Dan Varroney, founder of Potomac Core Consulting and author of Reimagining Industry Growth: Partnership Strategies in an Era of Uncertainty, says “It’s a question minus a strategy.” Varroney urges adoption of a long-term strategic view, involving industry trade associations as “neutral ground,” by which companies can identify “pre-competitive” challenges and determine the best path forward for their supply chains.

More specifically, Varroney argues that businesses should join with their trade associations to identify parts of the country that might provide fertile ground for manufacturing operations, then work to develop and promote local education systems so as to generate a supply of trained and skilled workers needed to staff the factories.