Made in the USA: Bank of the West Reveals Opportunities and Challenges for Small and Midsized U.S. Manufacturing Businesses

SAN FRANCISCO, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West announced today the publication of "Made Here: The Business Outlook for U.S. Manufacturing," a paper by the Bank's Chief Economist Dr. Scott Anderson, which highlights the bright economic outlook for small to midsized U.S. manufacturers, the unique challenges they face, and how their proximity to U.S. customers provides a strong competitive advantage over overseas manufacturers and is fueling the American manufacturing revival.

Various economic factors have contributed to a resurgence in U.S. manufacturing, including greater access to credit, rising labor costs overseas and productivity improvements in the US.  The result is that manufacturing output per U.S. employee hour has more than doubled over the past two decades. The manufacturing  sector now has a strong long-term outlook with a rapidly shrinking cost differential between overseas manufacturers such as China, a chief competitor.

The manufacturing sector currently faces key short term economic challenges; the strong U.S. dollar, the plunge in crude oil prices, and a hard winter drove a modest manufacturing slowdown. U.S. manufacturers  also face safety and environment regulations, high corporate tax rates and a talent crunch versus overseas competitors. However, despite the relatively high costs associated with regulations, taxes, and labor, the U.S. manufacturing sector is showing healthy growth. Seven years after the economic crisis, U.S. manufacturers are now out-performing the economy overall.

"Proximity to U.S. customers provides a competitive advantage by enabling small to midsized American manufacturers to provide customized products, value-added inventory management and quick delivery—things U.S. customers value highly.  And this is helping fuel a manufacturing revival in the U.S.," said Scott Anderson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Economist for Bank of the West.

Bank of the West's small and midsized manufacturing clients were interviewed to understand specifically how U.S. manufacturers' close proximity to their customers positively impacts their businesses. U.S. manufacturing business owners cited several key areas in which proximity improves business practices, including:

• Service – a close proximity helps U.S. manufacturers meet customer requests quickly, no matter how demanding.
• Speed and Inventory Management – through being close to the market, U.S. manufacturers can help U.S. clients minimize their inventory levels and help drive their costs down.
• Raw Materials Management – having easy access to and close relationships with materials providers allows U.S. manufacturers more production flexibility and faster customer service.
• Quality – proximity to customers gives U.S. manufacturers the power to control product quality and develop close relationships with customers, giving them an edge over overseas companies.
• Reputation Management – as quality and service reliability grow to play a larger role in market success, building a stellar reputation is particularly important in manufacturing.
• New Product Development – A close proximity to customers makes feedback processes tight and rapid. The ability to move through product iterations with customers quickly helps to optimize product development and customer satisfaction.
• Customization – As customers demand more customized products and services, having short, nimble supply chains that can adjust to changes in product specifications quickly is a big advantage.

"Bank of the West is committed to thoroughly understanding the unique challenges and opportunities its small- and mid-sized manufacturing business customers face," said Michelle Di Gangi, executive vice president of SME Division at Bank of the West. "Through ongoing conversations with our manufacturing customers, we can adapt to their evolving needs and can be agile partners in working with clients who manufacture here in the U.S.A." 

To read the full whitepaper, Made Here: The Business Outlook for U.S. Manufacturing, visit http://gowe.st/mfg1.

For additional guidance and insights, visit the Bank of the West blog at blog.bankofthewest.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About Bank of the West:

Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $71.7 billion in assets. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 650 offices in 22 states and digital channels.  Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 80 countries with 190,000 employees.

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