IN a time of social and political polarization, spurred by both a health and social pandemic, Brand Activism will be essential for the success of any company thinking about Reshoring during 2020 and forward. Brand Activism is a strategic marketing practice…
IN his book, The Enigma of Capital, David Harvey recites former Secretary of Treasury Andrew Mellon and says, “In a crisis, assets return to their rightful owners.” Harvey was using this quote to discuss the political structure that birthed the…
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many iconic retail brands, such as JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, J. Crew, and Pier 1, have been forced to file for bankruptcy. Many of these prominent retailers have faced dubious financial positions for years…
Where do you shop for gifts? Do you fight the crowds and traffic? Do you order everything off of Amazon or Walmart.com (both great resources for USA made products)? Are you the person that gives everyone gift cards? There is…
The phrase “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” rings throughout the chamber as Toto pulls back the Wizard’s disguise. Many of us know the story of The Wizard of Oz; a young girl, thrust into a world…
In early 1776, Thomas Paine’s ink quill would scrawl the following idea across a thin piece of parchment: “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a…
Tranche 4 shakes up apparel and footwear supply chains after escaping earlier tariffs This story was first published in the weekly newsletter, Supply Chain Dive: Procurement. Sign up here. Dive Insight: Although China is currently the country’s largest supplier of…
Each year a University of Kentucky MBA student has the opportunity to work with local companies through Project Connect. Along with the Reshoring Institute, I also have the privilege of working with GreenHouse17, a local nonprofit whose mission is to…
Is it just me or does it seem like the holidays get earlier every year? Hanukkah is early this year starting on December 2, 2018, and Christmas decorations were already in the stores before Halloween. Friends are posting pictures of…
Reshoring Injection Molded Plastic Parts, Products, and Components… Guest Blog by Joe Croft – Sare Plastics – Alliance, Ohio There are many compelling arguments for reshoring of manufactured goods, not the least of which is the current state of affairs…
Made in USA Labeling - The Reshoring Institute was asked to assist in researching sources for U.S. made parts for our client. The company wanted to start manufacturing products in the U.S. To label the product “Made in USA” according…
With the announcement of the tariffs, many companies are starting to investigate moving manufacturing back to the U.S. to avoid the tariffs. This is a great idea in theory but as we have learned over the last couple of years…
The United States has ordered 10%-25% tariffs on about $200 billion of Chinese goods. China retaliated by applying tariffs on $60 billion U.S’s goods imported into China, and has filed two WTO complaints against the U.S. The list of…
Ever since Trump announced tariffs on Aluminum and Steel in March 2018, Tariffs and Trade Wars have been “trending”. I get daily Google Alerts for articles on the Trade War between China and the U.S. and every industry has given…
Once again, Walmart held its summer Open Call U.S. Manufacturing event at its headquarters in Bentonville, AR in June 2018. Walmart was kind enough to extend an invitation for the Reshoring Institute to participate. Once again, we were so impressed…
In the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, the main characters find themselves questioning what is happening in their reality. This show takes place in fictional Hawkins, Indiana. It seems to be the most ordinary of places until a young boy…
A friend of ours had some car trouble and purchased a part online, using overseas production, for a quarter of the price. Thinking he had scored a deal, he had his mechanic install it only to have it fail a…
The International Trade Commission (ITC) declared on Friday, that solar panels imported from China are hurting U.S. Manufacturers – not really a surprise to anyone. But this decision on overseas production may have overall devastating effects on the U.S. solar…
Before a manufacturer labels a product “Made in USA” or “Assembled in USA,” it is important to be sure the product meets federal and state regulations for labeling. Unfortunately, the regulations can be vague, complicated and subject to interpretation. The…
While doing a customer project for the Reshoring Institute, I researched the US Contract Manufacturing market, specifically in the industries of bicycles, motorcycles, metal product producers, plastic injection molding producers and dollies and carts manufacturers. I found that many of…