When the Squeeze is On
Let’s be clear about what’s happening. The ISM Manufacturing PMI, a rather dry but crucial indicator, has been stubbornly below 50. In plain English, that means the industrial heartland of the United States is shrinking. This isn’t just a blip on the radar. It’s a prolonged downturn, fuelled by the relentless pressure of tariffs and rising costs. Manufacturers are caught in a vice, squeezed between expensive materials and customers who refuse to pay more.
For many, the only options are to adapt or to quietly go out of business. It’s a brutal reality, but it’s also a powerful catalyst for change. When your very survival is on the line, you stop thinking about fancy new office furniture and start thinking about radical efficiency. And that, to me, is where the real story begins. The weakness in old-school manufacturing may just be the fuel for a boom in a completely different area.