Fresh off an eventful 2017, manufacturing picked up where it left off and continues to make news: 1. Manufacturing’s employment surge defies conventional wisdom The business press is conflicted about manufacturing’s role in America’s 21st century economy. Much of the ambivalence stems from manufacturing’s employment paradox: U.S. productivity is at all-time highs, employment near an […]
In 2013, we set out to report on growth companies across multiple manufacturing industries. Since then, we’ve written about nearly 850 businesses, a market sample that likely paints the most complete picture anywhere in media or trade of the transformation of this most iconic of American industrial sectors. As we reflect back on 2017 through […]
The premise of the ‘Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’ is that lower taxes will lead to an increase in business investment and consumer spending, spurring on growth that will more than offset revenue cuts. We do it by entrusting the corporate class with a windfall we hope they spend wisely. There’s reason to believe it […]
“Made in America” has never been an ideal slogan to rally U.S. manufacturing from its post-globalization doldrums. Too many American companies have come to rely on offshore suppliers and contract manufacturers. Rather, “Made in America” has become a call to arms, a rediscovery of our manufacturing chops. It’s more symbol than substance. This shouldn’t diminish […]
Of the 850 or so companies we’ve profiled the past four years, is there a single business we can point to that embodies all that’s compelling about the new manufacturing economy? It’s a tall order. But among the criteria, we might agree that said company would be: Offering employment opportunities that appeal to a Millennial […]
For manufacturers, Chipotle and other restaurant brands that manage complex supply chains and shape raw materials into refined products are kindred spirits. They’re makers all. We’ve also profiled regional growers and ranchers who shape the ‘locavore’ community and supply Chipotle and others, so the outcomes of local food artisans are always of interest. Likewise, there […]
Special guests at last month’s Pitch Slam & Autumn Awards included stakeholders from San Francisco’s dynamic food scene, in Colorado to learn more about Naturally Boulder, the trade association that’s been so instrumental in vaulting the state’s natural and organic products sector to national renown. And why not? Colorado’s ascendant, nationally recognized food and beverage […]
Amazon’s disruptive model has always evoked strong feelings, good and bad. So who wins and loses as Amazon bursts into the grocery business with the acquisition of Whole Foods? Beginning this week, WF shoppers will enjoy lower prices on “high-volume staples.” It’s a short-term win for consumers. But if Amazon’s discounting strategy extends into most […]
This column originally appeared in October, 2017. On one hand, Manufacturing Day, an event dreamed up by the National Association of Manufacturers in 2012, serves a useful purpose. Americans are in need of a reawakening to the potential of manufacturing employment, for the benefit of their families and our communities. The Day has become a […]
Last month after taking a shot at Forbes columnist Tim Worstall for his snarky column, “Manufacturing Isn’t Important But Factory Goods Orders Are Rising — That’s Nice,” I heard back from Worstall in a cordial if combative response. Among other things, I’d argued that his habit of diminishing manufacturing simply because companies move it offshore […]