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A recent Forbes article by Ethan Karp outlined six predictions for manufacturing in 2026. It is worth your time. Not because every projection will prove precise, but because it captures a broader sentiment: 2026 will test assumptions. Karp characterizes 2025 as a year of operational instability. Tariffs shifted. Pricing strategies adjusted. Capital spending slowed. Long-range planning felt fragile. Many manufacturers explored AI without committing significant capital. Expansion paused. Inventory…

Now that the books are closed in 2025, one theme stands out clearly across the middle market: disciplined production beats speculative potential. 2025 was not a breakout year. It was not a contraction either. It was a year of stabilization and incremental gains. Revenue growth dipped mid-year but rebounded in Q4, demonstrating resilience despite softer hiring trends. Most companies ultimately closed the year with positive year-over-year revenue growth, and…

We often describe artificial intelligence as if it lives somewhere above us. We call it “the cloud.” We imagine algorithms floating in a digital world disconnected from the physical one. But nothing about AI is weightless. AI and data run on infrastructure. Infrastructure runs on manufacturing. Before an AI system answers a question, something very real has already happened. Steel has been formed. Components have been machined. Electrical systems…

For many small and mid-sized manufacturers, quoting isn’t just part of sales. It’s a daily grind that pulls people away from their real jobs. Sales is chasing drawings. Engineering is reviewing specs. Operations is checking capacity. Purchasing is calling suppliers for updated material pricing. Someone digs up the “last similar job” and tries to make the numbers fit. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking and the customer is waiting. Even…

If you run a small or mid-sized manufacturing company, this probably sounds familiar: You need people. Machinists. Maintenance techs. Controls engineers. Younger workers who can grow with the business. And yet the resumes don't come in. Or they do, and they're not close to what you’re looking for. The skilled labor gap is real. Retirements are accelerating. Fewer young workers are choosing manufacturing. And when they do look, they're…