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Center for Manufacturing Research and Innovation

Cost Study The Tide Is Turning - An Update on Structural Cost Pressures Facing U.S. Manufacturers
Five years ago, The Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI issued the first structural cost study, followed by an update in 2006. The fundamental rationale for closely monitoring this index remains valid: costs such as taxes, energy, and regulatory compliance are much higher in the United States than in other major industrial countries, putting U.S. manufacturers at a disadvantage. These external costs are out of the control of manufacturers and are mainly influenced by government action and/or inaction.

This 2008 report updates the two previous studies with the most current data. It diverges from its predecessors because progress is being made on the agenda to reform structural costs. The disadvantage that U.S. manufacturers face is 17.6 percent when compared with nine major industrial countries including Germany, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and China.

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Forging New Partnerships: How to Thrive in Today's Global Value Chain
A new report from the Manufacturing Institute and RSM McGladrey, "Forging New Partnerships: How to Thrive in Today's Global Value Chain" is part of the NAM's Small and Medium Manufacturers Series. This report addresses the rise of globalization and its impact on Small and Medium Manufacturers. "Forging New Partnerships" examines internal management issues that SMMs face as well as their abilities to take advantage of economic changes at home and abroad.
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The Hidden Backbone of U.S. Manufacturing: Weakening Under Chemical Cost and Supply Pressures
A new report from the NAM, the Manufacturing Instituteand AMR Research suggests the rising cost and shrinking supply of chemicals necessary for manufacturing could lead companies to move production offshore. The report, “The Hidden Backbone of U.S.Manufacturing Weakening Under Chemical Cost and Supply Pressures,” takes a new look at chemicals as a critical raw material for U.S.manufacturers.
Press Release | Blog | America’s Business Radio Segment | Investors’ Business Daily OpEd: Aug. 3, 2007
The Escalating Cost Crisis: An Update on Structural Cost Pressures Facing U.S. Manufacturers
Structural costs for domestic manufacturers increased from 22.4 percent to 31.7 percent between 2003 and 2006 compared to nine major trading partners, according to this report. The report updates the 2003 study, How Structural Costs Imposed on U.S. Manufacturers Harm Workers and Threaten Competitiveness.
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The Facts About Modern Manufacturing
The manufacturing sector -- more than any other -- is driving the current U.S. economic recovery but faces unprecedented challenges, according to the seventh edition of this comprehensive resource. The report spotlights the latest U.S. government statistics, NAM economic analysis, and corporate success stories about manufacturing in America.
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Innovators in Supply Chain Security: Better Security Drives Business Value
Companies that invest in supply chain security measures can expect substantial benefits that far outweigh the costs of the security expenditures, according to this study by Stanford University released by The Manufacturing Institute.
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The Future Success of Small and Medium Manufacturers
Small and medium manufacturers play a major role in the U.S. economy that is not well understood by policy makers and the media. In 2001, The Manufacturing Institute published its first booklet detailing the role of small and medium manufacturers in the economy. The 2001-2003 recession made dramatic changes in U.S. manufacturing in many ways. Our industry today is much different than it was at the end of the last decade. This report fills this gap in understanding about small and medium manufacturers.
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Report from the National Summit on Competitiveness: Investing in U.S. Competitiveness
On December 6, 2005, more than 55 corporate CEOs, university presidents, and scientists from across the country participated in a day-long summit during which they pressed cabinet secretaries and members of Congress on key issues to keep the U.S. economy globally competitive.
Summit Video | Press Conference Transcript (PDF)

Intellectual Property for the Technological Age
Just when intellectual property has made its greatest contributions to this nation’s technological growth, many critics on all sides of the political spectrum have assailed the soundness of its underlying legal structure. In this study, Professor Richard Epstein of the University of Chicago School of Law examines sources of discontent.
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U.S. Manufacturing Innovation at Risk
America’s manufacturing innovation process is vital to promoting economic growth, productivity gains and increased living standards. The most important components of this productivity enhancing process include investments in worker education and training, investments in capital equipment and research and development (R&D) and its “spillovers”—unintended benefits to other producers and society in general. This report looks at how long-term U.S. economic growth and competitiveness in the global marketplace are at risk if recent trends in domestic manufacturing—and the innovation process it spawns—continue.
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