# 248: Reindustrialization and Building in the Midwest with Chris Nolte, Co-Founder of Bloom

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2025-07-29
- Length: 55m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Chris Nolte, Co-Founder of Bloom, explains how his company acts as an operations-as-a-service platform to connect hardware brands with domestic manufacturers, addressing the 'low volume, high mix' challenge in US reindustrialization. He draws parallels between Detroit's current resurgence and China's industrial rise, emphasizing the need for faster communication protocols and a cultural shift toward collaboration. Nolte shares his journey from an Iraq war veteran selling electric bikes to building a network that supports reshoring and new mobility technologies.

## Chapters

- [0:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder#t=47) Introduction and New Lab Detroit
- [2:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder#t=162) Michigan Central and Detroit's Revitalization
- [8:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder#t=531) The Reindustrialization Movement
- [14:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder#t=882) Bloom's Operations-as-a-Service Model
- [21:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder#t=1304) Assembly Opportunities and Historical Parallels
- [25:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder#t=1542) Chris Nolte's Military and E-Bike Background
- [39:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder#t=2374) Lessons from China's Industrial Journey
- [45:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder#t=2740) Culture Change and Detroit's Future

## Topics

- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Bloom (company)
- New Lab (company)
- Michigan Central (company)
- Hexagon (company)
- Y Combinator (company)
- A16Z (company)
- Trek (product)
- Alibaba (company)
- WTO (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [From Garage Startup to EMS Excellence with Out of the Box COO Allison Budvarson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [CircuitHub, 12 Years Later with Andrew Seddon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-08-01-circuithub-12-years-later-with-andrew-seddon) (The Amp Hour)
- [Obstacles to Quickly Reshoring American Manufacturing w/ Rylan Pyciak](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-13-obstacles-to-quickly-reshoring-american-manufacturing-w-rylan-pyciak) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Navigating Industry Change with Out of the Box Manufacturing's Allison Budvarson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-06-13-navigating-industry-change-with-out-of-the-box-manufacturings-allison-budvarson) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Systematizing Machine Shops to Strengthen National Security w/ Justin Baucum](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-02-24-systematizing-machine-shops-to-strengthen-national-security-w-justin-baucum) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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