The CABC’s Manufacturing Initiative was created to bring awareness to its community that Arizona, Northern Mexico, and Canada are in a strong position, collectively, to develop a landing pad for advanced manufacturing that uses new technology, performs production activities, and improves the quality and process of manufacturing. This region currently manufactures products that are transported back and forth over all three borders in a symbiotic form of successful intra-continental commerce-the USMCA.
What do we want the next 25-50 years to look like now that deglobalization has reshaped the manufacturing landscape? The once-dominating manufacturing countries have shown us the vulnerability and dependency we have had as a region. Recent disruptions in supply chains, geopolitical skirmishes, and many other factors have exposed our dependency and reliance on foreign energy, manufactured goods, supply chains, and resources.
The CABC strongly believes that the most fertile ground to plant the seeds of innovative technologies in manufacturing is in the American Southwest with an emphasis on Arizona and Northern Mexico. This region has the capacity for growth, the capability of skilled and labor workforce, and the convenient proximity as a distribution hub and a mecca for manufacturing growth. To support this growth, new infrastructure will be required and there will be a need for public and private contracts to fulfill this requirement.
With the state’s recent emphasis on job training in trades and technology that now begins at middle and high school levels and expands into our community colleges and trade schools, there will be readily trained higher-skilled manufacturing workers available for positions required for the new landscape in higher-level manufacturing.
Arizona, Canada, and Northern Mexico continue to strengthen and harness efforts, as a region, and as the USMCA. This relationship will give us more security and control of our economic future enhancing our potential to become a global powerhouse in advanced manufacturing! This ensures our ability to manage and mitigate supply chain risks, and costs while employing better environmental manufacturing standards not used in other locations around the world. This includes the environmental impact caused by shipping overseas back and forth, further adding more burden to an existing global climate concern.
Canada has continuously been a major foreign direct investor in this region with financial institutions, pension plans, private equity, corporations, mining, and supply chain businesses in Arizona and Northern Mexico. The country’s existing financial investment in the area gives the region an opportune time for a huge growth spurt in manufacturing such as the TSMC plant and other semiconductor conductor-related companies that are part of that supply chain.
Historically Canadian companies set up manufacturing in other states, however, companies are re-evaluating their presence in states like California, Illinois, and New York and countries like China. The cost-effectiveness, along with the area’s willingness to support these industries, has put the Arizona region on the radar of manufacturers and their supply chains worldwide. Arizona is now attracting the attention of many manufacturers that are in innovative and ground-breaking industries. Leading the trend of overseas manufacturing relocating to Arizona is the semi-conductor plant, TSMC. Which is one of many leading-edge chip factories joining the list of existing plants like Intel, On Semiconductor, and Microchip. Financial institutions have taken notice. Companies like Brookfield recently signed a joint investment agreement with Intel to invest up to $30 billion in its chip factories in Arizona.
This new paradigm shift in manufacturing has created a new environment for distribution, development of infrastructure, and educational entities all feeding the machine of advanced technology, specifically those like semiconductor chips, artificial intelligence/robotics, cyber security, medtech, biotech, mining, EV assembly, aerospace, aviation, electronics, and technology.
With the close relationship between Canada, Arizona, and Mexico, it is only natural that we look into the future together as a collective. The CABC’s goal is to raise a flag for Canadian manufacturers and to let them know that we are primed for our growth with proper infrastructure, workforce (skilled and labor), investment dollars, and a willing and able public and private sector community who are committed to our growth.
The CABC applauds the successful efforts of the city, state, and federal governments and business’s thought leadership who are paving the way for future generations while contributing to the overall economic security, independence, and control of North America’s future as it relates to the global markets.
For a list of our goals and a downloadable version of this initiative, click here.