Believe it or not, there is good news out there regarding the economy. In fact, if you were to browse through the news section of our website, you can find several large investments in U.S. manufacturing – as well as the resulting creation of jobs – since the start of the year.

The year-over-year U.S. inflation rate through February 2022 hit a 40-year high of 7.9%, eroding purchasing power especially for gas, food and rent.

United States manufacturing is at a critical juncture. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the sanctions imposed for doing so and new pandemic-induced shutdowns in China are adding to the pain of already distressed global supply chains.

We are past the halfway mark of the year, which in political speak means we have four months until the midterm election and only five months in the remainder of this Congress – possibly the last fully controlled by Democrats during President Biden’s first term in office.

Yesterday I bought a simple, gas-powered Craftsman lawnmower with a Briggs & Stratton engine. It wasn’t very fancy, it wasn’t self-propelled and it didn’t have a lot of “bells and whistles.” It did, however, happen to be exactly what I wanted – a basic workhorse lawnmower to cut grass at my daughter’s rental property.

Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) is increasing its investment to more than $10 billion in the United States by 2025 to further its goal to lead sustainable and smart mobility solutions. The group’s investment plans are designed to accelerate innovation and mobility electrification. The move supports carbon-neutrality goals with new technologies and contributes to manufacturing in the United States. As part of the investment, HMG announced a $5.54 billion plan to establish its first dedicated EV and battery manufacturing facility in Georgia to build a range of electric vehicles. The plant, located on 2,923 acres in Bryan County, will break ground in early 2023 and is expected to begin commercial production in the first half of 2025 with an annual capacity of 300,000 units.

Developing the next generation of manufacturing workers is essential to the success of U.S. manufacturing and the economy.

The Internet is among the best-known government-funded inventions, but it is not the only one used by Americans. MRI machines, fiber optics, LED lights and even those yellow barrels we all see on the highways and freeways across the country were created using federal government grants.

The fourth industrial revolution – the revolution that ushered in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet of Services (IoS) – has come to be known as Industry 4.0. The initial goals of Industry 4.0 typically have been automation, manufacturing process improvement and productivity/production optimization. The more advanced goals are innovation and the transition to new business models and revenue sources using information technologies and services as cornerstones.

December always seems (to me) to be a great month to reflect on the beauty around us and that of the season. Many beautiful things are thermally processed, so let’s slow down and take a look.