If you think manufacturing is a dying industry, Doug Woods has some news for you: “I think it really is by far the best time to be in manufacturing. I’ll talk a little bit about why I think it is, but I really strongly believe it is not just hyperbole. And I don’t say it every single year.”
On a recent episode of the Manufacturing Executive Podcast, Woods, who is President of AMT (The Association for Manufacturing Technology), shared his perspective on why the current moment represents an unprecedented opportunity for manufacturers. Drawing on his deep roots in the industry, which stretch back to his teenage years working in his family’s tool and die business, Woods pointed to a convergence of trends that are driving a renaissance in American manufacturing.
First and foremost, the supply chain disruptions of the past few years – from the pandemic to natural disasters to geopolitical tensions – have forced a rethinking of the offshoring paradigm that dominated the past few decades. “All of those things together have really, for the first time in many, many, many decades, had us totally rethink the importance of manufacturing,” Woods said. The result has been an acceleration of reshoring and foreign direct investment in the US.
At the same time, manufacturing technology is advancing at a breakneck pace. From additive manufacturing to artificial intelligence to robotics, a wave of innovation is transforming the shop floor. While Woods emphasized the continued importance of traditional machine tools as the foundation of all manufacturing, he sees these emerging technologies as powerful complements that are expanding what’s possible.
The technology in those places is really, really pretty interesting. And it’s going to continue to be that the whole concept of manufacturing on demand is changing the way we actually think about making things.
Perhaps most importantly, Woods believes the current moment represents a chance to inspire a new generation to pursue careers in manufacturing. The combination of advanced technology and the creative problem-solving inherent in the industry has the potential to attract younger workers who may have previously dismissed manufacturing as a viable path.
“Young people want to get in and [work with] digital twin, work with advanced materials, work with cobots and humanoid robotics,” Woods said. “Before, there wasn’t a lot of venture capitalist investment bankers really excited about making investments into the manufacturing space. So additive kind of created that and got a lot of media excitement.”
Of course, challenges remain. The hype around some of these technologies has created a bubble that Woods believes is bound to burst. Manufacturers still face an urgent need to capture the knowledge of a retiring workforce. And the sheer scale of the transformation means that individual companies will need support to navigate the transition.
That’s where AMT comes in. Through resources like the IMTS trade show, the IMTS+ digital platform, and membership benefits that include market research and access to technology centers around the world, AMT is working to “get to the people you need to get to, to understand the markets you want to be in, and leverage products and services that can make [your] business run more efficiently,” as Woods put it.
So while the road ahead may be complex, the destination is clear: a thriving, innovative, and resurgent American manufacturing sector. With leaders like Doug Woods and organizations like AMT leading the charge, there’s ample reason for optimism. For those manufacturers ready to embrace the change, the future looks bright indeed.
