Why did America hollow out its manufacturing base—and what will it take to bring it back?

In this episode of Reshoring America, I sit down with strategist, author, and former Fortune 10 advisor Saji Madapat to get a behind-the-scenes look at the boardroom decisions that led to decades of offshoring—and the blueprint for how we can rebuild.

Saji brings a unique perspective: from growing up studying Marx in Kerala’s classrooms, to advising Fortune 10 CEOs, to now writing The Gods Must Be Crazy II: A Rooseveltian Renaissance, which lays out a bold 10-point plan he calls the “Roosevelt Renaissance.”

We cover:

- What really drove offshoring decisions in U.S. boardrooms

- Why Wall Street’s obsession with quarterly earnings created a “hunter mindset”

- How China’s long-term “farmer mindset” helped them dominate global supply chains - Why Washington gets U.S.–China competition wrong

- The collapse of GE as a case study in America being outmaneuvered

- What it means to “outsource national strategy to TikTok algorithms”

- Why Saji calls this “halftime in America”—and how we can pull off a comeback

Grab Saji’s book here: The Gods Must Be Crazy II: A Rooseveltian Renaissance https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Must-Crazy-Rooseveltian-Renaissance-ebook/dp/B0FFX51PL3/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RIPkghf718f-MF0gJQDiUQ.ZUojrkwwgUQ_f6-dmMKAT3XZqD0MhV3HaXoha3CfmU8&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+Gods+Must+Be+Crazy+II%3A+A+Rooseveltian+Renaissance&qid=1757896619&sr=8-1

If you care about American manufacturing, national security, or the future of small business, you’ll want to hear this conversation.

When you hear about companies offshoring to save costs, the story often ends there. But in this episode of Reshoring America, we go way deeper—with someone who's been leading this conversation for over a decade. Harry Moser, founder of the Reshoring Initiative, joins us to unpack:

• The root causes of offshoring and why so many companies moved production overseas
• Who’s really to blame—corporate short-termism, government policy, or both?
• The evolution of the reshoring movement from 2010 to today
• How policies from both the Trump and Biden administrations have affected U.S. manufacturing
• What policy changes are still needed to level the playing field
• Why looking only at sticker price is a mistake—and how to calculate total cost of ownership (TCO)
• The role of automation and robotics in making American manufacturing competitive again
• How tariffs and currency shifts affect reshoring decisions
• Real-world success stories from the Reshoring Initiative—like the $60M win using the TCO calculator
• Why lead times, quality, and risk are just as important as price
• How the U.S. can build the skilled workforce it needs to restore domestic production
• Insights from Harry’s latest reshoring survey of 500+ OEMs and contract manufacturers

This is a masterclass in reshoring economics, industrial policy, and what it will take to rebuild American manufacturing. Whether you're a business owner, policymaker, or just curious about the forces reshaping our economy, this episode will leave you smarter.

Learn more about Harry’s work at: https://reshorenow.org

Access the TCO Estimator: https://reshorenow.org/tco-estimator

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more content on U.S. manufacturing, reshoring, and industrial policy.

In this episode of Reshoring America, Ray Drew sits down with the owner of a CNC machine shop that’s doing more than just making parts. CLN of South Florida is building the very machines other manufacturers rely on to bring production back to the U.S.

We cover:

- Why he’s committed to manufacturing in America

- How CNC automation is leveling the playing field with overseas producers

- What trends he's seeing in demand for U.S.-made machines

- The real challenges facing small and mid-sized manufacturers

- What it will really take to make reshoring stick Whether you're a manufacturer, policymaker, or just someone who wants to see America build things again — this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

In this episode of Reshoring America, I sit down with Rosemary Coates, Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute, to go behind the headlines and talk about the real-world reshoring decisions facing small and mid-sized manufacturers.

We cover:
-Why some manufacturing will never return to the U.S.—and why that’s not a bad thing
-How tariffs are really hitting small businesses (hint: it’s not the way you think)
-The hidden costs and strategic questions every SMB should ask before reshoring
-Practical resources for small businesses, including MEPs and research from the Reshoring Institute

Plus, Rosemary shares eye-opening stories from factory floors in China—like teenage workers on plastic stools and the 200 steps to assemble a sneaker—that show just how different the global manufacturing landscape really is.

If you’re a small business owner, manufacturer, or just curious about America’s supply chain future, this episode will change the way you see reshoring.

Explore resources and research at the Reshoring Institute:
🌐 https://reshoringinstitute.org

🎧 In This Episode of Reshoring America: Aaron Rubin, founder of ShipHero—a logistics company powering $12B in e-commerce orders each year—joins the show to break down what’s really going on behind the scenes of U.S. trade policy and its impact on American manufacturing.

We dive deep into:

-The new China deal and its hidden 30% tariff

-Recently signed trade agreements (and not-so-binding letters)

-The $100 billion loophole that let Chinese goods enter the U.S. duty-free

-How Section 321 is quietly shaping the future of e-commerce -What it actually takes to reshore your supply chain

-Why most American brands shouldn’t build their own factories (and what they should do instead)

-How AI is cutting warehouse costs

—and changing logistics forever If you care about tariffs, reshoring, or how we rebuild American industry from the ground up, this is a must-watch.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders reshaping U.S. manufacturing.

There was a time when “Made in America” meant something. Factories buzzed, communities thrived, and a manufacturing job could support a family for life. But over the last few decades, something changed. In this video, we dive into the story of how the United States lost over 90,000 manufacturing companies and 5 million jobs—and what it’s going to take to bring them back. From trade deals and offshoring to COVID-era supply chain chaos, this is the real backstory behind America’s manufacturing decline. 📉 Why did it happen? 📦 Who was impacted? 🛠️ What’s being done now to reverse it? We’ll break it all down in plain English—and set the stage for this channel’s mission: to explore the reshoring movement and talk to the people on the front lines rebuilding American industry. 🎥 Subscribe for upcoming interviews with experts in manufacturing, supply chain, robotics, and economic policy.

Welcome to Reshoring America — the show that cuts through the noise to uncover what it will take to bring American manufacturing back home.

I’m Ray Drew, an SBA lender who’s helped small businesses secure over $1 billion in funding. Now, I’m on a new mission: to understand how we restore U.S. manufacturing—and why the SBA has made it their #1 priority.

Here’s the truth:

👉 99% of manufacturers in this country are small businesses

👉 I’m not a manufacturing expert—but I know how to find them

👉 From robotics to tax policy, labor shortages to supply chains—I’m talking to the top minds across America to figure out what’s working, what’s broken, and where the opportunity lies for YOU.

If you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or just someone who cares about rebuilding the backbone of this country—this channel is for you.

📌 Subscribe now for a front-row seat to the manufacturing renaissance.