Manufacturing
A plant closure sets off a slow shockwave
Losing a factory costs a town more than the payroll — and the damage and the recovery both arrive on a multi-year clock.
Owen Blackwood · May 16, 2026
Manufacturing
Manufacturing covers production as it is actually run: capacity utilization, tooling and retooling costs, automation and robotics payback, skilled labor availability, quality and yield, and decisions to open, relocate or close plants. Coverage names the suppliers and components involved. Intended for operations leaders, engineers and investors in industrial firms.
Manufacturing
Machine tool orders signal factory turns early
When shops order cutting equipment, output follows months later — one of the cleanest leading indicators manufacturing has.
Monica Cummings · April 23, 2026
Manufacturing
Buy America rules decide who can bid
Federal infrastructure money carries domestic-content strings, and the thresholds determine which manufacturers can even submit a bid.
Owen Blackwood · March 31, 2026
Manufacturing
New chip fabs run on water and power first
Every advanced semiconductor plant is an infrastructure project disguised as a factory, and local grids and watersheds set the pace.
Monica Cummings · March 8, 2026
Manufacturing
How to read manufacturing jobs data
The factory employment number that moves markets is a survey estimate with a revision cycle — here is what it can and cannot tell you.
Owen Blackwood · February 14, 2026