The Manufacturing Report

By The Manufacturing Report

What's The Manufacturing Report about?

Manufacturing is having a moment. But what will it actually take to create more blue-collar jobs and strengthen our industrial base? Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul chats with policymakers, manufacturing experts and factory workers to find out.

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The Manufacturing Report episodes:

04.22.2024
United Steelworkers President Dave McCall on How America Rights the Ship[building Industry]
China is the world's biggest shipbuilder by far, an advantage that Beijing has stolen through decades of trade cheating and massive government subsidies. A new trade investigation launched by the Biden administration is America's first step toward course correction. United...
04.08.2024
New York's Orbic is Bringing Electronics Manufacturing to the U.S.
China and India are the world's leading mobile phone manufacturers, but one company is moving its production away from these countries and setting up shop in the United States. Dubbed "Project Patriot," Orbic's plan to manufacture connected devices on Long...
03.25.2024
Tennessee's American Paper Optics Keeps Your Eyes Safe During the Eclipse and Beyond
American Paper Optics has made a whopping more than 3 billion pairs of its innovative 3D glasses. Now, in preparation for the Great North American Eclipse on April 8, this Tennessee company is churning out millions upon millions of ISO-approved...
03.11.2024
Steven Kurutz Explores the Stories Behind American-Made Apparel in "American Flannel"
In his new book, "American Flannel: How a Band of Entrepreneurs Are Bringing the Art and Business of Making Clothes Back Home," journalist Steven Kurutz profiles men and women who have the courage and grit to fight the tide of...
02.26.2024
Award-Winning "Relighting the Flame" Director Carl Kriss Shares How Steel Jobs Make Communities
Award-winning Director Carl Kriss shares a behind-the-scenes preview of his new documentary, "Relighting the Flame," which profiles the next generation of workers who are fighting for the resurgence of the steel industry. But this isn't the first time Kriss has...
02.12.2024
APRI Pittsburgh’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program is "Breaking the Chains of Poverty"
Now in its 50th Class of the “Breaking the Chains of Poverty” pre-apprenticeship program, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) provides real-world experience and industry-recognized credentials for participants from underserved communities in partnership with the United...
01.29.2024
'Making It in America' Author Rachel Slade on Why American Manufacturing Has a Bright Future
In her latest book, “Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How It Got That Way),” journalist Rachel Slade profiles Ben and Whitney Waxman’s mission to rebuild Maine’s lost textile industry by founding...
01.16.2024
Hackers Are Breaking Into U.S. Manufacturing — Here's How to Stop Them
Kory Daniels, chief information security officer for cybersecurity firm Trustwave, breaks down the company’s recent report examining the manufacturing industry’s greatest vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and how manufacturers can mitigate these risks in a way that even non-security leaders can implement....
01.02.2024
The Top Manufacturing Stories of 2023 and What They Mean for 2024
We're counting down the top manufacturing news stories of 2023 and forecasting what lies ahead in the coming year. Join Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) President Scott Paul and the AAM team for the conversation. Getty Images
12.18.2023
The Made in USA Story Behind "It's a Wonderful Life" with Bevin Bells
Bevin Bells, the only dedicated bell manufacturer in America, has been making bells in "Bell Town" East Hampton, Conn., since 1832. The family-owned company made the iconic bell featured in "It's a Wonderful Life" and its bells can still be...
12.04.2023
Luke's Toy Factory Fills the Gap for American-made, Educational, Sustainable Toys
Two father-and-son teams found a hole in the market for toys that bridged the gap between blocks and Lego. They knew they wanted to make it in America. The problem? They had zero manufacturing experience. A successful Kickstarter campaign and...
11.20.2023
Shinola Celebrates 10 Years Since Building Its First Watch in Detroit
