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Were Taking US Manufacturing For Granted

June 10, 2013, AJ Sweatt

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Familiarity breeds contempt. Or neglect.

We see this all the time. We grow tired of things often in our lives. In relationships. In politics. With music.With food. With jobs. Its important that we mix things up from time-to-time. Or in many cases, to re-energize or re-commit.

Maybejust maybewe became so accustomed to US manufacturing just being there that we didnt careto protect it. To nurture it. Or even notice it anymore.

Do you ever think about the wheel? A wheel? Wheels in general?

I dont. I mean, sitting around expending time & energy thinking about the wheel would beI dont know sorta weird, dont you think? Or at least wasteful. Or obsessive. Or maybe even somewhat dysfunctional.

But Id like you to suspend your reluctance to do such a seemingly wasteful thing for just a moment, andconsider the importance of the wheel to societies, cultures, economies, and quality of life. And I dont just

mean to picture a wheel in your head and meditate on itI mean to look for examples around you, and

consider if theres a wheel in them. Or what role a wheel might have played in their existence.

Seriously. Try it.

You may look out the window and see cars and trucks. Those are obvious examples. But think of the enginecomponents. The transmissions. The adjustable seats. The pumps. Now think of the machines that were used

to make themthe machine tools, the material handling, the physical supply chains that move parts,

assemblies, and finished products to markets. Think of the factories, and their reliance on the wheel.

You may look around your home and find many. But aside from the apparentappliances, toys, doors,faucetsthink of those things based on the wheel that arent so clearly recognized. Like that mouse in your

hand, or that keyboard in front of you. The drawers & cabinets. Your grill (the one you cook on, not the one

youre scrunching wondering where Im going with this).

You get the idea. If you think about it, wheels are ubiquitous. And theyre extraordinarily important to us all.

Theyve beenaround for 10,000 years, by some estimates. Thats a long time to get used to something.

And yet, the amount of time we spend thinking about them is directly out of proportion to their importance.

And I suspect that in many circles and segments of the US, weve developed the same disproportion towardmanufacturing and its importance to our society, culture, economy, and quality of life.

Yes, our country and its livelihood was built on a foundation as a manufacturerbut we used to be muchcloser to manufacturing in our everyday lives. We fixed things. We built things. Certainly, more of us

worked at companies that did those things.

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Technology has created a natural disconnection from the process of manufacturing things. Were not as

directly connected to it anymore. The combination of automation, trade policies, consumerism, technology,economics, and politics, have all contributed to our distance from it. Out of sight, out of mind.

Were seeing a lot of talk these days about the importance of manufacturing in the press, online, from thegovernment, from business. And thats good. But that message is being received by fewer people with first-

hand knowledge of its real value. Its not enough to just talk about it. Until we take meaningful steps to

rebuild and recommit to manufacturing, all else is window dressing.

Many of us have forgotten that aside from the miracles of creation, everything is made. Let me stress this

again: look around you right nowEVERYTHING IS MANUFACTURED.

In relationships, we often realize our neglect after the fact. Sometimes, its too late to repair the benign but

real damage that years of taking someone or something for granted can do.

But this aint one of them. Our relationship to and dependence uponmanufacturing is real and

salvageable and worth the re-commitment.

Maybejust maybeits simply about instilling the real importance of manufacturing into the conversation,

to remind and reinvigorate and re-inspire. To point out what may or should seem obvious.

Like the wheel, many of us have taken and continue to take manufacturings extraordinary value to ournation, our economy, and our competitiveness for granted. We should know better by now.

We often allow the anti-manufacturing classes to dominate and distort the debate over US manufacturingsfuture. Theyve been misled into underestimating the importance of something they cant or wont see. They

need our help to understand those extraordinary values in real terms they can process.

Challenge themevery chance you getto take some time to think about manufacturing and to envision its

value.

And to consider that manufacturing is the wheel theyve overlooked.

AJ Sweatt

Website

6 Comments

1. ReplyIn complete agreement that technology has created a natural disconnection from the process of

manufacturing. And we should look at the importance of manufacturings future. At the same time,were at a crossroads where we have (as a global community) recognized the importance of

sustainability. I think its up to those of us in the industry to see how we can continue to integrate

practices of sustainability while keeping manufacturing efficient and strong.

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Christopher IsarJune 13, 2013 at 4:14 pm

o ReplyChris, Im actually encouraged by the elevation of manufacturing in our national debate these

days. But we need more than talk, and that goes for sustainability (and trade) too.

AJ SweattJune 17, 2013 at 11:56 am

2. ReplyI look at this from a slightly different angle AJ. I read somewhere that the more you know about

something, the more you will marvel at it. In my opinion, that is why you and I marvel at this thing

called manufacturing.

The real trouble is (again, in my opinion) that too many people no longer understand or marvel at

manufacturing because they have NEVER been involved in it and dont have an understanding of it.

It may well be that we are talking about two different subsets of people but we can certainly agree

that the problem is a sad one for the US nonetheless.

Jim BusseyJune 13, 2013 at 8:58 pm

o ReplyGreat point, Jim. While I allude to it here youve done a wonderful job of distilling another of

the thousand cuts. And I dont think there are 2 (or more) subsets of people I think think

the one subset suffers from multiple blind spots coming from different sources. Thanks for thethoughtful comment, man.

AJ SweattJune 17, 2013 at 11:54 am

3. ReplyAmen brother. I spend a great deal of time educating about the importance of manufacturing and thecareer possibilities for our youth. Many are disconnected as to what 21st century manufacturing looks

like and what a strong manufacturing base means to the economy.

Bill McCourtJune 13, 2013 at 10:37 pm

4. ReplyGreat Discussion AJ!

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I too have been encouraged over the last 5-10 years of the wake up that many people are

experiencing in the U.S. in regards to the importance of manufacturing. The shift is quite positive, butwe have a ways to go and need to keep up the efforts.

Another way to do this is for manufacturers to host Open Houses to let people see from theinside what it is we are talking about.

I hope many manufacturers decide to host some sort of event on October 4th National

Manufacturers Day. Go tohttp://www.MfgDay.comfor more info.

Cheers!

Kevin

Kevin JohnsonSeptember 9, 2013 at 8:43 am

http://www.mfgday.com/http://www.mfgday.com/http://www.mfgday.com/http://www.fischerspecialtooling.com/http://www.fischerspecialtooling.com/http://www.fischerspecialtooling.com/http://www.fischerspecialtooling.com/http://www.fischerspecialtooling.com/http://www.mfgday.com/