Made In America Vs. Made In China

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MADE IN AMERICA VS. MADE IN CHINA
As the U.S. tries to get its manufacturing bona fides back, China last week unveiled its ambitious “Made in China” initiative to revamp and upgrade its vast blue collar sector, according to several media reports.

The blueprint, called “Made in China 2025,” comes as China’s factories are struggling with sluggish demand, increasing competition from other developing economies and a slowing domestic economy, said a Wall Street Journal article.

The government vowed to boost 10 high-technology industrial sectors including robotics, aerospace, new-energy vehicles and advanced transport. With the government’s fiscal and financial support, Beijing wants to increase research spending to 1.68% of manufacturing revenues by 2025 from 0.88% in 2013, the WSJ news report said.

CONSULTANT OUTLINES ADVANTAGES OF CAMDEN SUPERPROJECT
As part of the review process under Amendment 82, the state’s superproject amendment, lawmakers have received an independent consultant’s analysis of the proposed $87 million Lockheed Martin Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) bond issue that will be at the center of debate in next week’s special session.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson made the official call for legislators to meet in special session beginning Tuesday, May 26 to vote on helping lure the military’s new JLTV production facility to Camden. The new military vehicle will replace the long-running Humvee vehicle. Under the analysis from IHS, the consulting group hired by the legislature’s Bureau of Legislative Research, one of the conclusions of the group was:

“The net economic benefits would be a positive $16.3 million using a discount rate of 3.38%, or the true interest cost of the proposed bond issue. The net economic benefit would be 19% than the npv of the costs, or the annual bond debt service,” IHS said in its report.

Read other takeaways at this link.

HYTROL TO EXPAND JONESBORO LOCATION
A company with nearly 70 years of work in Jonesboro announced plans Thursday to expand its facility in Jonesboro, eventually adding 36 permanent new jobs. Hytrol Conveyor Co., Inc. announced the $12 million expansion is set to be completed by early 2016, Chris Glenn, Hytrol Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering Operations said.

The project includes a 62,000 square foot expansion of Hytrol’s manufacturing facility, including a new paint system, lasers, brake presses, and computerized numerical control (CNC) equipment. Read more here.