Industry Trends & Analysis

The Republican Party has become the party of blue-collar America. After the 1992 election, 15 of the 20 most manufacturing-intensive congressional districts in the U.S. were represented by Democrats. Today, all 20 are held by Republicans. The shift of manufacturing from a Democratic stronghold to a Republican one is a major force remaking the two parties. It helps explain Donald Trump's political success, the rise of Republican protectionism and the nation's polarized politics. It will help shape this year's midterm elections.

With the new norm of global uncertainty, suppliers and customers alike must retool their thinking and business models to mitigate risk—be it political, economic, social or climatic. The urgency created by the current political climate is accelerating the technology development already underway. Companies caught in the crosshairs of a trade war will lose ground to those that strategically invest in developing an agile supply chain.

A.T. Kearney published its fourth annual study on reshoring. The new release shows record imports in 2017 from traditional offshoring countries.

A blade and knife manufacturer for the lumber industry suggested that it might have to close its plant in Michigan. The largest nail producer in the U.S. has laid off 60 workers and warns that it may be forced to move its factory to Mexico. A California cannery said its profit margins could drop by up to 70 percent over the coming months. A well-known motorcycle manufacturer said it's shifting some of its production to foreign countries. What is this financial crisis that's affecting so many manufacturing companies? In each case, the Trump administration's tariffs on steel and aluminum are said to be the culprit.

Industry experts identify drivers behind increases in salaries and benefits.n

Our 2018 survey shows that the incomes of metalworking professionals are rising.

Providing effective troubleshooting advice, education and training will keep your customers coming back.

To move forward, it is important to see how American manufacturing compares with that of other nations. This report develops a global manufacturing scorecard that looks at five dimensions of the manufacturing environment: overall policies and regulations; tax policy; energy, transportation and health costs; workforce quality; and infrastructure and innovation.

Jane Hardy, the chief executive of a company that makes lawn care equipment, says she had to lay off 75 employees this summer because of President Donald Trump's trade war. As she fights to keep her southern Indiana business going, Hardy is one of the manufacturers warning the White House that, unless they see relief from the tariffs soon, job losses will mount and factory closures are likely.

Asheville, North Carolina, isn't just tourism and beer. Well, sometimes it's beer. But on the other side of the Great Recession, the city's economy has become increasingly tied to the manufacturing industry.

Finding and hiring skilled, talented workers for your manufacturing business — when you need them — is one of the big factors that determine the success of your company. In the 16th episode of the CNC Chef video series, Bob Warfield from CNCCookbook lays out some tips and advice for hiring during an economic era of full employment.

To determine the places where manufacturing growth is strongest, employment in the sector was looked at in 373 metropolitan statistical areas, assessing short-, medium- and long-term trends going back to 2006 and adding in variables for persistence and momentum.