Weekly Briefing | Manufacturing Therapy

Manufacturing Therapy

It’s August. Yes, already August. That means the coming and going of more deadlines designed to strong-arm partners into deals. Hope you’re handling the Trump tariff tango with agility— and even finding silver linings where possible.

If you need a lesson in this, or simply in how to take responsibility for your life, I’ve learned it’s helpful to spend a day or two hanging out with manufacturers.

They don’t wring their hands when roadblocks emerge; they get on with plowing through them. The Serenity Prayer tells us to “accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change what we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This might as well be the Zen manufacturer’s manifesto.

Not that they don’t get stressed too, of course, but whether it’s COVID-19 or the latest trade turbulence, they exhibit an almost superhuman ability to adapt, born of necessity. When you have products (and paychecks) to pump out, there’s no room for weeping and wailing about what could have been.

If only they didn’t have to be so resilient and could instead focus those energies on crafting competitiveness. That sentiment sums up a few different conversations we facilitated or covered this week, in which companies shared creative contingencies while lamenting the “unintended consequences” of the “T-word,” as speakers at a women’s manufacturing forum called it Thursday. Here’s a tour through those talks:

Mexico. Preceded by a DC think tank expert, Georgia manufacturers with Mexico operations agreed that sustained uncertainty is stalling North American investment at a time when the region should be deepening integration to compete with China. We also covered the first Georgia peaches entering Mexico in 27 years and caught up with outgoing Mexican Consul General Javier Diaz de Leon. In an exit interview before becoming ambassador to Turkey, he reflected on nine years shattering stereotypes and talking trade in the South.

Dominican Republic. On a panel with the visiting consul general from New Orleans, Atlanta native and textile entrepreneur Chuck Campbell said American businesses are (literally) paying the price for the trade war. The DR, meanwhile, sought to capitalize on its relatively low tariff rate and U.S. proximity to woo American companies seeking diversification — with a side of merengue and bachata.

Asia. Murky policy has seen companies resort to creative strategies for supply-chain resilience, experienced Asia hands said in a Metro Atlanta Chamber forum organized by the Hong Kong Association of Atlanta. Like true manufacturers, they also found sources for optimism amid the gloom.

This is just a small slice of the ingenuity that Atlanta firms are displaying as they deal with new realities. We’ll keep telling these stories, hopefully as a source of encouragement for all of us. Serenity now…