Last month’s issue of Forbes magazine had a snippet on manufacturing in America. While the industrial marketplace in the U.S. has contracted over the years and 7.5 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the past 30 years, it is a fact that 20% of the world’s manufacturing still occurs in the U.S.! Surprisingly, the U.S. is still the world’s largest manufacturer with $1.6 trillion in manufacturing output.
The article emphasizes that manufacturing will always be in crises due to improved productivity and that the U.S.’s value is “The growth will be in the ideas that come with the hands: innovation, automation and customization.”
This link will lead you to a number of insightful articles regarding the future of manufacturing.
This then begs the question, “If this is the future of manufacturing, how do distributors and other OEM / MRO service providers adapt?” What new services and skill sets are needed? How does your strategy need to change? Will the customers you currently serve be the customers, and industries, that will need to be served? Are you calling on all of the potential levels within a customer? Are you involved in your areas planning so you can gain marketplace intelligence?
Lots of opportunities, albeit the answers may not be readily apparent. The key … what do you want your future to be?
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