Supply Chain Revolution

     I worked briefly on supply chain for a local utility right out of college. It was one of the areas that I was sure could be improved. Record keeping, ordering small parts to be shipped over half the country from a warehouse that you hope is organized when you submit the request. If the part isn't at the warehouse then you hunt and make calls to the next closest one to avert disaster on the repair that needs to be handled as soon as possible. Today everyone promotes the buzz words locally sourced food (which may also be 3d-printed).

   As manufacturing centers and NAFTA agreements were made in the 90s centers and jobs moved from the heartland of the United States to China and Mexico. Since then we have to deal with the powerhouse that is Foxconn in China that produce i-phones and sweatshops that make NIKEs. As production goes these large companies did not mind but many humanitarian non-profits do. As democratization  and the world economy rose the made in the USA tag meant less and less. It transitioned from nationalism to a true grass roots desire to be connected but self-suficient. Wnich I think is healthy and the perfect place for 3d printing to step in.