It's time to rethink American manufacturing according to The New York Times opinionator Allison Arieff. In her piece "The Future of Manufacturing Is Local,"
Arieff positions the new American manufacturing model as one that goes back to longevity instead of planned obsolescence. It's about community-building as a way to reach that longevity and sustainability.
SFMade is a San Francisco collaborative whose members embrace the idea of local sourcing as a means of community-building. "The group allows that community [San Fransisco business owners] to reconnect, share resources, receive education and assistance on everything from zoning to sourcing to taxes. In the last year, 128 companies have joined in the belief that they’re better together."
Arieff positions the new American manufacturing model as one that goes back to longevity instead of planned obsolescence. It's about community-building as a way to reach that longevity and sustainability.
SFMade is a San Francisco collaborative whose members embrace the idea of local sourcing as a means of community-building. "The group allows that community [San Fransisco business owners] to reconnect, share resources, receive education and assistance on everything from zoning to sourcing to taxes. In the last year, 128 companies have joined in the belief that they’re better together."
“For decades we have developed a culture of disposability — from consumer goods to medical instruments and machine tools. To fuel economic growth, marketers replaced longevity with planned obsolescence — and our mastery of technology has given birth to ever-accelerating unplanned obsolescence. I think there is increasing awareness that this is no longer sustainable on the scale we have developed.”
- Mark Dwight, SFMade founder
While going green isn't part of SFMade's mission, its members naturally embrace sustainability in production processes and supply chain. A similar NYC group joined forces with LEED builders as a resource for local procurement.
But it's not just about ethics. It's about local pride. “I grew up in the ‘70s in Buffalo and saw the mass exodus. I saw people lose the ability to support themselves. I saw my peers run far from manufacturing. Now I see people coming out of elite schools who want to go into manufacturing," explained SFMade executive director Kate Sofis.
Read the full blog posting.
But it's not just about ethics. It's about local pride. “I grew up in the ‘70s in Buffalo and saw the mass exodus. I saw people lose the ability to support themselves. I saw my peers run far from manufacturing. Now I see people coming out of elite schools who want to go into manufacturing," explained SFMade executive director Kate Sofis.
Read the full blog posting.
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