The Manufacturing Report

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 importers. But BedInABox has leveraged its Mount Airy, N.C., production to differentiate itself from the pack. Chris Bradley, Executive Vice President of Consumer Products at NCFI Polyurethanes, discusses BedInABox’s strategy and how it’s contending with pressures from dumped imports.

Photo courtesy of BedInABox

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 committed to American manufacturing and the policies that best support Made in America brands.

Photo courtesy of Kristen Fanarakis

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 candidates are aligning themselves with voters on trade, China and industrial policy.

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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 that and ushered in policy that put American workers first. He joins the podcast to discuss his new book, "No Trade Is Free: Changing Course, Taking on China, and Helping America's Workers", and what the future holds for U.S. trade relations.

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 of China and other nations. Johnson also discusses the importance of America's steel industry.

Photo courtesy of Rep. Bill Johnson's office

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 that reinvests tax money back into communities is vital to their livelihoods

AAM photo

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 for her business and its workers. She won. In August, President Biden spotlighted AMI as an industrial policy success story. Listen in for the story behind AMI’s founding, fight against China, and the president’s momentous visit.

Photo courtesy of Auburn Manufacturing Inc.

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 career opportunities in the industry. In this episode, he discusses the two books he recently authored, “Inspired Champions in Advanced Manufacturing” and “Finding America’s Greatest Champion” to guide parents and students as they consider manufacturing career pathways.

Photo courtesy of Terry Iverson

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 race, and it’s doing it through a partnership with legacy American manufacturer General Motors that’s creating thousands of jobs. It’s a model for the 21st economy, Cruise Senior Director of Federal Affairs Eric Danko argues in today’s discussion on why American manufacturing is a critical part of Cruise’s roadmap to success.

Photo courtesy of Cruise

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