August 2021 Volume 3

AUTOMATION

returningmanufacturing back to the United States. In addition, one of Feedall’s customers is in the process of bringing manufacturing back from China with the use of two of our automated feeders for a railroad product. However, the most compelling data is to look

at the top reshoring companies in the U.S. (See Figure 2). These are major customers for forging companies. As they move back production, they will also look for their supply base to move locally in order to streamline their supply chains.

Figure 2: Top 5 Reshoring Companies (6)

References: 1.) The Balance “US Manufacturing Statistics and Outlook”, October 2019 2.) MAGNET is a Cleveland based consulting agency. For more than 30 years, MAGNET has been driving Northeast Ohio's manufacturing growth by supporting small- and mid-sized manufacturers. 3.) Wall Street Journal: U.S. Says China Must Do More to Protect Intellectual Property, by Josh Zumbrun, April 30, 2021 4.) Two Companies Win 2020 National Metalworking Reshoring Award. By Reshoring Institute, October, 2020. 5.) Kearney Reshoring Index. 6.) The New American Reshoring Movement By the Numbers

Conclusion There is no silver bullet that tells companies what makes the most sense when considering reshoring their production. Everyone has their own thoughts that are laced with opinion and over-ambitious forecasts. However, I always come back to my trusted MS Excel workbooks. By looking at the four reshoring criteria, you can have a foundation for a proper ROI analysis to present to your leadership team. And as always, I am here to help if you have any questions on how to get started with your business case. ■

Author Jon Cocco is the owner and CEO of Feedall Automation in Cleveland, Ohio. He may be reached at jcocco@ feedall.com or 440-942-8100 or follow him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/ in/joncocco/. For additional information, visit www.feedall.com.

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2021 38