Shinola Chief Operating Officer Bailey Mattacola breaks down how the Detroit-born company tackled the challenge of building watches in America again and then expanded to manufacturing bags, apparel, jewelry and so much more. Mattacola also dives into how Shinola is...
11.06.2023
BedInABox Saw Mattress Copycats Flood the Market, But It’s Holding Firm on Made in USA
Direct-to-consumer mattress pioneer BedInABox got its start in 2004 by establishing a radically new way to sell mattresses. Since then, the industry has been swarmed with competitors, and the same shipping method that BedInABox innovated has been exploited by copycat...
10.23.2023
It's Not Innovation That Has Kept Apparel Prices Down, It's Exploitation
Kristen Fanarakis was deeply entrenched in the world of finance when she made the radical decision to buck the offshoring, race-to-the-bottom trend in 2017 and start her Made in Los Angeles luxury apparel brand, Senza Tempo. Fanarakis shares why she's...
10.10.2023
What Do Republican Voters Want From the Next President?
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul discusses a new poll that documents a radical shift that likely Republican primary voters have made on trade and breaks down the second Republican presidential candidate debate. Paul evaluates whether the 2024 presidential...
09.25.2023
Former USTR Robert Lighthizer on U.S. Trade Policy's Radical Reset
U.S. trade policy was ruled for decades by the concept that free trade was always the answer — a fallacy that led to the loss of millions of American manufacturing jobs. Former United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer fundamentally changed...
09.11.2023
Rep. Bill Johnson on How to Combat One of the Chinese Communist Party's Nastiest Trade Tricks
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), a lead Republican author of the Leveling the Playing Field Act 2.0, joins us to explain how the bipartisan legislation would modernize the trade remedy tools America needs to push back against the predatory economic practices...
08.28.2023
America's Workers Explain Why Buy America Matters
When Team AAM spoke with members of the United Steelworkers union this past summer during the Rapid Response conference in Washington, D.C., these hardworking men and women shared how integrally their communities are tied to manufacturing and why a policy...
08.14.2023
After Years of Fighting Chinese Dumping, This Manufacturer is Growing. Biden Saw It for Himself.
Auburn Manufacturing Inc. (AMI) CEO Kathie Leonard built her textile company from the ground up in a male-dominated industry decades ago. So when China’s dumping of heavily subsidized silica fabric made her company go sideways, she fought tooth and nail...
07.31.2023
How Do We Bring More Young People Onto the Factory Floor?
Terry Iverson, the president and CEO of Illinois machine tool distributorship and rebuilder Iverson & Company, has been deeply entrenched in the manufacturing world since birth and has made it his personal mission to ensure that America’s next generation seizes...
07.17.2023
Self-Driving Electric Vehicle Company Cruise Unites Silicon Valley Tech with Heartland Manufacturing
China is churning out enough electric vehicles to flood the global market, and it’s working on gearing up for an autonomous vehicle onslaught as well. But American self-driving electric vehicle company Cruise is working hard to beat them in the...
07.03.2023
Rep. Haley Stevens on the Global EV Race and the Success of U.S. Industrial Policy
Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens (D) discusses the role of industrial policy in America’s factory boom and how American manufacturers can lead in the global electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle race. Photo courtesy of Rep. Haley Stevens
06.29.2023
Rep. Earl Blumenauer Explains Why He is Aiming to End SHEIN's Duty-Free Trade
More than 2 million packages are imported into the U.S. every day without inspection because of a U.S. Customs loophole that Chinese e-commerce behemoths like SHEIN and Temu have exploited to seize market share -- and America is footing the...
06.20.2023
Rep. Mikie Sherrill on Why America is Uniquely Positioned to Be a Global Manufacturing Leader
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, discusses whether new laws aiming to increase U.S. competitiveness are gaining traction, how the United States can best compete with China, and why America...
06.05.2023
Rep. Ro Khanna on Why America Needs to Reclaim Its Manufacturing Superpower
