This article in Wired Magazine highlights Lloyd Ambrust, a software entrepreneur who pivoted to making masks at the start of the pandemic. 

The experience opened his eyes, as he realized what we at Unionwear have known for some time: when the US outsourced its manufacturing advantage to China and other countries, we lost our competitive advantage. 

And, as we now learned, we also put our national security at risk. It will be difficult to recover from the loss of our manufacturing base, although it can be done.

“We literally learned everything in the hardest way possible,” Armbrust said. “This opened my eyes—I thought, ‘Wow, the US really is behind”’… [China has] such a tremendous infrastructure advantage.”

How can domestic manufacturers compete in this shifting world?

When it comes to re-learning manufacturing in the US, Chris Netram, a vice president at the National Association of Manufacturers said, “the word that comes to mind is resilience.” 

Good policies help as well. NAM’s efforts have made it easier to get federal lawmakers to discuss policies such as tax breaks and incentives for equipment, R&D, and training. As a result, President Biden ordered reviews and policy proposals for several supply chains deemed crucial to national security.

So there are steps being taken to bring manufacturing home. The task won’t be easy. Just ask Lloyd Ambrust.

Read more HERE