Why American Manufacturing is NOT dead with Jim Vinoski

We're joined by Jim Vinoski, a Gen Xer who spent over three decades on factory floors before turning to writing about American manufacturing. He wrote for Forbes for seven years and is releasing a book profiling 22 of the best American manufacturers, built on stories he collected from a career spent inside the industry rather than looking at it from the outside.We talk about how manufacturing has been unfairly written off for decades, and why the companies that actually thrive tend to share the same handful of traits: they treat people as individuals rather than resources, they think in decades instead of quarters, and the people running them genuinely love the work. Jim shares some standout stories from the book, including a Wisconsin company that built a K-12 STEM program from scratch to solve its own labor shortage, and a Michigan manufacturer that hires people straight out of halfway houses and built its own affordable housing subdivision for employees and the surrounding community.One of the most surprising finds in his research was Revere Copper, a company founded by Paul Revere himself that's still running strong today, and now positioned well for the AI and grid infrastructure boom because of its focus on copper.HighlightsJim's three-decade manufacturing career and what led him to start writing about the industry.The common traits behind the standout companies in his upcoming book.A Wisconsin company that built its own K-12 pipeline to solve the skills gap.A Michigan manufacturer's approach to second-chance hiring and affordable housing.The surprising history behind Revere Copper, founded by Paul Revere himself.Jim's book on America's best manufacturers is out now, links in the show notes. Make sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss episodes. We appreciate you being here.Get in touch with Jim:WebsiteLinkedInYoutubeJim's BookGet in touch with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy