Replies

Soul, Congratulations on your post. It is perhaps the best post I've ever read on the subject of manufacturing and it's more than obvious you share the same passion for this subject. I don't know how much more I can add. I think you should make a copy of this post and send it to the major publications if you haven't already. I could write a whole post on each topic you touched. I can't find a single point on which to take issue. I'd like to have everyone in the USA read what you have written. That would be a first step.

The situation we are in now is very serious. I don't think the average citizen realizes just how serious the problem really is. Nothing is more frustrating for me than to go into a store and see 90% of the products made in China or not in the USA. I've given up trying to find certain manufactured goods made in USA. It's just too difficult. When you lose manufacturing you also lose the ability to manufacture. You lose R&D, Marketing, Engineering, Prototype Development and the like. These are the important jobs, the knowledge jobs that we cannot afford to lose.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against services. Services are vital for our economy. I just had a dental issue corrected this past month and boy am I glad I had that service. However I look at it like the wings of a bird. A bird needs two wings to fly. Services and Manufacturing go hand and hand. They compliment each other. They cannot exist long term without each other. Services will eventually die without manufacturing.

One thing I would add is that this is to a degree an ethos problem. Manufacturing is looked down upon in our culture. Just look at popular entertainment. All the shows are about Police/Detectives, Law & Legal, Marketing & Advertising (Mad Men?), and just about anything but productive work. I cannot ever remember a single television show or movie where the general theme of the show is the manufacturing or engineering business. There may have been some shows but I cannot remember them. Having a Job in an office has prestige in our culture. Being on the manufacturing floor is seen as second rate in our culture. This has to change in some way. I don't know how to change this but it just has to change. It's not surprising that practically done of our elected representatives have a manufacturing (or even general business) background.

I don't want to pound too hard on the MBA degree. I know a couple of MBA's who are very sharp and very productive people. But I believe they could be just as capable without their degree. It's the mentality of this program I have issues with. I've seen a number of them who have the short-term mentality you mentioned in your post. I can't help but believe that most of these folks have no real passion for manufacturing and production. They simply want to make as much money as they can as fast as they can and then go on to the next project. I've read some of their resumes and it's obvious they are more hype than substance. This is a big problem and I don't even know where to begin on this.

I've got a lot more to say about his subject but I don't have the time now.

Do you know of any organizations that are out there that are working to address some of these issues?

Manufacturing is looked down upon in our culture. Just look at popular entertainment. All the shows are about Police/Detectives, Law & Legal, Marketing & Advertising (Mad Men?), and just about anything but productive work. I cannot ever remember a single television show or movie where the general theme of the show is the manufacturing or engineering business.

Mike Judge's movie "Extract" was about manufacturing, too bad it had a short run in theaters. I loved that movie and it was unusual in that its focus was on a company that MADE SOMETHING.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1225822/