I can still remember asking my dad, “What did you make today?” After a long day at the shop, he’d shrug and say, “I just machined some parts.”
I never liked that answer. So it was really exciting to me when I found out he’d made parts for the first space program. Even today, decades later, I can take you to NASA and show you the parts my dad made for the space shuttle.
Manufacturing: It’s More than a Job
I’d known all along that what my dad did was bigger than “just machining some parts.” He made things that made the world go ‘round. And at a young age, I recognized the importance of his work—even when he didn’t.
I still love manufacturing precisely for that same reason. Manufacturers make parts, sure. But they’re making parts that might send people to Mars. They’re making parts that save lives, protect families, secure our country, and revolutionize entire industries.
The impact of today’s CNC businesses is incredible. And if you don’t see yourself as anything more than a small independent company “just machining some parts,” you’re overlooking your role in the broader picture of the American economy and culture.
If you think manufacturing is “just a job,” think again.
Manufacturing Is a Cause and a Legacy
Our purpose—our cause—may be clear to some of us who have been in the industry for a while. But younger generations haven’t heard the message, as evidenced by manufacturing’s ongoing labor shortage.
Young workers are deeply philanthropic-minded. They aren’t particularly interested in having “just a job”; they’re motivated by causes. So what better way to attract young talent to our industry than to show them just that: the causes our work supports.
The most successful shops are proof positive that employees draw inspiration from knowing the purpose behind the parts they’re making. Cause-motivated employees are happier in their jobs and emboldened to talk with pride about their work.
I remember hearing about the day the Dysinger team halted production on their shop floor so the whole crew could watch the Mars Rover landing. They’d helped make the parts that sent that vehicle into space.
Paperless Parts is another great example of a business that highlights the cause behind their work. Yes, they’re a software company. But they’re cause-driven to improve manufacturing processes, to help shops expand, and to enable CNC businesses to evolve.
Because of Paperless Parts, people who didn’t know a thing about manufacturing are now carrying the banner for process improvement; these improvements are empowering American manufacturers to compete and win in the global marketplace.
We all hope to leave a legacy. It begins with cultivating our cause and conferring that cause to the manufacturers who follow in our footsteps.
Small CNC Businesses Are the Beating Heart of American Manufacturing
It’s time for manufacturers to come together in collaboration and collectively act to rebuild nationwide regard for manufacturing and excitement over everything the industry has done and will do.
Today’s shop owners and teams must plant the flag and put in the hard work of bringing manufacturing back to the forefront of American consciousness.
YOU are the front line. And you are far more powerful than you think.
Together, small shops have a huge impact
Did you know:
- 98.6% of American manufacturing companies are small businesses
- 75.3% of those businesses have fewer than 20 employees
- 40% of US manufacturers are companies with fewer than five people
Independently, our shops are small. But together, we can spotlight the causes that drive manufacturing, reshore manufacturing jobs to the US, and inspire young people to pursue manufacturing careers. To accomplish these goals, we must all join forces to promote the impact of small CNC businesses and the critical role they play in our nation’s economy.
Join the Cause
Here at NTMA, we work tirelessly to support and develop the manufacturing community and motivate America’s manufacturers to collaborate toward common goals. Your shop may only employ a handful of people. But collectively, we are a force to be reckoned with.
So let’s come together. Let’s talk proudly about what we make. Let’s join the cause.
Become an NTMA member and expand your impact!