Many manufacturers perform a cost-benefit analysis when deciding whether to move production abroad. Others, however, are determined to make their products in the United States, even when the costs are higher. Read more
Reshoring – For decades we have been shedding apparel-manufacturing jobs in addition to the entire ecosystem that goes along with them. However, the offshore wages that were once a fraction of U.S. labor costs are escalating. Shipping costs, coupled with long lead times, quality problems, and the intangible costs and risks of being far from customers are making offshore manufacturing and sourcing less attractive for apparel companies. Read more
Throughout the 2016 election cycle, one of presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s most impassioned – and oft-repeated – promises should he move into the White House next year is the recovery of millions of jobs previously offshored to China, Mexico and elsewhere. Read more
International trade agreements: It is remarkable that the one thing leading presidential candidates of both parties agree is bad is the one thing mainstream economists agree is good. Read more
Last year, the Nabisco company decided not to make a $130 million upgrade to the Chicago facilities in which America’s iconic cookie, the Oreo, is made. The final Chicago-made Oreo cookies rolled off the line last week on Friday. This work will be transferred to four state-of-the-art production lines in Salinas, Mexico. This move has generated some buzz within the MAM community, and consumers are looking for an alternative. Read more
Startups are returning to American factories, and it’s no longer (just) about patriotism or marketing. These brands want to create the best, most innovative clothes in the world. Read more
The concept of “Made in America” is slowly giving way to “Made by China … in America,” as Chinese investors are increasingly snatching up U.S.-based companies and assets and raising the eyebrows of some regulators and market spectators. Read more
New Balance has been waiting for years for the Department of Defense to buy athletic shoes/sneakers that are made in this country. If US Representatives Niki Tsongas and Bruce Poliquin have their way, the Boston sneaker maker won’t have to wait much longer. Read more
Travelers staying at any of Marriott’s nearly 3,000 U.S. hotels may notice a little something different in their guest rooms in the coming year. Read more
