Comments on: US Remains World’s Leading Manufacturer

By: Mark E Hoffer

Mark E Hoffer — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:26:52 +0000

“Joe-Blow needs to discover that fewer, higher quality, things is the way to go.” LPV, above

IOW: “I’ve never met Anyone wealthy enough, who could afford Not to buy Quality.”

By: LinePlaneVolume

LinePlaneVolume — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:38:10 +0000

Urkel

So, if it’s irrelevant, why, once again, do we have such an enormous trade deficit?

Explain to me how this data adds up to being good? What is the use of bragging about the value of our goods produced if we are still being crushed by debt?

And I never said that we need to focus on high volume, low quality. I totally agree that we need to manufacture high value, high quality, – whatever – margin products domestically. Joe-Blow needs to discover that fewer, higher quality, things is the way to go.

By: bayoustjohndavid

bayoustjohndavid — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:08:38 +0000

“The United States sold more than $200 billion worth of aircraft, missiles and space-related equipment in 2007,”

How much of that is bought by our government? How much is bought by foreign governments with U.S. aid? It looks like about an eighth of our manufacturing output is dependent on government actions and an unspoken “buy American” at NASA and the DOD.

By: eaglepilot

eaglepilot — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:50:17 +0000

Are these numbers misleading? Deere for one, does a TON of manufacturing offshore, mostly Japan, yet they are included in this list as domestic manufacturing.

Caterpillar makes ONLY bulldozers in the USA, all other machinery is manufactured in Japan, with the Cat label decalled on it. Is this included in this manufacturing database?

The USA coporations are the Best at being international in managment, yet the manufacturing is slipping to other countries. Doesn’t have to be this way, can we not compete on a level playing field with the rest of the world? Don’t go protectionist, that only increases the inefficiencies, get real and competitive.

By: Urkel

Urkel — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:35:12 +0000

LinePlaneVolume,

“Most of the stuff in this article is regarding products that are bought and used by governments or large corporate entities…”
That’s utterly irrelevant. The point is that much of what is manufactured in the US is never seen or used by the average person. If it creates jobs and adds to the economy, who cares?

“We need more small manufacturers making high quality products that are bought at the consumer level.”
Why? So it becomes more visible to Joe-Blow? Most consumer items are low margin, high volume stuff. Why build an manufacturing industry based on that? What the US needs are manufacturers (small and large) that produce unique, high-value, high-margin products that can sold here and abroad.

By: LinePlaneVolume

LinePlaneVolume — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:58:15 +0000

If all of these products are worth so much, why do we have such a gargantuan trade deficit? Something is missing. Most of the stuff in this article is regarding products that are bought and used by governments or large corporate entities… The lions share are capital investments that are probably depreciated over many years. I would expect most of these manufacturers are not small business either. We need more small manufacturers making high quality products that are bought at the consumer level.

By: Winston Munn

Winston Munn — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:34:33 +0000

I am relieved to find out how much military hardware we make – you never know when Canada will decide to invade again. And as long as we keep pumping our GDP into bombs instead of infrastructure, it will be awfully risky to roll tanks down from Toronto across our rickity northern bridges.

By: Paul S

Paul S — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:32:32 +0000

Overpriced defense/aviation industry output will also certainly skew the numbers.

By: Greg0658

Greg0658 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:29:24 +0000

… Since the late 1970s, Henry’s Turkey Service has been shipping mentally retarded men from Texas to Iowa to work in the West Liberty plant … State officials say the 21 men who were at the bunkhouse Saturday have worked for Henry’s for at least 20 years. Keith Brown, 57, has lived there since 1979. His sister, Sherri Brown, said her brother has $80 in the bank after working 30 years for Henry’s …

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090208/NEWS/902080344

By: RangerTurtle

RangerTurtle — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:00:59 +0000

Although the article has a silver lining and possibly the amount manufactured is more than the average person thought there was, its still not enough. When the ratio of manufactured goods to GDP is as good as the top exporting countries, THEN we can crow.

Reduce (stop would be good) the dependence on imported oil and imported consumer goods.
A consumer driven economy that consumes mostly imported goods, is only good the countries you are importing from, and not our own country.