Looking for Good News in US Manufacturing? Major Expansion Plans Add Some Sizzle

COVID-19 may own the spotlight today, but manufacturing’s tomorrow is getting some big-dollar investments.

By Jill Jusko

I’ve been surprised, I admit it. The last six months or so have not been great for manufacturing. As it has with nearly every other industry, the novel coronavirus has taken a big chomp out of manufacturing business-as-usual and not released its grip significantly. Lack of work continues to lead to layoffs or terminations. Supply chain disruptions continue to interrupt production for many even if the demand is there. Keeping a workplace safe has become a complicated exercise.

And yet. Despite COVID-19, a steady trickle of significant manufacturing expansion plans in the United States has been announced in recent months. And by significant, I mean really big.    To steal some beautiful alliteration from a colleague: In the context of calamity, I’d expect contraction, but here we are with a good bit of the opposite — significant expansion. That’s what surprises me.

Here are a few details on the expansions I’m talking about: (click here for full article)