On 2010-04-02, Wes wrote:
I work in the manufacturing sector. I was pretty thrilled the other day when a stud we
use that was purchased off shore was replaced by a USA made item. USA was able to make
the spec and do it for a competitive price.

I purchase a lot of things from McMaster-Carr, I've noticed over time, that a huge amount
of what they sell is produced in the USA. When it isn't, it is from nations like France,
Germany, and Japan. I seldom recieve Chineese products from that firm.

Manufacturing isn't dead yet, we just have a lot of competition that didn't exist not so
long ago. It is sorting itself out.

The way I interpret the auction sales that I go to, is that most of
the shops closing down are equipped with old technology. I have never
seen an outright modern CNC shop without mostly old or older stuff,
close down. This is a relatively recent realization. I used to call
what is happening "deindustrialization", but now I think that it is a
healthy process of modernization.

i