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PODCAST - MADE IN THE USA

The American Manufacturing Podcast

Listen to the Season 2 Trailer

In the United States, nothing impacts our daily lives as profoundly yet more obscurely than the health of the American manufacturing sector. Just as U.S. manufacturing began to rebound from steep job losses in the early 2000s, the worldwide pandemic lifted a curtain on deep challenges related to trade policy, global supply chains, education, automation and our ability to produce skilled workers.

Season 1 debuted in spring 2021 to much success and aired a total of six episodes.

Season 2 explores manufacturing issues through the experiences of companies that have made intentional choices to manufacture in the U.S. With its signature focus on high-quality audio production and documentary style, Season 2 of “Made in the USA” will feature exclusive commentary from OEM leaders who have made a commitment to U.S. manufacturing, defined by a recent change in production or sourcing that aims to keep or shift manufacturing operations within or back to the U.S.

Listeners can find “Made in the USA” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. 

Modern Machine Shop’s “Made in the USA” blends its nearly century-long expertise in manufacturing with a unique audio storytelling experience to produce a show unlike any other, shining a spotlight on the past, present and future of American manufacturing.

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NEW! Listen to Season 2

Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 1: A Return From China

Entrepreneur Scott Colosimo found early success in China producing parts for his Cleveland-based motorcycle company in the mid-2000s. This is the story of how IP theft issues overwhelmed the business, prompting Colosimo and his team to start over from scratch — and move production back to the United States.

Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 2: Man, No Smoke!

When Puneet and Neelam Neotia moved from India to the United States several years ago, they brought with them a family background in manufacturing and CNC machining. Now the couple is working to get their startup machine shop off the ground, sourcing new customers and getting the word out about their shop in Clarksville, Indiana. The couple — proud to publicize their "Made in the USA" parts — is leveraging family connections and manufacturing capabilities back in India, but not in the way that some people assume. 

Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 3: The Robots Come Home

The latest episode “Made in the USA” podcast explores a company that uses collaborative robots, one of the key tools helping US machine shops and other manufacturers compete with lower cost countries by automating production.

Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 4: A Measured Approach

Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 4: A Measured Approach

The L.S. Starrett Co. has been manufacturing precision measurement tools in Athol, Massachusetts, since 1880. Attention to U.S. manufacturing often focuses on reshoring manufacturing from other countries, but Starrett never left. The facility in Athol employs hundreds and produces thousands of tools that remain vital for measurement in machining and other fields.

Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 5: A Motorcycle Supply Chain in Amish Country

Janus Motorcycles clearly outlines where each of its parts is sourced. Its top-selling engine is a 229 cc air-cooled single-cylinder two-valve pushrod motor from a manufacturer in China. The company's co-founder Richard Worsham makes no bones about it being the best choice of engine for his line of Halcyon 250 motorcycles.

Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 6: Why, and How, Hardinge is Reshoring Machine Tool Production

In this episode of Made in the USA, several executives and senior staff at Hardinge give their first-person account of how they formulated the plan to shift the manufacturing of its milling and turning product lines from its Taiwan plant to its plant in Elmira, New York, the major challenges they encountered and the rewards that made it worth the effort.

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Season 1 - Made in the USA

Made in the USA- Season 1 Episode 1: How We Got Here

Episode 1 of Made in the USA Podcast examines manufacturing issues related to trade policy, global supply chains, education, automation and our ability to produce skilled workers.

Made in the USA - Season 1 Episode 2: The Automation Puzzle

There is a fundamental question we need to answer when we talk about automation: To what extent is automation an answer to the skilled workforce shortage, and to what extent is automation vs. Skilled labor the wrong comparison to make in the first place?

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Made in the USA - Season 1 Episode 3: The Supply Chain Knot

Through interviews with manufacturing leaders and economists, Episode 3 of “Made in the USA” explores the benefits and challenges of keeping manufacturing production within the United States — especially after major events such as 9-11 or the onset of a global pandemic.

Made in the USA - Season 1 Episode 4: Making the Case for Manufacturing

The majority of Americans want to "bring manufacturing back" to the U.S. The problem? Many of these same people do not want their children to work in manufacturing because of outdated beliefs about what a machine shop looks like.

Made in the USA - Season 1 Episode 5: Succession - A Family Machine Shop Story

The story of Geno and David DeVandry reflects the sea change in machine shop ownership facing this country as baby boomers reach retirement age. The change in leadership from father to son at their family-owned machine ship required a new mindset, a new way running the family-owned business, and that one generation let go and allow a new one to step in. 

Made in the USA – Season 1 Episode 6: The Way Forward

So far, Made in the USA has looked into system-wide effects of broken supply chains, automation, skilled workforce issues and our perception of manufacturing jobs — examining each topic through a prism of individual experiences. For this final episode for Season 1, let’s look at one more system-wide question and bring it back to personal perspectives: Is there today a new dawn, a new moment for American manufacturing?

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Meet the Hosts

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Brent Donaldson, Editor-in-Chief, Modern Machine Shop

In addition to leading the MMS team and guiding content direction and development for all its products, Brent Donaldson is the founder, co-host, producer and editor of “Made in the USA” podcast. With podcasts in his blood, Donaldson has created and hosted several podcasts, including series for higher education and, weirdly, the “Notcast” series for Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

See Brent's Work
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Meaningful Conversation About Manufacturing

Modern Machine Shop’s Brent Donaldson and Peter Zelinski have conducted dozens of insightful, provocative interviews with sources from across the manufacturing spectrum. Through those interviews and their own research, Donaldson and Zelinski explore some of the biggest issues and ideas that shape our conversations about manufacturing today, including automation’s impact on manufacturing jobs, supply chain vulnerabilities that COVID-19 revealed, the retirement of the baby boomers from manufacturing and what it means when we talk about bringing manufacturing back.

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Peter Zelinski, Editorial Director, Modern Machine Shop

Co-host of “Made in the USA,” Peter Zelinski has been a writer and editor for Modern Machine Shop since 1997 and his monthly column, “The Z Axis,” has appeared in the magazine since 2000. Zelinksi is also an authority on the advance of 3D printing into industrial production. In 2012 he helped launch Additive Manufacturing Media, and now serves as editor-in-chief of this group.

See Pete's Work