# What Does “Made in America” Mean to You?

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2022-09-13
- Length: 35m
- Episode: 119
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-09-13-what-does-made-in-america-mean-to-you
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-9c262a4b-fe41-48d9-8713-47533819a49f

## Summary

Brandon Acker, President of Titan Abrasive Systems, discusses the complexities and benefits of maintaining a 'Made in America' manufacturing operation. He explains how sourcing decisions ripple through the supply chain, noting that a single offshore component can jeopardize the status of an entire $2 million machine. Acker also addresses the critical labor shortage in US manufacturing, attributing it to a cultural shift away from trades and suggesting that reshoring efforts must be paired with workforce development and potentially immigration reform.

## Chapters

- [2:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-09-13-what-does-made-in-america-mean-to-you#t=160) Defining Made in America and Supply Chain Risks
- [5:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-09-13-what-does-made-in-america-mean-to-you#t=308) The Domino Effect of Offshoring Components
- [7:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-09-13-what-does-made-in-america-mean-to-you#t=462) Advantages of US Sourcing: Lead Times and Quality
- [14:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-09-13-what-does-made-in-america-mean-to-you#t=862) Government Policy and Reshoring Incentives
- [20:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-09-13-what-does-made-in-america-mean-to-you#t=1215) The Manufacturing Labor Shortage and Workforce Solutions
- [28:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-09-13-what-does-made-in-america-mean-to-you#t=1697) Advice for Manufacturers Considering Reshoring

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Titan Abrasive Systems (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)
- Reshoring Initiative (company)
- Harry Moser (other)
- Buy American Act (other)
- Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [245: A Grassroots Approach to Shaping the Future of American Industry with Bret Boyd, CEO of Sustainment](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-08-245-a-grassroots-approach-to-shaping-the-future-of-american-industry-with-bret-b) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [285: Why Offshoring Looks Cheaper (But Isn’t): The Real Math Behind Reshoring with Harry Moser](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2026-04-28-285-why-offshoring-looks-cheaper-but-isnt-the-real-math-behind-reshoring-with-ha) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [124: Tariff Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2025-05-08-124-tariff-talk) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [HIBT Lab! Armbrust American: Lloyd Armbrust](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-28-hibt-lab-armbrust-american-lloyd-armbrust) (How I Built This)
- [Building a U.S.-based supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2025-06-05-building-a-u-s-based-supply-chain) (The Robot Report Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-09-13-what-does-made-in-america-mean-to-you. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Manufacturing Executive.