The Manufacturing Report

By The Manufacturing ReportNews

The Manufacturing Report episodes

June 01 The Englishman Who Smuggled the Industrial Revolution to America
America turns 250 this year, and the story of how it learned to make things starts in one stone building on the Blackstone River. In Part 1 of our three-part series on 250 years of American manufacturing, Scott Paul tours Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, with Park Ranger Allison Horrocks. They trace how Samuel Slater carried England’s guarded textile technology to America in his head, how Moses Brown and William Almy financed the first successful water-powered cotton mill, why the Blackstone River Valley became the country’s first industrial corridor, and the human cost — including child labor — behind the birth of the factory system.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
Guest Resources
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park: https://www.nps.gov/blrv
Old Slater Mill - Ranger-Guided Tours: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/ranger-guided-tours-slater-mill.htm
Resources & Links
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
51 min
May 18 America Invented This Technology. Now We Make Only 4% of It
America invented the circuit board but now makes less than 4% of the world's supply. Team AAM goes behind the scenes of the documentary "The New Frontier," hearing from Wesley Sprecher of Blue Water Components, Jesse Vaughan of Summit Interconnect, and Sean Kincaid of K&F Electronics on why the collapse of domestic PCB production is a national security crisis — and the fight to rebuild it before America loses the capacity for good.
👉 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
Watch The New Frontier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z3r-aUeuo4
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
Guest Resources
The New Frontier (film): https://newfrontierfilm.com
Blue Water Components: https://bluewatercomponents.com
Summit Interconnect: https://summitinterconnect.com
K&F Electronics: https://www.circuitboards.com
Resources & Links
2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
13 min
May 04 Why This RIT Professor is Betting on Veterans to Grow American Manufacturing
American manufacturing needs workers — and veterans need a path back to work. Today, AAM President Scott Paul speaks with Dr. Martin Anselm, Director of the Center for Electronics Manufacturing and Assembly (CEMA) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, about a four-week veteran training program that’s placing underemployed and unemployed veterans into high-demand electronics manufacturing jobs. Dr. Anselm shares how the program combines hands-on lab time with industry-recognized IPC certifications and a workforce readiness week, why employers are hungry for trained technicians, and how the “gray tsunami” of retiring baby boomers is reshaping the U.S. electronics workforce.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
Guest Resources
https://www.rit.edu/cema/
Resources & Links
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
37 min
April 20 The Virginia Chime Maker That Has Outlasted Four Decades of Imports
What started in a garage with pipe from the hardware store is now a 90-person factory shipping nearly a thousand wind chimes a day. Today, Scott Paul speaks with Luke Croushorn of Wind River, the Manassas, Virginia chime maker that has been handcrafting wind chimes, birdhouses, and garden decor since 1986. Luke shares how founder Mike Throne built the company from Florida craft fairs into a national brand, why Wind River invests in redwood, a custom aluminum alloy, and hand-assembled craftsmanship, and how the company's long-term employees, multilingual workforce, and tagline "Inspiring Harmony" reflect its commitment to quality, community, and American manufacturing.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
Guest Resources
https://www.windriverchimes.com
Resources & Links
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
34 min
April 06 The Singer-Songwriter Who Invented a Better Way to Crack Crabs
In Maryland, you learn to crack a crab before you learn to walk - but Shelby Blondell decided the tools you use to do it deserved a serious upgrade. One night in 2017, Shelby picked up the traditional wooden mallet and plastic knife and saw how badly they both failed. That moment launched a years-long journey through prototypes, machine shops, and manufacturing partnerships to create The Sheller: a flat, stainless steel crab-cracking tool made in the USA. Today, AAM president Scott Paul talks with Shelby about her origin story, why she chose American manufacturing from day one, the supply chain resilience that helped her weather COVID steel price spikes and tariffs, and the whirlwind that followed a CBS Sunday Morning feature and AAM’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
Guest Resources
https://www.thesheller.com
Resources & Links
2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
37 min
March 23 How Two People Turned a Trip to Germany Into a Brooklyn Business Empire
