Inc. Managzine
Originally published in Inc. Magazine, September 9, 2025.
Small-scale manufacturers must lead the charge as we re-shore America’s production capabilities. Here’s why.
The quest to rebuild American manufacturing is now in full force. Large-scale manufacturing has been moving back into the United States for a number of years, and recent commitments suggest the numbers will continue to grow. But without robust pipelines and ecosystems to build up our entrepreneurship, workforce, and innovations—all of which depend on supportive small-scale manufacturers—we will see only short-term success in the effort to re-shore American manufacturing.
Newly relocated factories, for example, cannot function in isolation, and needed skills and services to support their success may no longer be available locally or even domestically. Around half of the projected new American manufacturing jobs—1.9 million by 2033—could remain unfilled, according to Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute.
Fortunately, these smaller businesses can be incentivized far more easily and quickly than large ones, and in every jurisdiction. I’ve seen this play out firsthand in my work as the founder and CEO of Recast City, and the author of Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing.
Read the full article here.