Production

A strong supply base will help U.S.-based manufacturers as well as the economies of Central and South America.

Following up on his pledge to provide greater support for manufacturing in his State of the Union address, President Obama has announced a proposal to cut the effective tax rate for manufacturers to 25%. A number of economists howled against this so-called “industrial policy” and criticized the president’s singling out manufacturing for “special treatment” — […]

Three capabilities the consumer health company invested in after demand surged during the pandemic.

The regularity of the growth cycles of living organisms has always fascinated thoughtful he observers regularity and of has the invited growth a cycles variety of living attempts to apply the same principles—of a predictable sequence of rapid growth followed by maturation, decline, and death—to companies and selected industries. One such concept, known as the […]

Hardware startups are easier to launch than ever.

The past several years have witnessed a growing awareness among American managers of the central importance to competitive success of first-rate competence in the work of production. At the top of many corporate agendas now rests the determination to boost productivity, product quality, and new product innovation. This is all to the good. What managers […]

Sometimes, PR moves end up having bigger-than-anticipated effects. Just look at auto manufacturing in the South.

Years ago, while visiting friends in the United States, I happened to see the classic children’s film The Wizard of Oz. Near the end, Dorothy at last appears before the all-powerful wizard—a terrifying image of smoke and light. Only when her dog, Toto, tugs at a curtain over to one side does she see a […]

How Chinese investment is reshaping Africa

American industry is beginning to put its manufacturing house in order. Companies building high-volume standardized products like copiers, appliances, and automobiles are learning from their foreign rivals and emulating their commitment to ongoing product and process innovation. But one important segment of U.S. industry—job shop manufacturers—continues to postpone needed reforms. Many of these companies have […]

In what now seems a distant past, company research facilities like Xerox PARC and Bell Labs fueled innovation and growth for dominant American manufacturing...

Double-digit growth without a single new product? You bet. Simply focus on making the most of the business you’re in.

Making the United States an even more attractive location for factories and investments is critical for the health of our nation. More domestic factories...

It's the end of the quarter, and the sales staff at Exceso Corp. is scrambling to meet CEO R. Foley Vinton's overheated 9% sales target. Sure, the sales...

How the industry is changing in the U.S., China, and Africa.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal pointed to an uptick in manufacturing jobs in the United States as a glimmer of hope in the depressing job...

Consumers' tastes are changing fast, but one things remains: they value quality, value, and inspiration in their products.

Now that providing services is more lucrative than making products, the old foundations for success in manufacturing are crumbling. Smart manufacturers are creating new business models to capture profits at the customer’s end of the value chain.

The business press does not rush to do stories on tool pegboards. An editor hears that Westinghouse’s Asheville, North Carolina plant has shortened machine setup times, eliminated many computer transactions, and cut inventories and indirect labor costs by two-thirds—all in only a couple of years—and you can bet the reporter sent to cover the story […]

The Toyota story has been intensively researched and painstakingly documented, yet what really happens inside the company remains a mystery. Here’s new insight into the unspoken rules that give Toyota its competitive edge.