David McCormick taught other companies how to outsource jobs

Presumed Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate David McCormick has been advocating for U.S. jobs to be brought back from overseas, even though he used to teach other companies how to outsource their workforce to other countries.

From 2001 to 2004, McCormick was the chief executive officer of a global software company called FreeMarkets. The company described its operations as a resource to help other businesses “lower costs, reduce risks and increase profitability.” When FreeMarkets was purchased by Ariba in 2004, McCormick stayed and became the president of Ariba while FreeMarkets’ many services carried over, which included “procurement outsourcing.”

In 2003, Ariba released a guide for “Low-Cost Country Sourcing,” which lays out strategies for businesses to cut costs and save money via shipping jobs overseas. The company also had an specific page on their website that outlined its strategy for “low-cost country sourcing.” One of these “low-cost countries” was India, which McCormick called an important location for country sourcing.

“Big multinational companies are interested in doing business in India and, being in the business of spend management, we help them to work out what they buy and who they buy from,” McCormick said in a 2004 interview. “Services like the low-cost country sourcing programme [sic] are a key differentiator for Ariba, as they enable it to offer complete spend management solutions to customers.”

In stark contrast to his prominent role in outsourcing American jobs, McCormick’s Senate bid in 2022 was centered around the former businessman bringing jobs back to the U.S. and “move critical supply chains out of China.” He even claimed to have created thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania over the years despite several rounds of layoffs followed by job openings in China and India.

After losing to Dr. Mehmet Oz in the primary election in 2022, McCormick is likely attempting to distance himself from his past business doings with Sen. Bob Casey’s (D) term expiring in the next cycle.