In August of 2019, The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, got in touch with us regarding a video they produced on how technology is revolutionizing manufacturing in small towns across the U.S.
We were proud to publish this compelling look at how innovation was helping hard-hit towns recover their industrial sectors.
Fast forward to 2020.
Labor Day 2020 falls within an unprecedented time for the U.S. manufacturing sector and the nation at large. This story was first published at a time when no one could have predicted just how critical these emerging technologies would be as coronavirus ripped across the nation. Now, industrial companies have just begun to open their doors, while others remain shuttered. Still others have completely pivoted, finding themselves on the front line of the coronavirus fight, producing lifesaving equipment and PPE.
Read: The Great Pivot: Full List of Manufacturers Retooling to Protect Frontline Workers
Youngstown, home to America Makes, a national accelerator for additive manufacturing and the flagship institute for Manufacturing USA, saw several manufacturers step up to produce PPE while America Makes designed a system to get PPE in the hands of healthcare providers, which we will explore later in this article. But even prior to that, the city had made remarkable strides in transforming its manufacturing sector, illuminated in the video produced by the NIST.
The video takes an intimate view of two young natives of Youngstown with deep ties to manufacturing, who brought new life back to its industrial sector--setting the course for new generations and Youngstown’s future.
Youngstown Then and Now
In the first in a series of posts on U.S. manufacturing, Zara Brunner, Communications Director of the Office of Advanced Manufacturing at NIST, takes us on a historical tour of fated Youngstown, Ohio–arguably the heart of U.S. steel manufacturing and a favorite destination of many a presidential candidate.
Brunner describes Youngstown as “like many other cities across America,” including her own town of Buffalo, New York, but that following a struggling economy and factory closures, the town is “still fighting to transform.”
A brief look back at Youngstown’s history reveals a turbulent economic past. “Black Monday in the Steel Valley” resulted in thousands of steel workers losing their jobs in Youngstown and other neighboring steel towns.
And although this happened in 1977, the region shed 40,000 jobs over the subsequent decade.
Yet Ms. Brunner notes in her article that Youngstown is showing signs of change. She writes “As I walked and drove through the now shrunken city, I saw encouraging developments. Amidst the boarded-up windows there were growing signs of strength and hope. New opportunities. New businesses. Innovative new technologies that were bringing a different, productive and energetic spirit to the town and inspiring young, educated people to stay, work and build a life right where their families had raised them.”
This glimmer of hope is also reflected in data collected by MNI. According to MNI’s historical data, the state of Ohio lost nearly 200,000 jobs during the Great Recession – one of the hardest-hit states.
But more recent data shows a steady revitalization in recent years as manufacturers began to embrace technology and worker training programs. Public/private partnerships blossomed, and the auto industry revived.
For an in-depth look at Ohio’s manufacturing job growth in the post-recession era, read our post: Ohio Manufacturing Job Growth Accelerates.
Trading Steel Mills for 3D Printers
NIST’s inspiring video follows the story of two young natives of Youngstown and their families. At a time when younger generations are fleeing the depressed economies of their hometowns, these two individuals brought new life to the city’s ailing manufacturing sector through the help of America Makes, the first of the nation’s 14 Manufacturing USA® institutes.
America Makes is an accelerator and collaborative partner for technology research and innovation in additive manufacturing and 3D printing. It is one of 14 manufacturing institutes located all throughout the U.S. that focus on innovative manufacturing processes, revolutionizing all types of industries, from biopharmaceuticals to textiles to electronics. You can read more about America Makes here.
Brunner concludes: “What we do now as a nation, as it relates to advanced manufacturing, has deep implications for future economic growth, energy efficiency, national security, and global competitiveness.
Likewise, it will lay the foundation for the future that we build for our children, communities like Youngstown, the state of Ohio, and indeed, our country.”
Youngstown 2020
Brunner’s words couldn’t ring truer in a time where advanced manufacturing is desperately needed on the front lines of the coronavirus fight. As the pandemic hit the nation, the spotlight was suddenly on the industrial sector as supplies dwindled and demand for PPE skyrocketed.
During this time, America Makes rose to the challenge. The organization’s priorities quickly fell in line with the mission to save American lives. Joining forces with the FDA, the National Institutes of Health and the Veteran’s Administration, America Makes now provides an online repository that allows healthcare providers to submit PPE requests and companies to submit 3-D print designs for PPE, connecting then with manufacturers capable of 3D printing the equipment.
“As the Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institute for additive manufacturing, America Makes’ mission is to drive collaboration in our industry to meet the needs of the US government and manufacturing base,” America Makes said in a statement. “This mission couldn’t be more clear today with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and pending supply shortages throughout the US. We believe this repository will play a critical role in meeting the needs of front line health-care workers.”
In Youngstown, companies like Juggerbot 3D developed 3D-printed face shields that it ships to medical care facilities in the region. Meanwhile, GLI Pool, shifted from manufacturing pool liners and covers to producing surgical masks.
Manufacturing workers are at the forefront of producing the critical products and equipment to keep us safe and healthy. This Labor Day is an especially relevant time to honor the manufacturing workers and innovators who have saved countless lives this year through their ingenuity, commitment, and hard work.
About NIST
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was founded in 1901 and is now part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST is one of the nation's oldest physical science laboratories.
Congress established the agency to remove a major challenge to U.S. industrial competitiveness at the time—a second-rate measurement infrastructure that lagged behind the capabilities of the United Kingdom, Germany, and other economic rivals.
From the smart electric power grid and electronic health records to atomic clocks, advanced nanomaterials, and computer chips, innumerable products and services rely in some way on technology, measurement, and standards provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Manufacturing USA® is a network of 14 manufacturing institutes. Each institute is a unique public-private partnership, jointly funded by government and private industry, focused on a different advanced manufacturing technology area but working toward the same goal: to secure America’s future through manufacturing innovation, education, and collaboration. Institutes connect member organizations, work on major research and development collaboration projects to solve industry’s toughest challenges, and train people on advanced manufacturing skills.
About MNI
At MNI, our mission is to help U.S. businesses thrive, providing custom industrial data for sales, marketing, business development, purchasing, procurement and sourcing.
Powered by trusted MNI data, IndustryNet is an industrial marketplace that connects industrial buyers with 400,000 U.S. manufacturers and suppliers of more than 10,000 types of products and services. IndustryNet is also a direct path for U.S manufacturers to increase their visibility among domestic procurers.
MNI also makes it easy for industrial companies to expand into new markets, providing sales, marketing and business development, professionals live access to its database of 500,000 industrial companies and one million executives through its subscription sevice IndustrySelect.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in August of 2019. It has been revamped and updated to reflect new developments resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
