The new normal?
North American manufacturers are rethinking their supply chains and operation tactics due to the impact of COVID-19 on their business.
69% of manufacturers are looking to bring production to North America, up from 54% in February
38% of manufacturers are hiring
55% of manufacturers are likely to invest in automation within the next year
91% of manufacturers surveyed believe the North American manufacturing sector will recover from the pandemic
#10
The City of Sheboygan was ranked No. 10 on the 20 Top Cities for Advanced Manufacturers based on information from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Kohler Co. is one of the main reasons the area made the list, with the report noting the metals fabrication industry is so large that the county has six times the national average worth of metal manufacturing and makes 11 times the national average of fabricated metal products. In 2018, Sheboygan workers produced $3.1 billion worth of manufacturing exports, according to AdvisorSmith.
50/50
A 2020 survey by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce found that respondents were split 50-50 on whether trade tariffs were helping or hurting their businesses.
Pandemic hits state exports hard
Wisconsin companies exported $9.74 billion in goods from January to June 2020 — an 11.3 percent drop compared to the same period
of 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If those numbers were to stay at the same pace for the remainder of 2020, exports would be down $2.45 billion for the full year and down $3.5 billion from 2018 levels.
