How Manufacturing Communities Compare in Efforts to Attract Reshoring Companies

The United States is now realizing the advantages of reshoring manufacturing back to the United States, especially to protect the supply chain that supports the defense industrial base and national security. It is predicted that the future of American manufacturing will provide more growth than we saw in the tech sector over the past 20 years. But it is not expected that the manufacturing in the United States will look the same as the industry did in the 1950s-1960s, before off-shoring began in the 1970’s to find lower cost labor and lenient environmental regulations. Innovation, technology and automation have changed the face of manufacturing. Digital engineering, with supporting robotics, help manufacturers to produce products at less cost and with fewer workers. Higher productivity per worker eliminates the strategic advantage of cheap labor held by international competitors. Additionally, reshoring reduces the carbon footprint by not transporting goods back to the United States and lowers transportation costs in the supply chain. The Utah Defense Manufacturing Community(UDMC) set out to identify and assess reshoring efforts of other manufacturing communities, states, and local governments. Programs were compared to identify opportunities or gaps were identified that the communities could address to enhance reshoring. This foundational research will help to guide community policy makers in developing a response to reshoring manufacturing.

Watch the webinar presentation below, and download the presentation slides.

Video Recording:

For more information please reach out to AMCC Executive Director Matt Bogoshian via email at matt.bogoshian@amccmail.org