Why Businesses are Choosing Local for Plastic Development and Manufacturing

Mar 17, 2021

Choosing local for plastic development, manufacturing, engineering, and distribution creates jobs and helps the local economy.

Small, medium, and large businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of choosing local for plastic development and manufacturing during this COVID-19 era. With so much to be gained and so little to be lost by doing so, it’s easy to see why the trend is moving in this direction.

Using local plastic manufacturing and development companies means less wasted time, fewer expenses in relation to importing and exporting such as travel time, and more jobs for local residents. With less of a need for lengthy road and air travel, it also has a positive impact on the economy and environment due to less wear and tear on the roads, as well as reduced gasoline emissions and usage.

Walmart’s Strategic Investments into the Local Economy

In March 2021, international powerhouse Walmart announced that it is strengthening its commitment to support local jobs with an additional $350 billion investment through 2030.

As noted in a post about Walmart’s investment, more businesses are choosing to establish their manufacturing operations in the United States, and the result is more jobs for Americans.

Over the next 10 years, Walmart plans to spend an additional $350 billion on items made, grown, or assembled in the United States. They estimate that this will support more than 750,000 new American jobs, and two of their six priority categories are plastics and Goods Not For Sale, many of which may be made of plastic materials.

“This commitment will mean a few more impacts, including an estimated 100 million metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided by sourcing closer to our customers,” John Furner, Walmart’s president and CEO, says in his blog about the announcement.

Along with the investment, Walmart is launching its “American Lighthouses” project to support local manufacturers.

“We plan to unite key stakeholders in specific regions of the country to identify and overcome top-down barriers to U.S. production,” Furner says.

“These Lighthouses will bring together participants from the supplier community (including manufacturers and NGOs) as well as others from academia, government and local economic development groups. By bringing together key regions and various stakeholders, we can make the supply chain more efficient. The aim is to bring U.S. manufacturing back in a sustainable, long-term way.

“U.S. manufacturing really matters. It matters to our suppliers, to entrepreneurs and to the environment. It matters to our customers – more than 85% of which have said it’s important for us to carry products made or assembled in the U.S. And most of all, because of the jobs it brings, it matters to American communities and the people who live in them.”

What This Means to PMD’s Clients

Although most of our clients are in the automotive industry, we can offer assistance in plastic mold testing for a multitude of industries, such as those that make household goods.

It also means plastics manufacturers like our clients may be able to benefit from the trend toward choosing local for plastic development, manufacturing, engineering, and distribution.

If you find that you need a partner to test plastic molds, contact our Sterling Heights, Michigan team by calling (586) 786-8950 or sending us a message through our website.

Contact PMD to help mold your future.

We aim to provide our customers with excellent service by staying up-to-date with the latest trends in the molding industry.

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