It’s no longer a secret that I’m making great strides in bringing manufacturing and production back to our shores. A few years ago, my colleagues in the bicycle industry laughed at the notion that it would be possible for me…
American companies that produce products in America…what a concept! Buying American products isn’t a new concept, I remember growing up in the 80′s and 90′s and constantly hearing – “Buy American cars and Support America!” At the time American cars…
Interest in reshoring and near-shoring has more than tripled since 2010 as manufacturers scramble to adapt to shifting demand and supply patterns across the globe, according to a recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group. With China’s cost advantage eroding…
Last week we were in Denver, CO for the Walmart US Manufacturing Summit where Walmart recommitted to investing in American-made products. The two-day event started with the Mayor of Denver welcoming us and then stating his case on why Denver…
Before considering how to rebalance your global supply chain, first you should take a look at the changing landscape of manufacturing. Rising costs in China and shifting global economic forces are pressuring companies to reevaluate their global manufacturing strategies and…
Failure is hard. Hard to admit, hard to accept and hard to reflect on.. Last month we discussed how to avoid the pitfalls of reshoring. We used “pitfalls” as a kind way to say “How Not to Fail” but really…
Have you ever tried to do too much at one time? Of course you have, we all have. In most cases it works out with very little fallout. In some cases though, time and money can be lost. Years ago…
Ever since Starbucks announced it was returning the manufacturing of its retail coffee mugs to the U.S.A., Rosemary and I have been checking for them. Every time we are in a Starbucks we turn the mugs over to see where…
Growing up the 3R’s were Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. When looking for an image for this blog I realized that the current 3R’s are Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. Those make more sense than original but for sake of this discussion…
I love it when today’s politics and current events end up in popular television. I recently finished the second season of Netflix’s House of Cards and my ears always perked up when I heard them mention China. We emphasize Reshoring…
Public opinion is a fickle thing. One minute we love a company for exciting new products and then the next we hear that they are using child labor to make their products and we boycott them. How do you recover from…
As we start the new year by packing away our holiday decorations, unpacking our suitcases from traveling to see friends and family, and settling back into our normal routines, it’s normal to reflect on the previous year. We, at Blue Silk…
Regardless of your religious affiliation (or non affiliation), December in the United States means one thing: SHOPPING! Since the start of the recession, retail sales numbers have been our way of judging where the economy is headed. Were people lined up…
Is manufacturing sexy? Was it ever? Can we make it appeal to young Americans? It is sexy and exciting in other countries such as Germany, so why not the US? These are questions haunting business leaders today. I am a…
3D Printing – it’s been in the news lately, the mayor of San Francisco recently took a class on it and there was an episode of Elementary staged around it. So what is it really? Although it’s been called the…
As we mentioned in our blog on the 5 things to consider when Reshoring – Political Environment and Public Sentiment, we know government is interested in supporting local manufacturing and employment. So Blue Silk Consulting spent the month of August connecting…
Do you know how your manufacturing can take advantage of federal and local incentives, the current labor market and the desire for “Made in the US” goods? The tide of public sentiment towards outsourcing has sifted as a result of…
Can you find the skills necessary to reshore manufacturing into the highly efficient and automated factory floors of the US? As your manufacturing was outsourced your internal skill ladder continued to shrink. Skilled jobs followed the production capability offshore. Add…
Are you able to quickly recognize then capitalize on new market trends in different locations with a customized and localized product? Manufacturing locations such as China are rapidly emerging as major markets for US goods. Gathering large amounts of market…
How has your manufacturing choice enabled or inhibited the innovation you need to remain competitive? The pace of innovation in new materials, increasingly sophisticated digital electronics and manufacturing technology such as 3D printing and robots, has never been faster. In…