Making It in America
by By Hamrin, Robert and Jasinowski, Jerry
Category: Business & Economics , General

Steadily, efficiently, almost without anyone's noticing, American industry has pulled off an astonishing turn-around in defiance of the dire media predictions of the "death of manufacturing" in the United States. Making It in America takes an up-close and in-depth look at the dramatic comeback that has made American manufacturing once again the industrial powerhouse of the world. It showcases ten paths to success followed by fifty top companies, such as Motorola, Xerox, and Whirlpool, that can help put any business - service or manufacturing - on its own customized path to success.What is really galvanizing the American business community today, according to authors Jerry Jasinowski and Robert Hamrin, is the dynamic tension between two powerful forces - a renewed commitment to fundamental values and a spirit of innovation to respond to the fast-changing needs of the marketplace. Jasinowski and Hamrin analyze the success stories of fifty companies at the forefront of this renaissance, including large yet constantly innovating companies such as Intel, Rubbermaid, and 3M as well as energetic smaller companies such as WillBurt, Cannondale, and Kingston Technology. (Each company's story concludes with a valuable and practical lesson.)The strategies devised by these companies were creative, bold, and highly effective: for example, Johnsonville Foods' employee empowerment initiative resulted in a 300 percent productivity increase (Path Number 1: Empower Employees): Dell Computer's commitment to customized service and "pleased" customers resulted in 70 percent of its buyers becoming repeat customers (Path Number 4: Exceed Customer Expectations); and Wadia Digital's focus on exports led to 70 to 80 percent of its revenues coming from exports in each of its first five years (Path Number 6: Go Global).