Monday, November 08, 2004
Here are three articles on the future of manufacturing in the U.S.
The first details how several manufacturers are doing in upstate New York. Read more.
The second covers a speech by Georgia's Technical and Adult Education Commissioner. Read more.
Both come to the same conclusion. Manufacturing is far from "dead".
As one observer from New York notes: ""There was a rumor running around Oswego County a few year ago that manufacturing was dead. That’s not the case. We have seen a vast resurgence in the manufacturing activity."
And the Georgia Commissioner says flatly: "People tell me that manufacturing is dead — they're dead wrong."
The third article covers the establishment of a logistics council in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The council will provide powerful tools to small and mid-sized manufacturers to help them manage their supply chains. Read more.
As one participant in the council notes: "With globalization, we see a rise in the importance of supply-chain management and services. We still have the opportunity to grow good-paying manufacturing jobs in the United States, especially where you have a high-value product or a bulky good where you don't want to ship a lot of air."
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber:
Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
The future of manufacturing
