Entries by Bart Taylor
Supply-chain scramble: the race to connect you with suppliers and OEMs
U.S. manufacturing is on a roll, for multiple reasons that when combined add up to great things if you make something in America. It also goes without saying we could make more if we were better connected. A U.S. supplier network well aligned with OEM demand will absolutely fuel domestic production. The good news is […]
Sourcing in China is entering a precarious new phase
Let’s first stipulate the two reasons why thousands of American companies source products and services in China: lower labor costs, and the expertise to build or develop products can’t be found in the U.S. And outsource we have. Cheap labor, a sophisticated manufacturing ecosystem, and Chinese leadership that caters to the needs of American brands […]
The Year in Review: CompanyWeek’s Best Mfg. Profiles of 2021
CompanyWeek profiled more than 200 manufacturers in 2021, most of them based in the four states where we publish regular e-publications: Colorado, Utah, California, and — as of November 2021 — Texas. Of those, these 20 profiles stand out for a variety of different reasons: Some are industry leaders, others are trying to disrupt markets, […]
Brewer, welder, bike-maker, and a community in the making
We first published this column in November 2021 as we launched the TX Manufacturing Report. It’s highly relevant today as we launch the AZ Manufacturing Report. We’ve learned from companies we report on that answers or solutions to production challenges often arise from, well, other manufacturers. Leave it to a manufacturer to explain why: “A […]
CAMA must seize the moment and alter course to advance Colorado manufacturing
You could argue that CAMA — the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association — was kneecapped before it got started. The association was formed just before I launched CompanyWeek in 2013. I said this in an August, 2014 column, “Change at Colorado’s OEDIT an opportunity to upgrade Hick’s Blueprint”: “OEDIT prioritized manufacturing by establishing CAMA — the […]
Thinking big: CompanyWeek launches in Texas
Eight years ago this fall, we launched CompanyWeek to report on Colorado’s over-performing manufacturing economy. Along the way, we added Utah and California editions of CompanyWeek Mfg. Reports. Last week we opened a new chapter. With the launch of the TX Mfg. Report, we land in America’s most talked-about manufacturing ecosystem. A business-friendly reputation, access […]