Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Will Trump's Tariffs Impact North American Reshoring Initiatives?

Rosemary Coates is the executive director of the Reshoring Institute, as well as the President of Blue Silk Consulting. She has more than 30 years of experience in supply chain, reshoring, and nearshoring, and is the author of several books including 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China, and the Reshoring Guidebook.
Rosemary appeared on the podcast in 2024 to talk about the general impact that reshoring initiatives were having in North America, and in this new episode she unpacks some of the ripple effects on reshoring that might occur as a result of new 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico curretly being proposed by the Trump administration.

How Trump Could 'Win' with the Panama Canal

U.S. troops are not likely to invade Panama to retake the Panama Canal, but U.S. influence over the trade zone could expand greatly in the next few years, says Andrew Thomas, a professor at the University of Akron and author of books about the Canal and the shale gas boom making the canal more influential. 
In a wide-ranging interview with IndustryWeek Editor-in-Chief Robert Schoenberger, Thomas explains why the Canal is relevant again after decades of being something that the United States wanted to divest, how China became a dominant player in the region and how Trump's new insistence that the U.S. retake control of the canal could play out. 
The conversation builds on a series of stories that Thomas wrote for the publication:
China Saw Opportunity in the Panama Canal as US Interest Dwindled
Trump, China and Shale: What's Next for the Panama Canal?

Microgrids Power Manufacturing [Production Pulse]

Many modern manufacturing plants generate some amount of electricity, either from solar panels on the roof or diesel generators or natural gas turbines. Some are trying to meet sustainability goals, others are working to ensure they'll have the power they need to run production.
Great power not only comes with great responsibility (my apologies to Stan Lee), it comes with managment challenges. Making use of on-site power typically demands a microgrid to cycle betwen power from utilities and the electricity generated by other resources.
As part of IndustryWeek's regular Production Pulse livestream series, we invited several experts to discuss what microgrids are, why they're growing and what to expect in the near term.
Speakers were:
Jana Gerber, president of Schneider Electric's North American microgrid business
Rod Walton, managing editor of Microgrid Knowledge, part of IndustryWeek's parent company Endeavor Business Media 
David Paganie, content director for the upcoming Microgrid Knowledge Conference

Four Keys to a Safer Workplace [Talking EHS]

Phillip Russell, a partner with Ogletree Deakins, offers his insights into what OSHA under a new Trump administration will be like, and offers suggestions on how companies can best work with OSHA.
About the Article
What Will OSHA Look Like Under New Administration?“I think we will see innovation from Trump 47 like we’ve never seen before,” says Phillip Russell, Ogletree Deakins. Read the article

Why process management is key to reducing drift and improving operational efficiency [Ask a Plant Manager]

Joe Kuhn, CMRP, former plant manager, engineer, and global reliability consultant, is now president of Lean Driven Reliability LLC. He is the author of the book “Zero to Hero: How to Jumpstart Your Reliability Journey Given Today’s Business Challenges” and the creator of the Joe Kuhn YouTube Channel, which offers content on starting your reliability journey and achieving financial independence. In our monthly podcast miniseries, Ask a Plant Manager, Joe considers a commonplace scenario facing the industry and offers his advice, as well as actions that you can take to get on track tomorrow. This episode offers insight into process management and avoiding the drift away from standards.

Tech Advancements That Could Reshape Our Daily Lives

Get an inside look at four game-changing technological developments poised to change multiple industries.

What’s Next for Manufacturing? Key Tech and Trends to Watch in 2025

2024 was been a year of remarkable growth and innovation for the manufacturing sector, with global supply chain challenges and innovations in smart manufacturing pushing companies to adapt and rethink their strategies. But what's in store for 2025? In this podcast, the editors from Endeavor Business Media’s Manufacturing Group look forward at the trends they will be keeping their eyes on in the new year.

The 2025 Economic Outlook for Manufacturing Technology

Interest rates help determine when and how much manufacturers and machine shops invest in new machinery, systems, and consumables. Now that the Federal Reserve Bank has cut interest rates for a third time – should manufacturers be ready to invest? What other factors are shaping their choices in 2025? Chris Chidzik, chief economist for AMT – the Association for Manufacturing Technology, explains it all.

How 2024 Transformed the Manufacturing Industry: Key Trends and Insights

2024 has been a year of remarkable growth and innovation for the manufacturing sector, with key trends making lasting impressions on the industry. Automation, AI, and advanced robotics have gained traction, while sustainability initiatives have become a central focus for many manufacturers. Additionally, global supply chain challenges and innovations in smart manufacturing have pushed companies to adapt and rethink their strategies. In this year’s end wrap-up, the editors from Endeavor Business Media’s Manufacturing Group look back at the most important trends that impacted manufacturing in 2024 and offer insights into the direction the industry is heading.

Improving Inaccurate Emissions Data with New Technology

Anna Townshend is managing editor of Plant Services and has been a journalist and editor for almost 20 years. In addition to writing and editing thousands of articles in her career, she has been an active speaker on industry panels and presentations. In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, she reads her latest Maintenance Mindset article, where each week one of the Plant Services editors highlights important and interesting nuggets in the news about manufacturing and asset management.
About the Article
Maintenance Mindset: The future of emissions monitoring — Exploring NIST’s game-changing spectroscopy technologyNew laser technology from NIST researchers to measure greenhouse gas emissions could bring better methods to the plant floor.  Written and read by Anna TownshendRead the article