The Rebirth of American Manufacturing

Manufacturing in the USA is experiencing a rebirth. While large company manufacturing is up or down depending on the month and global pressures, small business manufacturing is thriving. There are a couple of factors coming together for this.

First, America has always been a nation of tinkerers and self-starters. People starting companies in their garage are hailed as heroes. So on the supply side, there is momentum from people having ideas and making them a reality. Whether it is iPad covers or small-batch pickles, opportunities abound and there are more innovators happy to pick up the trends. On the demand side, customers find it cool to buy locally, and to purchase products made in the country.

Second, the cost advantage of manufacturing abroad is eroding. Wages are going higher abroad, and stagnating in the US. Quality issues and levels of education generally favor domestic production. Then you have to take into consideration the cost and delay of transportation which impacts the time to market. For large companies and their existing products, and for new businesses trying a small batch to test the market, it makes sense to compare the final costs.

Last, the current state of the economy is no small factor either. The realization that buying locally keeps more money in the community and in the country has pushed up the interest for products made in America. In turn, it becomes the right thing to do for companies to note that their products are made here.

Our mission at Brand New USA is to scout these new products and inform the intended audience. The more people know about these exciting products, the faster these companies can grow from small to medium to large.

Photo from Black Box Cases, from Golden, CO.