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who represents Silicon Valley and is a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, argues that American leadership in innovation depends on the nation’s manufacturing strength. The Congressman shares his insight into...
05.22.2023
Former Biden Adviser Jennifer Harris on Why Industrial Policy is No Longer a Bad Word
Jennifer Harris, who served as the special assistant to the president and senior director for International Economics under President Biden, breaks down the motivations behind the White House's industrial policy push and the biggest obstacles of that policy going forward....
05.08.2023
Why Fitness Brand Runyon Canyon Apparel is Dedicated to Made in USA
In a market saturated by imports, Los Angeles-based fitness brand Runyon Canyon Apparel is keeping its clothing exclusively American-made. Founder Tony Nuccio shares why he transitioned from a thriving career in the music industry to American manufacturing and his joint...
04.11.2023
This Made in America Company is Turning Off the Tap of Plastic Pollution
The vast majority of the world’s single-use plastic is coming in from China and ending up as pollution in our local ecosystems. But this woman-, minority- and veteran-owned company is working to change that with its compostable, eco-friendly single-use cutlery,...
03.27.2023
Two Key Strategies to China's Industrial Offensive You Probably Don't Know About
Emily de La Bruyère of the Force Distance Times returns to the podcast to outline Beijing's Little Giants and Single Champions programs and their implications for U.S. industrial policy. Getty Images
03.13.2023
The House Select Committee on China Tackles Trade in Its First Hearing
The newly formed House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held its first hearing at the end of February, spotlighting the CCP's threat to America's economic and national security. Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul joined former...
02.27.2023
Rep. Debbie Dingell On Why She Formed the Heartland Caucus and How the U.S. Needs to Navigate EVs
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) shares why she thinks Democrats need to prioritize the issues of America’s Heartland — part of the impetus behind her decision to form the Heartland Caucus — and what the government can do to ensure that...
02.13.2023
Can America Make Its Own Medicine Again?
The United States depends on China and India for some of its most critical medicines, but one Central Virginia organization is working to change that. Infused with more than $100 million in public-private funding, including from the national Build Back...
01.30.2023
Inventions Leaving the Country, a Transportation Boondoggle, and Made in America Fraud
We're covering the major manufacturing news you need to know as we close January out! Listen in to learn about a bill aiming to keep taxpayer-funded inventions Made in America, Boston's contract with a Chinese state-owned rail car company that's...
01.17.2023
Bought a Car in the Last Five Years? Some of Its Parts Were Likely Made by Uyghur Forced Labor
A new report produced by Sheffield Hallam University’s Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice and the independent nonprofit research organization NomoGaia reveals that the world’s biggest car brands, including Volkswagen, BMW, Honda, Ford, GM, Stellantis, Tesla and more, are at...
01.03.2023
The Inflation Reduction Act Created a Gold Rush for Battery Mining. But Is It Enough?
When the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was signed into law, it made big waves in the United States electric vehicle (EV) industry. While the consumer tax credits for EVs are an obvious boon to domestic manufacturing, the IRA’s...
12.19.2022
Quality Is Worth the Wait for This West Virginia Leather Accessories Company
When the briefcase Morgan Beals designed was awarded Best Student-Made Handbag at the International Handbag Designer Awards in 2014, her career kicked into overdrive. But, in 2015, she decided to set her own course and launched Morgan Rhea, her own...
12.05.2022
Sunny Day Designs Owner Shares How Made in America Builds Communities
Sunny Day Designs Owner & Designer Shelley Schmidt grew up with a behind-the-scenes perspective on manufacturing through her family's hat factory in Missouri. So, when she decided to launch her own company selling home decor, stationery, and more, bedecked with...
11.21.2022
Made in Connecticut Mystic Knotwork Ties Family Tradition with Modern Business
