S&W Metal Products on American Manufacturing Trends
Established back in 1946, the folks here at S&W Metal Products have had our ears to the ground of the American manufacturing industry for quite some time. As you’re probably well aware, a lot of talk over the last several years has centered around bringing production back to the U.S. That’s after decades of the opposite trend, which was to offshore as much as possible.
In our corner of the industry, heading into 2026, a lot of American metal fabricators are positioning themselves as the solution to systemic issues that have plagued offshoring since the COVID pandemic. Namely supply chain vulnerability, geopolitical uncertainty, exorbitant shipping costs and delays…not to mention all the other hidden costs that tend to come with overseas sourcing.
So the solution seems simple: more American companies need to source their products here at home. The question is, do we even still have enough workers and capacity in the States to meet an industry-wide demand for reshoring?
Looking at Research from the Reshoring Initiative
Conducted in partnership with the Reshoring Initiative, the 2025 USA Reshoring Survey1 looked at decision-makers across 500 U.S. manufacturing firms. The results were pretty striking: leaders identified the availability of a larger, properly skilled U.S. workforce as the single most important factor that would determine future reshoring decisions.
In other words, the demand for American manufacturing is potentially here, but the capacity hasn’t caught back up. On average, leaders estimated 30% of currently offshored products would return to domestic production with adequate workforce availability.
At S&W Metal Products, we’re privileged to operate with an extremely skilled team that keeps our facility running lean and agile. We’ve been able to maintain an excellent balance of productivity with open capacity to quickly take on new projects. Nevertheless, we’ve seen firsthand the challenges when it comes time to ramp up production, or meet rapid turnaround on new orders, in which labor capacity easily becomes the bottleneck. Which is why the growing trend of factory automation we’ve been discussing goes hand-in-hand with the trend of reshoring.
It’s not at all about replacing American workers. It’s about empowering U.S.-based manufacturers to compete on a global scale, making up for any shortages in labor (or outdated technologies) as they arise with new automated processes.
Meeting the Demand for American Manufacturing with Automation
The old narrative that offshore production is necessary to compete on labor costs is becoming obsolete. For one thing, overseas labor has tended to rise quite a bit in cost, relatively speaking. Add in the price of shipping and importing, along with the increased cost of delays, rework, etc., and offshore manufacturing loses much of its price advantage over domestic production.
Automation only adds to the equation. Automated manufacturing and material handling systems keep your cost-per-part down while helping us maximize capacity. Crucially, new automation and robotics are helping manufacturers across the U.S. make up for the shortage in labor, while also meeting higher volume requirements without the delays and complications of offshoring.
What does automation look like at S&W?
- Integrated CNC machining processes
- Robotic welding services
- Cobots for press brake and secondary operations
- Automated sheet loading for laser/tower storage
- Laser scanning and CMM for inspection
Learn about S&W’s strategic implementation of automation and robotic systems throughout our Fabrication Services pages.
S&W Metal Products: Made in the U.S.A. Since 1946
When it comes to precision fabricated metal products, American manufacturing is practically synonymous with superior quality, customer service, and reliability for your supply chain. Moreover, keeping your project on track, on time, and continually optimizing the production process along the way demands effective communication, quick turnaround, and flexible fabrication services. That’s where American fabrication companies like S&W Metal Products truly shine.
Are you ready to reshore your project? Or are you simply looking for a quality-focused, reliable U.S. manufacturer to build your products exactly according to specification? Get in touch with S&W Metal Products for a quote or consultation.
