The Manufacturing Report

Made in America Store Owner and Founder Mark Andol rejoins the podcast to share why buying Made in America is the key to getting on the nice list this year. Listen in for the remarkable story behind the founding of the Made in America Store and why dreaded supply chain disruptions aren't keeping Andol up at night. Photo courtesy of the Made in America Store

In her new book, "American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears", Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Farah Stockman follows the lives of workers left in the aftermath of an Indiana factory closure in 2017. Where are these workers now? What lessons can we learn from their stories? Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House

A new Massachusetts bill would require schools and other public projects exceeding $500,000 to be built with U.S.-made steel and other domestic materials. In this episode, Capone Iron Corporation President Stephen Capone discusses why the legislation is so important for Massachusetts workers, local communities, and companies like his. Photo courtesy of Capone Iron Corporation

United Steelworkers (USW) District 9 Assistant Director Mark Cochran, USW Local 1066 President Mark Lash, and the CEO of Alex Paris Contracting share how serious infrastructure investment would transform their communities. Photo courtesy of United Steelworkers

National Skills Coalition CEO Andy Van Kleunen shares how the Biden administration can ensure that America's historically underserved populations most benefit from the president's ambitious Build Back Better infrastructure plans. Photo courtesy of the National Skills Coalition

It's time to get on the bus! The United Steelworkers (USW)are traveling through the Industrial Heartland this week to advocate for Made in America infrastructure investment. AAM President Scott Paul chatted with USW International President Tom Conway about the "We Supply America" bus tour, which kicks off Monday in Northwest Indiana. "You can't let your house fall into ill repair because you won't...

Sen. Tammy Baldwin joins The Manufacturing Report to talk about the bipartisan infrastructure deal currently being negotiated in the Senate, and the Wisconsin Democrat says she's optimistic that it will pass, and with bipartisan support. Baldwin also discusses why including Buy America preferences is vital in infrastructure legislation, especially given some of the lessons the U.S. learned the har...

On this episode of The Manufacturing Report, host Scott Paul chats with Margaux DelCollo, the co-owner of Twee, a women-owned maker's studio in Philadelphia. Twee is best known for its whimsical sidewalk chalk, which comes in a variety of shapes and colors. But as DelCollo explains in the episode, Twee brings a lot more to the table (or sidewalk), too. Photo courtesy of Twee.

China already is laps ahead of the United States when it comes to the production of electric vehicles. That's a threat to the entire U.S. auto industry, and the millions of jobs it supports. On this episode, Scott Paul talks to Emily de la Bruyere and Nathan Picarsic of Horizon Advisory about their new report, "China's Head Start: CCP Industrial Policy for Global Automotive Ascendance," which exam...

Manufacturing policy is dominating much of the discussion in Washington these days -- but will any of it produce real world results? In this episode of The Manufacturing Report, Alliance for American President Scott Paul joins AAM staffers Scott Boos and Elizabeth Brotherton-Bunch to talk about everything from infrastructure investment to the competition with China to President Biden's trip to the...

Welcome Industries earned acclaim for its Visual Measuring Cups, which take the guesswork out of cooking and baking — a half a cup looks like half a cup! Now the company is preparing to release its Visual Measuring Spoons, which brings the creative concept to tablespoons and teaspoons. Welcome Industries founder and industrial designer Pam Daniels joins host Scott Paul to talk about the journey of...

The Manufacturing Report first chatted with Okabashi's Sara Irvani in 2019 to learn more about her company's history and commitment to Made in America. Now we're catching up with Irvani to find out how Okabashi weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, and what the company is planning next. "This is a category of shoes that not only brings comfort, but brings joy," Irvani said. "And in these tough times, I...

Back in January, Dan Breznitz co-authored an insightful op-ed for The New York Times on how the desire for short-term gains led the United States to offshore much of its production. That policy choice caused the loss of millions of good-paying jobs and left the U.S. unable to respond in a crisis. Now Breznitz is out with a new book, "Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unfor...

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Melody and Jeremy Briggs took a risk and started Luosh USA, a surgical face mask manufacturing company, to bring more much-needed personal protective equipment to market. For Melody Briggs, who immigrated to the United States from China, it also was a way to show her patriotism for her adopted country — while including a nod to her family's heritage in the new compa...

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure this March, giving U.S. national infrastructure a decidedly mediocre ‘C-‘ grade. Eleven categories of infrastructure fared even worse, earning a D+ or less. But President Biden’s ambitious infrastructure investment plan could change all that. ASCE Executive Director Thomas Smith examines the c...

When Oxford Pennant Co-Founder Dave Horesh last joined The Manufacturing Report in March 2020, the world had just turned upside down, and pandemic pressures were threatening to close small businesses nationwide. And yet, 2020 was the wool felt pennant maker’s most successful ever. The key to their success? Tapping into the conversation. Here’s how they did it. Listen to Horesh's March 2020 intervi...

The Biden administration is preparing to reinitiate trade negotiations with an evermore aggressive Chinese government. Clyde Prestowitz, a veteran U.S. trade negotiator and presidential adviser who served as a leader of the first U.S. trade mission to China, contends that the U.S. must first seriously invest in its own manufacturing base. In his new book, "The World Turned Upside Down: America, Ch...

When Nisha Blackwell lost her job at a local coffee shop while attending nursing school, buying a gift for her friend's daughter's birthday wasn't an option, so she got out her sewing machine for the first time and went to work. The hairbows she created evolved into Knotzland, a bowtie company founded in 2015. Since then, Blackwell has made it her mission to open new pathways to entrepreneurship f...

In this episode, the Alliance for American Manufacturing's policy team forecasts what Democratic control of the presidency and Congress for some of the most important issues facing U.S. manufacturers today, including trade, industrial policy and clean energy. Photo courtesy of Joe Biden's YouTube.

In this episode, host Scott Paul speaks with Chris Fenton, the author of "Feeding the Dragon: Inside the Trillion Dollar Dilemma Facing Hollywood, the NBA, & American Business", who previously served as the president of DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group and lead the production of Hollywood blockbusters "Iron Man 3" and "Looper" in collaboration with the Chinese government. Fenton argues that...

For years, the global steel market has been flooded by excess steel production—with the United States becoming a major dumping destination for this artificially cheap imported steel. And the consequences have been profound. In the final installment of our “Build Back Better Blueprint” series, the Alliance for American Manufacturing's Scott Boos shares what steps the Trump administration has made t...

Hundreds of thousands of U.S. factory workers are unemployed, and yet factory owners lament that they cannot find skilled workers. Where's the disconnect? Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul outlines how President-elect Joe Biden can cultivate an inclusive economic recovery. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, the Alliance for American Manufacturing's Jeff Bonior spoke with several Black factory workers about their experience in manufacturing. Bonior recently talked to four of these workers about what they hope to see from a Biden administration. Photo courtesy of E.J. Jenkins

In this episode, Tim Gibb, co-founder of sustainable flip flop company TIDAL New York, shares how he hopes the Biden administration will take its cues from the groundswell of public support for domestic manufacturing, as well as how his company is investing in its local community. Photo courtesy of TIDAL New York

Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul explains what progress the U.S. government has made in defending the integrity of Made in USA labeling and what the next four years could hold for enforcement policy. Photo courtesy of Getty Images