Reporting and regulatory requirements, transparency, traceability, closed-loop manufacturing, and building strong communities are five key sustainable supply chain issues to consider.

Whether addressed proactively or reactively, the first step is to understand what each topic means and how it enhances existing goals to reduce costs, mitigate risk, and increase speed to market.
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Thanks to an increase in the U.S. gross domestic product, the outlook of manufacturers has improved, and many are eager to move forward with real estate improvement plans — whether those include expansion or relocation of existing facilities into new or revitalized real estate. The general consensus is that during the economic downturn, space optimization studies and lean manufacturing processes aimed at managing workflow and increasing efficiencies served a purpose, but the time seems right to alleviate overcrowding and/or transition from obsolete buildings by expanding footprints and relocating into newer, more ef?cient industrial properties.

Despite this optimism, rising operating costs and an intense focus on profit margins mean the dollars required to make these shifts are tighter than ever. Today’s market conditions call for a savvier real estate approach, and it is no longer a secret that a solid incentives package can mean the difference between propelling a deal forward and maintaining the status quo.
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Mike Molnar is director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, based at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. NIST is also home of the interagency team that supports the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), a program authorized by the 2014 bipartisan Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act.

The goal of NNMI is to maintain U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing by bringing industry and academia together to solve industry-relevant challenges. Area Development checked in with Molnar to see how the program is doing so far.
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Mike McCormick, Vice President and Technical Plant Manager at the Bosch Rexroth facility in Fountain Inn, S.C., recently spoke with Area Development about the company’s decision to expand its presence in North America as well its efforts to build a qualified workforce.
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From powering up huge data centers to providing telecom and water services, and helping customers become energy-efficient through the latest technologies, public power companies re-invest in the communities they serve.
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