The 2022 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide is out! Though this year’s Made in Connecticut gift pick is new to us, Mystic Knotwork has been around since 1957. Founded by a WWII veteran who was a leader in the...
11.07.2022
Financial Times Columnist Rana Foroohar Envisions the World Post-Globalization in 'Homecoming'
Financial Times Global Business Columnist and Associate Editor Rana Foroohar isn’t buying neoliberalism’s myths about globalization. But what comes next? In her new book, “Homecoming: The Path to Prosperity in a Post Global World,” Foroohar examines where the U.S. economy...
10.24.2022
How Did U.S. Tech End Up in a Chinese Hypersonic Missile Program?
Nathan Picarsic, Horizon Advisory co-founder and Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior fellow, shares how private companies are dodging U.S. export restrictions to trade with the enemy and what the United States must do to protect its innovation and national...
10.11.2022
Believing in American Manufacturing is NOT a Fetish
We had planned to devote this episode to analysis of America’s manufacturing resurgence in honor of Manufacturing Day on Oct. 7, but some especially inflammatory comments from Peterson Institute for International Economics President Adam Posen required response, so we’re sounding...
09.26.2022
Is U.S. Trade Policy Enabling Fast Fashion Behemoth Shein's Shadowy Supply Chain?
Levi's is one of the longest-lasting apparel brands on the market, while newcomer Shein took over the fast fashion landscape overnight. But both are facing criticism for their labor and environmental practices. Remake CEO and Founder Ayesha Barenblat joins the...
09.12.2022
Robert Kuttner on Biden's China Strategy, or Lack Thereof
There's a lot that President Biden gets right on China. Why doesn't the rest of his administration agree? Robert Kuttner, co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect, breaks down what's keeping the Biden administration from completely committing to its doctrine...
08.29.2022
Class Is in Session! We're Keeping Back-to-School Shopping Made in America
Start your students’ year right by stocking up on American-made and union-made school supplies. Alliance for American Manufacturing's own Elizabeth Brotherton-Bunch and Cat Adams talk about their favorite Made in America school gear and tips for elementary all the way...
08.15.2022
“Without Manufacturing, We Wouldn’t Have a Town.”
Nearly 3,000 members and allies of the United Steelworkers met in Las Vegas last week for the union’s first in-person constitutional convention since 2017. Several of America’s top government leadership joined the event to champion the power of America’s workers,...
08.01.2022
America’s Workers Speak Out for Trade Action at the International Trade Commission
The International Trade Commission (ITC) hosted a marathon three-day hearing this July to examine the impacts of Section 232 on steel and aluminum imports and Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports. As you might expect, industry executives and trade lawyers...
07.18.2022
You Know All About the Semiconductor Shortage. But How About the Printed Circuit Board Crisis?
Semiconductors are the powerhouses of virtually all of our advanced technology, but they require printed circuit boards (PCBs) to run. Though the United States once produced more than 26% of the world’s PCBs, offshoring has eviscerated America’s microelectronics manufacturing industry,...
07.04.2022
U.S. Open Champion Matthew Fitzpatrick’s Putter of Choice is Made in USA Bettinardi Golf
Robert Bettinardi had a passion for golf, and he had manufacturing expertise. He merged the two and almost a year and many pounds of steel later, he had milled his own putter. Bettinardi went on to manufacture for Titleist and...
06.21.2022
Community Colleges Nationwide Are Collaborating to Expand Equity in Manufacturing
It's estimated that 2.1 million factory jobs will remain unfilled by 2030. However, efforts to increase equity in manufacturing promise to substantially expand the workforce and create pathways to the middle class for underserved communities. A new project coordinated by...
06.06.2022
What Does the Biden Administration Understand About Supply Chain Vulnerabilities?
When the Biden administration released its year-long supply chain review — a report that was written by seven federal agencies and totaled in more than 1,300 pages — on Feb. 24, its import was understandably dwarfed by Russia’s invasion of...

