Penn United Technology,a Pennsylvania maker of precision tools, got serious about the politics of trade in 2001. That was the year when Tyco, which was the biggest customer for the company's core electronics business, "just pulled everything out and moved everything to China", says David Frengel, the first full-time lobbyist in Penn United's history.

As a result, the company of 600 employees launched a campaign that has shaken up the National Association of Manufacturers, long one of the strongest voices for freer trade in Washington.