Blue Silk Consulting Goes to Sacramento

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 with California state legislators including several Assembly members and Senators from different districts of California. We described our mission and inquired about how we can support their efforts and future legislation regarding Economic Development and Education. These are two crucial areas for improvement to support Reshoring.

All of the legislators we contacted were interested in bringing jobs back to their districts – where there are jobs there are taxpayers and voters.  What we found interesting though, was that there are only a few pieces of legislation currently in the pipeline that will support Reshoring.  These include changes in enterprise zoning and how to define products that can be labeled “Made In America.”

We explained that Reshoring will not happen overnight. Companies need to know if there are skilled workers in their area, and if not, are there training programs available?  Is there infrastructure in place to accommodate new or refurbished manufacturing plants?  Are government tax incentives available to help balance the offshore/onshore equation?

The legislators were enthusiastic about hearing from us. They want to know what needs to be done to help companies Reshore.  They welcome input from the private sector regarding the needs of business.

It is very important that companies considering Reshoring connect with local, state, and federal government to understand and support each other’s needs.

Originally published on Blue Silk Consulting website on September 29, 2013