TMA’s Second 50 Years: 1975 – 2025 – Part 6
The U.S. manufacturing industry faces unprecedented global challenges in the years ahead.
September 25, 2025
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The U.S. manufacturing industry faces unprecedented global challenges in the years ahead.
Manufacturers increasingly focused on robotics, 3-D printing, and automation in the early to mid- 21st century. The cost of employing workers increased as expenses for workers’ compensation, OSHA regulations, healthcare, and other government-mandated requirements accumulated. Increasingly, manufacturers relied on automation for assembly needs—automation was generally more cost-effective than hiring additional staff.
The year 2008 plunged the United States into a banking crisis that triggered a severe economic recession.
On June 29, 1995, the American space shuttle launched the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth. This historic moment of cooperation between former rival space programs also marked the 100th human space mission in American history, achieved with the help of machinists, programmers, and skilled tradesmen and women.
1986–1995 “In a few moments, I will sign three agreements that will complete our negotiations with Mexico and Canada to create a North American Free
As the Tool & Die Institute entered its sixth decade of serving small and midsize manufacturers mostly around Chicago, international trade interests shifted toward the People’s Republic of China.
The first 50 years of what was once called the Chicago metropolitan area’s Tool & Die Institute accurately reflect the history of America’s manufacturing industry from 1925 to 1975.