Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘The Next RenAIssance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential’
The Chemical Connection: When the Industry Moves Faster Than the Standards
Driving Innovation: Selecting the Right Laser Source
Survey Says Reshoring is a TCO Equation
August 13, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Harry Moser, founder of the Reshoring Initiative, and Kathy Nunnally of Regions Recruiting partnered to survey contract manufacturers and OEMs earlier this year, querying them about their offshoring beliefs and practices. They found that while offshoring, tariffs, trade balances, and the like, are important to a company’s bottom line, there’s a larger and more extensive issue: workforce. In this interview, they detail the results of that survey and what they believe can and should be done to fix this long-standing issue.
Nolan Johnson: Harry and Kathy, let's start with some background on the Reshoring Initiative.
Harry Moser: I founded the Reshoring Initiative in 2010 as a nonprofit with a mission to balance the goods trade deficit, which was $1.2 trillion last year. We do that by documenting the trend so people can see it's real and happening, and by promoting the trend. We believe that by having tools such as our Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Estimator available to help companies make smarter decisions, they can buy smarter and, in some cases, such as with contract manufacturers, sell smarter. That may convince the OEMs to buy from them.
Johnson: Harry, how did you come to be working in this space?
Moser: I was president of a $100-million-a-year company, and when I turned 65, the Swiss parent company told me it was time to leave. Since I was available and knew someone had to do something to reverse offshoring, I volunteered myself. Fortunately, I had excellent support from various manufacturing trade associations over the years, helping to make this possible.
Johnson: Kathy, what brought you to this project?
Kathy Nunnally: Regions Recruiting is supporting the manufacturing and B2B distribution industries with talent. We're helping advance those businesses with top talent, and it's an exciting time to be in the industry.
To continue reading this interview, which originally appeared in the August 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Subscribe
Stay ahead of the technologies shaping the future of electronics with our latest newsletter, Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest. Get expert insights on advanced packaging, materials, and system-level innovation, delivered straight to your inbox.Subscribe now to stay informed, competitive, and connected.
Suggested Items
A Designer's Focus on High Density
04/30/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007 MagazineVern Solberg is a distinguished member of the Global Electronics Association Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame and has served as chair or vice chair of many committees, developing technical standards and implementation guidelines, including the IPC-7090 series, which focuses on design for manufacturing and reliability for electronic assemblies. He’s a long-time contributor to Design007 Magazine, and he conducted a half-day tutorial at APEX EXPO 2026, where he addressed 2D, 2.5D, and 3D packaging and ultra-high density hybrid bond interconnect. I caught up with Vern at the show and asked about his pivot from addressing more standard design challenges to his focus on high-density circuits.
ASC’s John Johnson Bullish on the U.S. and High-tech PCBs
04/28/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007It was a good couple of days at the SMTA UHDI Symposium in Avondale, Arizona, in early April, where John Johnson, head of technology at American Standard Circuits (ASC) and resident PCB expert on UHDI in the real-world of manufacturing, was a presenter. As the symposium ended, I visited with John, who reflected on what he considered most important and what had made the greatest impression on him.
The Chemical Connection: When the Industry Moves Faster Than the Standards
04/29/2026 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionAs a supplier of wet processing equipment, we have rules and standards we must adhere to, including both regional and national electrical codes and safety and environmental regulations, as well as myriad other standards to make the equipment safe to use. Things are a little different when it comes to rules and standards for manufacturing PCBs, though, because technical advances and requirements change so quickly that standards can’t keep up.
Meet Emerging Engineer Dennis Donovan, Kratos Space Commercial
04/29/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Like many of today’s engineers, Dennis Donovan grew up interested in how things worked. He wanted to see what was inside and how to make it better. Now, he has three bachelor’s degrees, is earning his master’s, and works as an electrical engineering technologist. He aspires to work in PCB assembly with a particular focus on aerospace electronics. He’s a sharp, well-spoken young man with an eye on his future.
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Notorious: Leadership Lessons From History’s Most Notorious Leaders’ (New Audio Version)
04/27/2026 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: Dan's Biz BookshelfI-Connect007 columnist Steve Williams’ new audio version of "Notorious" delivers a fresh and immersive way to experience an already exceptional book, originally published in 2024. This narration is a carefully crafted performance that elevates the material and brings every detail vividly to life. Even if you have read the print version as I have, you’ll be missing something if you don’t download and listen to this audible version. Most writers focus on one famous person and what they have to say about business, sports, leadership, or whatever, but "Notorious" focuses on the infamous rather than the famous; the notorious, and the so-called “bad” guys.