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This week we've got a solo effort by our host, Jim Vinoski.

He's going over the basics of an article from a year ago last September by Brian Potter with the same title as our episode.

Jim discusses the decline of American shipbuilding, highlighting that the U.S. now holds only 0.3% of global shipbuilding capacity, producing about five ships annually, while China produces over 1,000. He references an article by Brian Potter, noting that American shipbuilding has been uncompetitive since the days of wooden ships. Factors include rising labor costs, government regulations, and lack of investment. Vinoski emphasizes the need for government focus and investment to improve shipbuilding quality and competitiveness, suggesting that a national strategy is required to address these challenges.

Highlights:
00:00 - Introduction
01:30 - Historical Context and Decline in Shipbuilding Capacity
02:15 - Challenges in American Shipbuilding
04:05 - Government and Industry Influences on Shipbuilding
07:55 - Efforts to Improve Competitiveness
09:26 - Future Directions and Call to Action

We'll be devoting all of January to the shipbuilding topic, so tune in next Tuesday for more!

In the meantime, here's the link to Brian Potter's excellent article.

https://www.construction-physics.com/p/why-cant-the-us-build-ships

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Nick Reinhart has a good chunk of the answer.

Nick founded Kreate, which makes toolboxes and storage totes for Home Depot, and a whole lot more.

Nick discussed his company's rapid growth in plastic injection molding in the U.S. since 2018. Kreate operates four facilities with 110 machines, employing 600 associates, and has an exclusive partnership with Home Depot. The company focuses on advanced automation, including AI and servo-driven machinery, reducing labor costs to 1.5-2%. Nick emphasized the importance of skilled trades, proper wages, and continuous investment in technology. Future plans include expanding into the $2.4 billion outdoor self-composting toilet market and acquiring more companies. He highlighted the need for capital, deep know-how, and a committed workforce to reindustrialize America.

Highlights:
00:00 - Introduction
02:22 - Kreate's Product Categories and Market Position
04:47 - Advancements in Automation and AI
08:42 - Challenges and Opportunities in Manufacturing
11:58 - Future Growth and Expansion Plans
18:13 - Attracting and Retaining Skilled Workers
25:00 - Create's Engineering Capabilities

There is so much good stuff here... you really owe it to yourself to tune in for the whole thing.

Here are a couple of useful links:

Kreate: https://kreate.com/
Krevera: https://www.krevera.com/

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Across the industrial world, everybody is TALKING about autonomy and AI-enabled production.

What most people are actually DOING, meanwhile, is scratching their heads over how the heck to use all the data they already gather.

That's where Oleksandr Khimiak from Advisource AB and their Factory Cortex service come in.

What a treat to chat with Oleksandr and talk honestly about what the real needs in our factories are versus the pie-in-the-sky flying car dreams.

Oleksandr dove into what Factory Cortex can do for your operation. It's a cognitive layer for manufacturing processes. He highlighted the structural crisis in Western manufacturing due to globalization, talent drain, and generational knowledge gaps.

Factory Cortex helps by combining Lean Six Sigma with data science to identify and address root causes of issues like unplanned stops and quality defects. Oleksandr emphasized the importance of understanding problems before implementing solutions and shared a five-phase implementation process. He noted that Factory Cortex makes your existing data streams actionable by integrating with existing systems, like your ERP and MES. The approach aims to transform manufacturing culture from firefighting to continuous improvement.

Highlights:
00:00 - Introduction
04:47 - Challenges in Modern Manufacturing
10:56 - Impact of Micro Stops and Firefighting in Manufacturing
20:33 - Introduction to Factory Cortex
24:24 - Integration with Existing Systems and Custom Solutions
30:00 - Assessment and Implementation Process
33:28 - Final Thoughts and Contact Information

This one is chock-full of good, useful information if you're right there in the trenches in manufacturing. Check out the whole thing.

Oleksandr's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleksandr-khimiak/
Advisource AB: https://www.theadvisource.com/