U.S. Manufacturing - Stronger Than Ever

One of the concepts that I’ve come to recognize recently is that American manufacturing is stronger than ever. But there has been a seismic shift from dumb, mass produced manufacturing to smart, solve the world’s problems manufacturing. Some are calling these manufacturing companies “new tech”. Where silicon valley is focusing on the next version of Grand Theft Auto to teach our children how to be better felons, these new tech companies are making the world a better place.

Since 1950 manufacturing output has soared in the United States. But manufacturing jobs have steadily decreased due to vast advances in productivity. When people lament the loss of manufacturing jobs, they are missing the big picture that we are producing more than ever and growing our GDP - to the benefit of all.

Aside from the obvious large cap companies like Boeing and Caterpillar, there are multitudes of companies that Joe Mainstreet has never heard about that are driving American’s manufacturing success in the global economy. The specialized heavy equipment for mining coal and other minerals is a global duopoly: Bucyrus and Joy Global, both based in Wisconsin. The world’s premier crane manufacturer: Manitowoc , also based in Wisconsin. Owens Illinois doesn’t just make pink insulation. It also manufactures the carbon composites for the blades of wind turbines. The list is long and distinguished: Flowserve, Gardner Denver, Parker-Hannifin, Deere, Emerson Electric, Otter Tail, Eaton, National Oilwell…

Obama’s view of our country is so negative – where success and wealth must be punished (“Reward work, not wealth.” is his stump speech line – why not reward both?), where racism is endemic, where corporations are evil, where valid public service does not include the military (made clear by his commencement address at Wesleyan), where manufacturing is dead.

His populism doesn’t embrace change for the future. He wants to return to a world where uneducated people could join a union and earn ridiculous money in dumb manufacturing. He has this redistributionist scheme to confiscate profits from companies he considers un-American and give it to companies he considers pro-American. Obama’s vision for our economy is a Soviet-style central planning model where he takes away and redistributes based on his belief of what is fair.