Supply Chain

Manufacturing's Ground Zero

Nov. 18, 2009

Detroit has long been a punchline-in-search-of-a-joke type of city, even for those like me who live in an equally cachet-challenged city like Cleveland. Even so, I was unprepared for the feeling of profound sadness I felt after reading this article by Richard McCormack. To get the full impact, you need to check out the Google Maps sites McCormack mentions in the article, and then do a few random searches on your own. It's truly nightmarish.

While the Twin Towers in New York were reduced to rubble by a foreign enemy, the wholesale destruction of Detroit can be attributed to an unending pattern of self-inflicted wounds. As McCormack says, "What a condemnation of America's political and corporate leadership and the economic policies of the past 40 years that remain in place to this very day."

Speaking of America's politicians, here's a quick snapshot analysis of the manufacturing jobs situation, compiled by Alan Tonelson, research fellow at the U.S. Business & Industry Educational Foundation. He refers to it as "crumbs from the Obama stimulus program":

* Number of U.S. jobs Obama administration claims were created or saved by the stimulus program: 640,000

* Number of U.S. manufacturing jobs Obama administration claims were created or saved by the stimulus program: 2,500

* U.S. manufacturing jobs as share of total U.S. jobs Obama administration claims were created or saved by stimulus program: 0.39%

* Number of total U.S. jobs lost during recession: 7.21 million

* Claimed stimulus-saved or -created jobs as share of total U.S. jobs lost during recession: 8.88%

* Number of total U.S. manufacturing jobs lost during recession: 2.06 million

* Claimed stimulus-saved or -created manufacturing jobs as share of total U.S. manufacturing jobs lost during recession:
0.12%

About the Author

Dave Blanchard Blog | Senior Editor

Focus: Supply Chain

Email: [email protected]

Follow on Twitter @supplychainDave

Call: 216-931-9794

Contributing Editor Dave Blanchard provides the IndustryWeek audience his expertise in lean supply chain, reporting on topics from logistics, procurement and inventory management to warehousing and distribution. He also specializes in business finance news and analysis, writing on such topics as corporate finance and tax, cost management, governance, risk and compliance, and budgeting and reporting.

Dave is also the chief editor of Penton Media’s Business Finance and editorial director of Material Handling & Logistics.

With over 25 years of experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), and is a frequent speaker at industry events. Dave is an award-winning journalist and has been twice named one of the nation’s top columnists by the American Society of Business Publications Editors.

Dave received his B.A. in English from Northern Illinois University, and was a high school teacher prior to his joining the publishing industry. He is married and has two daughters.