Last week, a group of 700 manufacturers from across America descended on Washington DC for a “Fly In” day on Capitol Hill. The purpose of the day was to voice support for the reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank. Rosemary Coates…
Competition is inevitable and businesses aren't the only entities that have to compete. Since the economic downturn many states have been competing for your business by offering incentives such as tax holidays, training credits, reduced power costs and other credits.…
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…
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…
An overview of the status of American manufacturing 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…
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…
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…
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…