Manufacturing Economy

That's right. I said Michigan. And yeah, I mean in or near Detroit. And no - these 3 small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) aren't just surviving ... they're THRIVING.

A few weeks back, Booz & Company and Strategy + Business presented a paper titled "The Case for Backshoring (registration required)" (hat tip: Evolving Excellence).

Lynn Tilton is the CEO of Patriarch Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in turning around businesses - often when they are in distress. Lynn is dynamic, smart and is a remarkable advocate for manufacturing and its importance to economic and social stability.

There are 2 recent posts regarding the Toyota recalls that actually paint a positive picture for manufacturing. While this game is still being played - and until we know everything, it's wise not to judge (or report) prematurely - there is one indisputable fact:

We decided to test our instincts, and went to the remarks from last week's SOTU by President Obama to see how many times the word "manufacturing" was used in the course of the speach. And a drum roll, please ...

The January '10 Metalworking Business Index (MBI), published each month by Gardner Publications and Modern Machine Shop, showed the industry is expanding for the 6th straight month, but fell to a level of 62.7, down -0.6% from December's MBI.

A friend and MOJO reader alerted me to a piece that ran on NPR last night titled "Toyota Recall Highlights Supplier Issues." Its push is that automotive