Here is an editorial from the Des Moines Register newspaper, prompted by the planned closure of the Maytag plant in Newton Iowa, previously featured here.
I certainly believe that manufacturing is one of the few true “value creating” parts of our economy. The value created from manufacturing drives income that supports many many service jobs that employee most Americans. I'm not sure what the solution is, but we can't give away all of our manufacturing jobs. I don't have a problem with companies making necessary business decisions, nor do I want the government over-regulating these decisions, but how many companies are making bad decisions, chasing “cheap labor” overseas, but increasing total supply chain costs?
I think we need a massive lean education effort in industry and manufacturing… to help make sure any offshoring business case isn't unrealistic.
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