What's The Manufacturing Report about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Manufacturing Report episodes:

United Steelworkers President Dave McCall on How America Rights the Ship[building Industry]

New York's Orbic is Bringing Electronics Manufacturing to the U.S.

Tennessee's American Paper Optics Keeps Your Eyes Safe During the Eclipse and Beyond

Steven Kurutz Explores the Stories Behind American-Made Apparel in "American Flannel"

Award-Winning "Relighting the Flame" Director Carl Kriss Shares How Steel Jobs Make Communities

APRI Pittsburgh’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program is "Breaking the Chains of Poverty"

'Making It in America' Author Rachel Slade on Why American Manufacturing Has a Bright Future

Hackers Are Breaking Into U.S. Manufacturing — Here's How to Stop Them

The Top Manufacturing Stories of 2023 and What They Mean for 2024

The Made in USA Story Behind "It's a Wonderful Life" with Bevin Bells

Luke's Toy Factory Fills the Gap for American-made, Educational, Sustainable Toys

Shinola Celebrates 10 Years Since Building Its First Watch in Detroit

BedInABox Saw Mattress Copycats Flood the Market, But It’s Holding Firm on Made in USA

It's Not Innovation That Has Kept Apparel Prices Down, It's Exploitation

What Do Republican Voters Want From the Next President?

Former USTR Robert Lighthizer on U.S. Trade Policy's Radical Reset

Rep. Bill Johnson on How to Combat One of the Chinese Communist Party's Nastiest Trade Tricks

America's Workers Explain Why Buy America Matters

After Years of Fighting Chinese Dumping, This Manufacturer is Growing. Biden Saw It for Himself.

How Do We Bring More Young People Onto the Factory Floor?

Self-Driving Electric Vehicle Company Cruise Unites Silicon Valley Tech with Heartland Manufacturing

Rep. Haley Stevens on the Global EV Race and the Success of U.S. Industrial Policy

Rep. Earl Blumenauer Explains Why He is Aiming to End SHEIN's Duty-Free Trade

Rep. Mikie Sherrill on Why America is Uniquely Positioned to Be a Global Manufacturing Leader

Rep. Ro Khanna on Why America Needs to Reclaim Its Manufacturing Superpower

Former Biden Adviser Jennifer Harris on Why Industrial Policy is No Longer a Bad Word

Why Fitness Brand Runyon Canyon Apparel is Dedicated to Made in USA

This Made in America Company is Turning Off the Tap of Plastic Pollution

Two Key Strategies to China's Industrial Offensive You Probably Don't Know About

The House Select Committee on China Tackles Trade in Its First Hearing

Rep. Debbie Dingell On Why She Formed the Heartland Caucus and How the U.S. Needs to Navigate EVs

Can America Make Its Own Medicine Again?

Inventions Leaving the Country, a Transportation Boondoggle, and Made in America Fraud

Bought a Car in the Last Five Years? Some of Its Parts Were Likely Made by Uyghur Forced Labor

The Inflation Reduction Act Created a Gold Rush for Battery Mining. But Is It Enough?

Quality Is Worth the Wait for This West Virginia Leather Accessories Company

Sunny Day Designs Owner Shares How Made in America Builds Communities

Made in Connecticut Mystic Knotwork Ties Family Tradition with Modern Business

Financial Times Columnist Rana Foroohar Envisions the World Post-Globalization in 'Homecoming'

How Did U.S. Tech End Up in a Chinese Hypersonic Missile Program?

Believing in American Manufacturing is NOT a Fetish

Is U.S. Trade Policy Enabling Fast Fashion Behemoth Shein's Shadowy Supply Chain?

Robert Kuttner on Biden's China Strategy, or Lack Thereof

Class Is in Session! We're Keeping Back-to-School Shopping Made in America

“Without Manufacturing, We Wouldn’t Have a Town.”

America’s Workers Speak Out for Trade Action at the International Trade Commission

You Know All About the Semiconductor Shortage. But How About the Printed Circuit Board Crisis?

U.S. Open Champion Matthew Fitzpatrick’s Putter of Choice is Made in USA Bettinardi Golf

Community Colleges Nationwide Are Collaborating to Expand Equity in Manufacturing

What Does the Biden Administration Understand About Supply Chain Vulnerabilities?