms raw billet aluminum into a range of products including material handling carts, shelving units, and custom equipment used in food service and warehousing. The company exports products nationwide and around the world, making it a critical economic engine in Norton and a rare example of global manufacturing in a rural Kansas town.

During the tour, Senator Marshall observed the company’s extrusion process, where imported aluminum billets—some sourced from Dubai—are converted into usable forms. He described the operation as “impressive” and praised the company for offering stable jobs and supporting the local economy.

However, Marshall also acknowledged the pressing concerns voiced by New Age leadership, particularly around tariffs and energy consumption. Dan Porter, of New Age Industrial, explained that while the company has yet to feel the full impact of aluminum tariffs, it expects costs to rise significantly in the coming months.

“The raw billet is the foundation of our products,” Porter said. “We’re either importing it directly or buying it from U.S. companies that do the same. Once tariffs take effect, even if they’re just on raw material, we’re looking at a 7-8% increase in our overall costs.”

Energy costs are another major hurdle. Aluminum is notoriously energy-intensive to process, and with limited domestic smelting capacity—only four smelters exist in the U.S., none of which produce the billets New Age requires—the company is dependent on international suppliers. Porter noted that smelting aluminum from ore uses up to ten times more energy than re-melting scrap aluminum, and that infrastructure investment to support domestic smelting will take years to materialize.

Senator Marshall acknowledged the tension between short-term economic pressure and long-term national strategy. “President Trump’s tariffs are about bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.,” Marshall said. “But companies like New Age Industrial are caught in the middle. They’re already making American products with imported materials because there’s no domestic alternative.”

Marshall said he’s working to secure tariff exemptions for Kansas manufacturers and remains optimistic about new trade opportunities. “I've visited over a dozen manufacturing facilities this month,” he said. “Most are seeing strong demand because buyers want certainty in supply, and American-made products offer that.”

The senator also discussed ongoing efforts to pass a federal exemption on taxes for the first $10,000 in overtime pay and called attention to March’s back-to-back storms, which caused an estimated $8 million in damage to rural utility infrastructure. He said he is advocating for Kansas to receive disaster relief funds to prevent future utility rate hikes.

As for the broader picture, Marshall expressed bullish optimism. “We’re seeing a turnaround,” he said. “Gas prices are falling, violent crime is down, and we’re negotiating trade agreements that could open doors for Kansas farmers and manufacturers alike.”

For the employees at New Age Industrial and the residents of Norton, the visit underscored both the importance of rural industry and the fragility of the supply chains and policies that sustain it.

“We're doing what we can,” Porter said. “But we need support at the national level to keep jobs here and stay competitive.”