U.S. Manufacturing

In the last few months, the manufacturing industry has been shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic. From distribution disruptions to dwindling supplies and fluctuating demand, COVID-19 has revealed some of the biggest weaknesses in global supply chains. In response, many manufacturers are reconsidering their supply chains and making strategic adjustments to recover from COVID-related disruptions. How COVID has affected supply chains As the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold in the Un

COVID-19 has changed so much about everything, from our ability to run errands to managing global supply chains. As networks of trade shift and companies work to adapt to the changes brought on by COVID-19, there is a lot of speculation about what the future will look like for manufacturing, trade and business on a global scale. There is no doubt that COVID-19 will have lasting effects when it comes to reshoring, but the specifics of these changes have yet to be seen. How COV

Countries around the world have been dealing with the spread of COVID-19 and its effects on society and the economy. This disease has affected virtually every industry and business owners are still looking for ways to adapt to these new challenges and make it through these uncertain times. The manufacturing industry is responding to COVID-19 with a series of actions and initiatives to keep the manufacturing workforce safe and improve long-term economic outcomes. COVID-19 Poli

Lots of business owners and prospective entrepreneurs rely on guidance from mentors to help them reach their goals and achieve success, but a lot of professionals in the manufacturing industry underestimate the importance of mentorship programs. If you work in the manufacturing industry and you are looking for new ways to reach your career goals, it’s worth it to consider some of the benefits that mentorship has to offer. Why is Mentorship Important? There are several reasons

For decades, companies have turned to offshore manufacturing to meet shifting demands and cut production costs. Unfortunately, many companies are left feeling unhappy with their offshore manufacturing due to the often unpredictable and inconsistent quality of the items and components that are produced. This dissatisfaction has led to a shift among manufacturers who are beginning to consider reshoring to improve product quality. The Problem with Offshoring Much of the dissatis

Over the last several decades, American businesses outsourced much of their manufacturing and operations overseas. But there are actually signs that domestic manufacturing is beginning to make a comeback. Read on to find out more about the reshoring movement and some of the factors that will determine the future of U.S. manufacturing. International labor laws: One of the primary drivers for the shift to overseas manufacturing has been inexpensive labor. But with wages in coun

Over the last several decades, shifts in the economy and changes to manufacturing practices have led to major changes in how-- and where-- manufacturing is done. While we’re all familiar with the stories of companies outsourcing manufacturing operations overseas, you may not hear as much about reshoring, which is what happens when a company brings manufacturing back to the domestic market. Needless to say, reshoring has a myriad of benefits for manufacturers, workers, and con

Over the last several decades, there has been a major shift towards foreign manufacturing. From garments to electronic devices, it seems as though many items on the market today were made somewhere other than the United States. Exporting manufacturing jobs has had significant impacts on the American economy, but it also has implications for day-to-day business operations. Working with a foreign manufacturer can cause complications and difficulties that impact your turnaround

October 6th is National Manufacturing Day, a day set aside to celebrate modern manufacturing and inspire the next generation of workers to get excited about new opportunities and trends in manufacturing. Manufacturing is changing, and it’s important for us to help ‘set the record straight’ when it comes to some of the misperceptions people have about manufacturing jobs. What better way to shed some light on this innovative industry than with some of the coming trends we here

A CHANGING LANDSCAPEA CHANGING LANDSCAPE It’s no secret that manufacturing is changing. As technology improves and automation continues to make manufacturing more efficient, the rising tide of U.S. manufacturing must change too. There’s been a lot of doomsday-style messaging around these changes in the news cycle, with concerns from some that in time machines will be taking over as many jobs as were lost to offshoring in previous decades. But let’s face it, we’ve all got e

While manufacturing has been going strong in recent months, manufacturers in the plastics industry are busy preparing ourselves for a changing future. Because the truth is, change is coming whether we like it or not. And while certainly some of those elements of change have the potential to improve our industry (a possible reduction in corporate taxes, for instance, would hardly upset most of us), others promise new challenges lie ahead. MANUFACTURERS, IT'S TIME TO PREPARE So

THE RESHORING TREND IN MANUFACTURING Following the wide scale outsourcing of U.S. manufacturing production over the past 40 years (much of it sent off to Asian countries like China where dramatically lower wages and a more than ample supply of workers meant low manufacturing costs in comparison to U.S. production) a new “reshoring” movement is beginning to emerge. As overseas production concerns grow, many companies have begun to realize that cheaper production at any cost--i

We’re all familiar with the business drivers that lead companies to outsource some, if not all, of their manufacturing production (what often boils down, at its essence, to saving money, whether those savings come from cheaper labor or economies of scale for high volume manufacturing). But while outsourcing as a business strategy continues to grow, we aren’t seeing corresponding growth in offshoring. Why? And how does hyper-local manufacturing fit into this outsourcing model?

U.S. MANUFACTURING TODAY Some of the buzz about U.S. manufacturing may have died down in recent months, but it's no secret that the manufacturing industry remains by and large one of our nation's greatest assets. Here we outline 10 of the reasons Made in America still matters to all of us. From public perception towards U.S. products to innovative Research and Development, U.S. manufacturing is constantly on the go. 51 cents of every dollar. That’s the amount U.S. consumers a

ECONOMIES OF SCALE Once upon a time, the key to maintaining a competitive edge as a manufacturer rested almost solely on ensuring economies of scale; the faster and more cheaply you were able to produce, the better. Sure, you hoped at the end you would have quality products that worked as planned but the majority of your time was spent figuring out how to reduce costs by doing more and doing it faster. Offshoring production to countries with low wages and high capacity became

ONSHORING THE BETTER CHOICE FOR BUSINESS Reshoring manufacturing processing and production is continuing to trend upward in the United States. This trend has been on the upswing for the third straight year and reflects a growing desire for companies and executives to push harder at bringing business and manufacturing back to local shores. What are the factors making onshoring a reality for local business? The rising cost of foreign labor is creating more economic equality for

MAKING THE RIGHT INVESTMENT FOR YOUR COMPANY KASO invites you to take our challenge and find out for yourself the benefits you'll receive from working with us. Offshoring is no longer the best answer to save money, and having a local manufacturer keeps you in control of your projects. Competitive costs, faster turn-around, and greater involvement makes choosing a local injection molder the right choice for your business and your value driven goals. THE CHALLENGES OF OFFSHORIN

32 straight months of expansion may very well be the warning signal to foreign manufacturers that the United States has begun a “manufacturing renaissance”, at least according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. One factor cited: a narrowing of the gap in U.S. and foreign wages. While emerging markets are still paid less than U.S., those wages are rising. Match that up with higher oil prices making shipping more expensive, and the ability of U.S. manufacturers to

After disappointing numbers in the years following the economic recession, things are starting to look up for the automotive industry. In a recent article posted on Plastic Industry Trade Association SPI’s blog, dismal production figures that dipped down to only 10.6 million units in 2009 have steadily climbed back their way back up—to 12.8 million units closing out 2011 with predictions as high as 13.8 million units for 2012. This increase affects every member of the automo