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Manufacturing

I've Always Wondered ...

Why do tissues in cubed boxes cost more than tissues in horizontal boxes?

by Janet Nguyen
Jul 15, 2021
You get fewer tissues in a cubed box than a horizontal one, despite similar prices.
Kana Design Image/Getty Images Plus
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Why this South Carolina county is seeing an investment boom

by Kai Ryssdal and Minju Park
Jul 12, 2021
Spartanburg County is receiving more investment this year than in the last four years, much of it in manufacturing.
About 36% of Spartanburg County jobs are auto-related, said David Britt, chair of the county's economic development committee. The local economy is enjoying what he calls "Earth-shattering numbers."
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
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China dominates the solar energy industry. Can the U.S. catch up?

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Jul 7, 2021
It will take a lot to make the U.S. a meaningful competitor in the production of solar equipment.
China went from producing very little of the world's solar equipment 20 years ago to becoming the leading producer.
John Moore/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

Why are some hot dog buns split on the top and some on the side?

by Janet Nguyen
Jul 1, 2021
There are myriad regional twists to hot dogs. The bun is no exception.
A plate of hot dogs sit on a table at a hot dog-eating contest in Coney Island.
David Paul Morris/Getty Images
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Will Britannia rule the waves in shipping's green revolution?

by Stephen Beard
Jun 18, 2021
British entrepreneurs and innovators hope to cash in on the move to decarbonize commercial ships.
Some industry leaders believe that a large part of Britain’s maritime future lies in designing and building new systems to combat climate change.
STR/AFP via Getty Images
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Tiremakers are test-driving new plant-based sources for rubber

by Daniel Ackerman
May 6, 2021
The industry's push to diversify its supply of natural rubber is spurring research into desert shrubs and dandelions.
The new generation of plant-based tires could hit the road in about five years, one expert estimates.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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Boat builders struggle to meet soaring demand, solve supply chain woes

by Kai Ryssdal and Minju Park
Apr 14, 2021
Boat sales leaped to a 13-year high in 2020, and the boom is expected to continue through 2021.
Back Cove Yachts builds recreational power boats. The company has an order backlog partly due to disruptions in the global manufacturing environment.
Courtesy of Jason Constantine
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Manufacturing's supply and demand problem

by Justin Ho
Mar 2, 2021
Demand for manufactured goods is booming, and the supply chain for raw materials is struggling to meet it.
Manufacturers have had a hard time procuring raw materials, like steel. Above, a worker trims newly cast steel.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Manufacturing is on a roll, but labor, some supplies run short

by Mitchell Hartman
Mar 2, 2021
Demand for manufactured goods like automobiles and appliances is starting to create bottlenecks in production.
"It’s just this weird transition from COVID to post-COVID, and one of the near-term impacts is likely to be a little bit of a pop in inflation," said economist Ben Ayers at Nationwide.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
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Some businesses may struggle to follow Biden's "Buy American" rules

by Andy Uhler
Jan 28, 2021
Certain products have been outsourced for so long that finding a domestic supplier could be tough, one business owner said.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
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