What happens when a cartographer and a fashion stylist go to Germany and fall in love with a canvas bag? They come home and build an American business that celebrates hometown pride with every product. Today, AAM President Scott Paul speaks with Rachel Rheingold Berick and Michael Berick, co-founders of Maptote, a Brooklyn-based company that makes map-themed totes, pouches, home goods, and accessories — all manufactured in the U.S. They share how a 2006 trip to Hamburg inspired their first Brooklyn tote, how they grew from door-to-door sales to major retail partnerships with J.Crew, HBO, and museum shops worldwide, and what it takes to build a Made-in-America brand that’s approaching its 20th anniversary.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
Check out our 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide!
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
Guest Resources
https://www.maptote.com
Resources & Links
2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
39 min
March 09 Why This Silicon Valley Academic Chose Wood, Puzzles, and American Manufacturing
What happens when an electrical engineering professor decides to skip the MBA and just… start a business? For Dr. Maya Gupta, it led to Artifact Puzzles — one of the most distinctive puzzle companies in the country. Today, AAM President Scott Paul speaks with Dr. Gupta about how she bought a laser cutter, built a manufacturing operation from scratch in Silicon Valley, and grew Artifact Puzzles into a 15-year-old business now based in Port Townsend, Wash. They discuss her patented approach to puzzle design, how co-locating design and production drives innovation, surviving the COVID puzzle boom-and-bust cycle, and why manufacturing in America lets her offer something no overseas competitor can match: piece replacements, tight customer relationships, and puzzles that spark genuine joy.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
Guest Resources
https://www.artifactpuzzles.com
Resources & Links
2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
37 min
February 23 How China Evades American Tariffs and Gets Away With It
Winning a court case against unfair trade should mean justice, but for many American manufacturers, it doesn't. And it's costing them billions. Today, David Rashid of auto-parts maker Plews & Edelmann and Betsy Natz of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association reveal how Chinese companies are evading U.S. tariffs through transshipment, product misclassification, and third-country routing — and how winning trade cases still didn't level the playing field. They discuss the Alliance for Trade EnforcementNOW, the fight to pass the PALE Act, and why a dedicated DOJ trade crime unit is critical to protecting American workers and manufacturers.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
Check out our Made in America Directory!
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
Guest Resources
Alliance for Trade Enforcement: https://www.enforcementnow.com
David Rashid — Plews & Edelmann
https://www.plews-edelmann.com
Betsy Natz — Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA)
https://kcma.org
Resources & Links
2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya via Pexels
41 min
February 09 A Factory That Refused to Die
Buying a business is hard. Holding and growing it for decades is even harder. Today, Gat Caperton shares how he acquired a struggling West Virginia furniture maker at age 29 and spent nearly three decades building Gat Creek into a resilient, American-made manufacturer. He discusses applying lean manufacturing, investing heavily in technology, and surviving the “China Shock” by differentiating on quality and values. Gat also reflects on tariffs, sustainability, and how domestic manufacturing supports rural communities, jobs, and long-term economic resilience.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
Guest Resources
https://www.gatcreek.com/
Resources & Links
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
34 min
January 26 Why This Army Veteran Refused to Make His Product Overseas
The idea for this company didn’t start in a boardroom — it started under a military helmet. Today, Scott Paul speaks with Haidar Hamoud, founder of HaakWear, about reinventing the traditional beanie through American manufacturing. Haidar shares how his U.S. Army experience inspired a patented stitch design that eliminates discomfort, why he chose to manufacture entirely in Cleveland, and how rigorous testing and customer feedback guide the company’s product development. They discuss the challenges of starting a manufacturing business from scratch and HaakWear’s commitment to community impact and ethical production.
👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs.
Check out our 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide!
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
Guest Resources
https://www.haakwear.com
Resources & Links
2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide
Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest.
or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis
Check out our Made In America Directory
And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America!
https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships
You can also listen wherever you get podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Socials
X: @KeepItMadeInUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing
35 min

About The Manufacturing Report

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