The Manufacturing Report

America Invented This Technology. Now We Make Only 4% of It

America invented the circuit board but now makes less than 4% of the world's supply. Team AAM goes behind the scenes of the documentary "The New Frontier," hearing from Wesley Sprecher of Blue Water Components, Jesse Vaughan of Summit Interconnect, and Sean Kincaid of K&F Electronics on why the collapse of domestic PCB production is a national security crisis — and the fight to rebuild it before America loses the capacity for good. 👉 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. Watch The New Frontier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z3r-aUeuo4 And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest Resources The New Frontier (film): https://newfrontierfilm.com Blue Water Components: https://bluewatercomponents.com Summit Interconnect: https://summitinterconnect.com K&F Electronics: https://www.circuitboards.com Resources & Links 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing

Why This RIT Professor is Betting on Veterans to Grow American Manufacturing

American manufacturing needs workers — and veterans need a path back to work. Today, AAM President Scott Paul speaks with Dr. Martin Anselm, Director of the Center for Electronics Manufacturing and Assembly (CEMA) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, about a four-week veteran training program that’s placing underemployed and unemployed veterans into high-demand electronics manufacturing jobs. Dr. Anselm shares how the program combines hands-on lab time with industry-recognized IPC certifications and a workforce readiness week, why employers are hungry for trained technicians, and how the “gray tsunami” of retiring baby boomers is reshaping the U.S. electronics workforce. 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest Resources https://www.rit.edu/cema/ Resources & Links Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing

The Virginia Chime Maker That Has Outlasted Four Decades of Imports

What started in a garage with pipe from the hardware store is now a 90-person factory shipping nearly a thousand wind chimes a day. Today, Scott Paul speaks with Luke Croushorn of Wind River, the Manassas, Virginia chime maker that has been handcrafting wind chimes, birdhouses, and garden decor since 1986. Luke shares how founder Mike Throne built the company from Florida craft fairs into a national brand, why Wind River invests in redwood, a custom aluminum alloy, and hand-assembled craftsmanship, and how the company's long-term employees, multilingual workforce, and tagline "Inspiring Harmony" reflect its commitment to quality, community, and American manufacturing. 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest Resources https://www.windriverchimes.com Resources & Links Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing

The Singer-Songwriter Who Invented a Better Way to Crack Crabs

In Maryland, you learn to crack a crab before you learn to walk - but Shelby Blondell decided the tools you use to do it deserved a serious upgrade. One night in 2017, Shelby picked up the traditional wooden mallet and plastic knife and saw how badly they both failed. That moment launched a years-long journey through prototypes, machine shops, and manufacturing partnerships to create The Sheller: a flat, stainless steel crab-cracking tool made in the USA. Today, AAM president Scott Paul talks with Shelby about her origin story, why she chose American manufacturing from day one, the supply chain resilience that helped her weather COVID steel price spikes and tariffs, and the whirlwind that followed a CBS Sunday Morning feature and AAM’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide. 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. Guest Resources https://www.thesheller.com Resources & Links 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing

How Two People Turned a Trip to Germany Into a Brooklyn Business Empire

What happens when a cartographer and a fashion stylist go to Germany and fall in love with a canvas bag? They come home and build an American business that celebrates hometown pride with every product. Today, AAM President Scott Paul speaks with Rachel Rheingold Berick and Michael Berick, co-founders of Maptote, a Brooklyn-based company that makes map-themed totes, pouches, home goods, and accessories — all manufactured in the U.S. They share how a 2006 trip to Hamburg inspired their first Brooklyn tote, how they grew from door-to-door sales to major retail partnerships with J.Crew, HBO, and museum shops worldwide, and what it takes to build a Made-in-America brand that’s approaching its 20th anniversary. 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. Check out our 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide! And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest Resources https://www.maptote.com Resources & Links 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing