"Executives who have already reshored their manufacturing caution that challenges await their peers.
Arnold Kamler, chief executive of bicycle maker Kent International Inc., said he imported stock from China until his largest customer, Walmart, indicated it preferred to sell goods made or assembled in the U.S. Kent opened a factory in South Carolina in 2014, where the local workforce had little expertise in building bikes, Mr. Kamler said.
A high level of automation partially solved that problem, but for now, Kent’s South Carolina workers paint imported frames and assemble bikes from components that mostly are made in China, too. Mr. Kamler said while he plans to start manufacturing rims at the factory soon, followed someday by frames and forks, his company will still rely on overseas suppliers.
“We are hoping some of our competitors will join us in producing bikes here, which would encourage more companies to make the component parts here,” he said."
Read more about our CEO, Arnold Kamler and US manufacturing here.
