Love staying up to date? Forward this to a friend to subscribe!

This report is brought to you in partnership with Sustainment, a market network dedicated to the success of American Manufacturing. Learn More →

💴 This Week in Manufacturing

September’s PMI at 49.1 showed factories still fighting headwinds, but new policy sparks—like the FDA’s domestic drug-manufacturing pilot—and Manufacturing Day’s celebration of small firms pointed toward lasting resilience. Each headline told the same story: U.S. manufacturing is grinding forward, re-anchoring capacity at home, and proving that steady, relationship-driven progress still wins over quick fixes.

Our headlines this week highlight further musings on the impact of tariffs, a discussion on M&A in today’s economy, expanding drones, and more!

This week’s first podcast, from The Manufacturing Executive, examines how inefficient instructions can put entire production lines at risk. The second podcast, from Manufacturing Happy Hour, breaks down why Operational Technology (OT) security matters more than ever.

Our Social Video and Fun Fact showcase recent achievements and potential changes within the American pharmaceutical industry.

Thanks for joining us!

⚙ Manufacturing Headlines

• Tariffs Will Not Fix Sluggish U.S. Manufacturing [Forbes]

• Guide to Distressed Acquisitions in U.S. Manufacturing [Frost Brown Todd Attorneys]

• Sharpie Found a Way to Make Pens More Cheaply [MSN]

• Keeping the faith in US solar manufacturing [PV Tech]

• DMR Technologies to Launch Full-Scale U.S. Drone Manufacturing Facility [Opportunity Louisiana]

MONTHLY REPORT

♨️ Steady Hands, Strategic Shifts: U.S. Manufacturing Finds Its Footing

The latest ISM report showed the U.S. Manufacturing PMI rising to 49.1 in September, its first uptick in seven months.

The ISM’s 49.1 PMI shows U.S. manufacturing still contracting but inching toward stability. The FDA’s new pilot favoring U.S.-made generics and Manufacturing Day’s spotlight on small businesses both underscored the same theme: rebuilding American capacity from the ground up.

Progress this week wasn’t about headlines—it was about alignment. From policy to production, momentum is quietly shifting toward a more resilient, relationship-driven manufacturing ecosystem.

Upshot: America’s manufacturing future will be written not in mega-plants, but in the distributed network of small, connected firms that form the heart of every resilient supply chain.

FROM THE FEED

📱Will tariffs onshore pharma manufacturing to the U.S.?

🤨Did You Know?

55% of pharma companies

report international distribution, nearly double the 29% average among all manufacturers.

^{Source: Industry Select}

🎧 Podcasts Worth A Listen