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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

Bigger doesn’t always mean better and it’s important to not judge solely by size, especially not in manufacturing. Today’s lead story covers the importance of the sector’s small and medium-sized businesses. Let’s dive in!

Today’s profile is from Sustainment’s own Bret Boyd, who discusses the need for a major shift in America’s manufacturing focus. The supply chain challenges that arose during the pandemic highlighted our domestic gaps. Fortunately, small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses are experienced, geographically diverse, and nimble enough to help jumpstart industrial growth.

This week’s first podcast, from Heavy Hitters, covers innovations and changes to the supply chain as Boyd outlined. The second podcast, The Manufacturing Executive, dives into the importance of strong leadership within a manufacturing organization.

Our headlines this week highlight investments and growth in line with Boyd’s recommendations: construction, automotive, solar, and more!

Finally, this week’s Social Video and Fun Fact showcase one of those small manufacturing businesses and the growth potential in the supply chain, respectively.

Thanks for joining us!

P.S. Do you have a story to share about innovation at your company? We'd love to profile you! Click here (it’s free)

⚙ Manufacturing Headlines

• Understanding Strong Domestic Manufacturing For Technology [Forbes]

• Automotive supplier throttles up operations with smart robots [DC Velocity]

• Small businesses can jumpstart American manufacturing [CompanyWeek]

• Caterpillar–A Century on Track [Assembly]

• Solar manufacturing moving onshore and prospering [PV Magazine]

• Domestic Footwear Makers Prioritize ‘Made in the USA’ [Sourcing Journal]

INDUSTRIAL & EQUIPMENT

♨️ Making American Manufacturing Great Again Starts with Small Businesses

After a year of losing an average of 9,000 manufacturing jobs per month, February brought a long-awaited reversal: the addition of 10,000 manufacturing jobs, according to a new Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

Domestic production is key to solidifying the United States’ position as an industrial superpower. The COVID crisis served as confirmation of our supply chain vulnerabilities. As the pandemic spread, production lines slowed, as parts and components produced overseas were suddenly unavailable.

Mid-market manufacturers are the heart of American manufacturing. In addition to providing great jobs that anchor many middle-American communities, the mid-market manufacturing entrepreneurs are where the majority of our manufacturing capacity resides.

Upshot: In order to fully tap into America’s manufacturing strength, we need to unleash the potential of the tens of thousands of small and medium-sized manufacturers.

FROM THE FEED

📱Small Scale American Manufacturing

🤨Did You Know?

The value of the supply chain management industry is projected to reach

$30.91 B

by 2026.

^{Source: Fit Small Business}

🎧 Podcasts Worth A Listen

CompanyWeek is the voice of the modern manufacturing economy, telling stories of U.S. Manufacturers to showcase workers, innovation, technology, and progress.