Welcome to Manufacturing Minute!

I'm glad you're here.

Let's get to it.

🚨In the News

JS Link America just committed $223 million to build a rare earth permanent magnet facility in Columbus, Georgia. 520 jobs. 3,000 tons annual capacity.

It’s good to see us start to make stuff stateside that we've been importing from China for decades.

Operations start late 2027. 130,000 square feet of high-tech manufacturing in Columbus, Georgia. Engineering jobs, production roles, the whole stack.

This is what bringing critical supply chains home actually looks like. Real investment, real jobs, real capability.

Love to see it.

🏭 Manufacturing Minute

On LinkedIn, Jim Mayer just said what most of us in manufacturing have been thinking but were too uncomfortable to admit out loud.

The skills gap isn't real. It's the most convenient lie we tell ourselves.

For 50 years, we've blamed everyone except the mirror.

Blame the kids.

Blame their parents.

Blame schools.

Blame TikTok.

Blame anything except the toxic, outdated workplaces we've built and defended.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: People don't want to work in environments built on fear, where "that's how we've always done it" is gospel, and where asking questions gets you labeled a troublemaker.

We moved jobs overseas chasing quarterly profits, then acted shocked when talented people stopped seeing manufacturing as a viable career. We created the very problem we now complain about.

But here's what gets me fired up about Jim's post…it's calling us to action.

Because right now, manufacturing is experiencing a renaissance. We have tools that make work safer, smarter, and more engaging than ever before. We can give a 20-year-old operator real-time data insights that would have required a team of engineers just a decade ago. We can make manufacturing cool again.

The shortage isn't about skills. It's about leadership. It's about having the courage to admit our industry culture needs an overhaul.

The good news? Every one of us can start fixing this tomorrow.

• Stop treating new hires like they need to "pay their dues" in miserable conditions

• Invest in modern tools that make work engaging, not soul-crushing

• Create environments where curiosity is rewarded, not punished

• Show people the incredible impact they can have on the world through manufacturing

We have all the technology we need. What we need now is the honesty to look in the mirror and the courage to change what we see.

The next generation isn't broken. Our approach to attracting them is.

Time to fix it.

What's your take? Are we finally ready to admit manufacturing's culture problem is ours to solve?

P.S., Whether you're trying to make sense of Industry 4.0, struggling with legacy systems, or just need a sounding board from someone who's navigated similar waters, let's talk. Book Your 30-Minute Strategy Call →

P.P.S., if you are a nerd (like me), the next installment of my Manufacturing-themed D&D comic is out! See it here: