UMA believes the solution to help grow the manufacturing sector we need to build new industrial ecosystems to address issues faced by individual manufacturers and tackle shared challenges manufacturing communities face, such as overcoming false beliefs that manufacturing is dirty, dangerous, dull and dying, plus navigating zoning policies that push manufacturing jobs away from the urban workforce.

These and many other issues require support from and relationships with a broad set of stakeholders, such as organizations that lead workforce programs, community development, economic development, and real estate development, as well as local government offices and agencies. The time, resources, and effort to build relationships necessary to overcome these shared and individual issues often fall outside an individual company’s expertise.

UMA has found that an impactful way to help create manufacturing ecosystems is by supporting Local Branding Initiatives (LBI). An LBI is a pioneering approach to economic development that creates an interconnected ecosystem of manufacturers, consumers, government agencies, and community organizations, in order to lift up small scale manufacturing in communities and advance racial equity. Read our full policy report, written in partnership with Local Progress.