Making Sense of Manufacturing Signals

North American manufacturing is shifting fast — and thesignals aren’t always easy to read. In this episode of Springs Are Everywhere, host Gary McCoy sits down with Cara Walton, Director at Wipfli and one of the leading voices in manufacturing intelligence, economic trends, and tariffdynamics. Cara and her team analyze millions of data points from thousands of manufacturers, giving them a uniquely clear view of what’s happening across North America. Cara breaks down the real health of the manufacturing sector, the economic indicators that matter most, how durable goods demand is evolving, and why customer health is becoming harder to interpret. She also explains the ripple effects of tariffs, trade deals, and geopolitical events —and how manufacturers can protect margins in a year defined by volatility. You’ll hear insights drawn from millions of data points across hundreds of manufacturers, plus fresh benchmarking results that reveal where top performers are pulling ahead. Topics include: • The financial health of North American manufacturing • Durable goods demand and sector specific trends • Interest rates, inflation, and employee financial stress • Tariffs, trade policy, and the hidden cost oftransactional waste • Geopolitical pressures and supply chain normalization • Benchmarking data: capacity utilization, profitability,and top performer habits Don’t miss our “Did You Know?” segment at the end of the video, where we explore the springs that help make your outdoor BBQ grill function safely and efficiently. You can learn more about Cara Walton at:https://www.wipfli.com/about-wipfli/partners-and-associates/cara-walton Connect with her on LinkedIn at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-walton/ The Springs Are Everywhere podcast explores key issues facing manufacturers and highlights the surprising ways springs show up in daily life. From cars to cellphones to workplace equipment, springs are everywhere—often hidden in plain sight. This episode is made possible by our Platinum Sponsor, GibbsInterwire (https://www.gibbswire.com/); our Gold Sponsor, Radcliff Wire (https://radcliffwire.com/); and our Silver Sponsor, Automated Industrial Motion (https://aimcoil.com/). Learn more about the Spring Manufacturers Institute athttps://www.smihq.org/. #leadership #supplychain #AI #workforce #smi  #springsareeverywhere #manufacturing