How to conduct business profitably in the new era of reshoring and economic nationalism
First published in 2005, The Black Book of Outsourcing quickly became a definitive guide for businesses navigating the complexities of offshore outsourcing, offering strategies and insights that shaped corporate decision-making during the height of globalization. Now, 20 years later, the world has changed dramatically. The Black Book of Reshoring: The Essential Guide to America's New Manufacturing Boom delivers key insights into how the global economic landscape has shifted, showing how the once-unquestioned dominance of offshore outsourcing has given way to a new era of reshoring and economic nationalism. This book includes information on tariffs, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have exposed the flaws in globalization’s model, leading to a reversal in course as businesses and governments prioritize domestic production, resilience, and sovereignty.
This book offers:
- Practical frameworks and strategies for businesses considering reshoring, including insights on technology, workforce development, and supply chain resilience
- Case studies from leading companies like Tesla, GE, and Pfizer, illustrating the challenges and opportunities of reshoring in industries such as semiconductors, EVs, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods
- A forward-looking perspective on the future of trade, globalization, and economic sovereignty
The Black Book of Reshoring is an essential read for all business professionals seeking up-to-date information on trends, strategies, economic impacts, and best practices in reshoring and homeshoring.
Preface xi
Introduction 1
Part I Fault Lines of Globalization 5
1 The Great Repricing: Why Making Things in America Wins Again 7
2 Industries on the Frontlines: Rebuilding Americas Competitive Edge 17
3 Reshorings Reality Check: Frictions, Execution, and the Services
Renaissance 26
4 Fault Lines Become Fractures: Populism, Protectionism, and Disorder 36
5 Beyond the Factory Floor: Reshoring Services in a Digital World 48
6 Fractured World, Remade Rules: Geopolitics, Tech Rivalry, and the New
Architecture of Power 59
Part II Sectoral Shifts and Strategic Industries 73
7 Reshoring Realities: The Grit, Gaps, and Hope Behind a New Industrial Age
75
8 Resilience Under Siege: How Reshoring Holds Up When the Shocks Hit 86
9 From Shock to Strategy: Building the Reshoring Playbook 96
10 Automation and the Reshoring Workforce: Redefining Jobs in the New
Industrial Age 103
11 Reshorings Reality Check: Between Headlines and Hard Limits 112
12 Resilience by Design: Building the Next Era of Industrial Strength 122
13 How the World Reacts to Americas Reshoring Wave 129
14 Globalization vs. Nationalism: Finding the Sweet Spot 136
15 North Americas Fragile Alliance 143
16 Beyond the Factory Floor: Reshoring Services in a Digital, Data- Driven
World: The Hidden Half of Reshoring 150
17 When Reshoring Fails 160
18 The Reshoring Playbook: Strategies That Work 168
19 Americas Talent Challenge: Preparing the Workforce for Reshoring and New
Technologies 176
20 The New American Renaissance: Building a Future of Resilience,
Innovation, and Shared Prosperity 184
Part III Energy, Health, and the New Arsenal 195
21 Manufacturing Reshored: Reinventing the American Factory 197
22 Pharmaceuticals and Biotech: Sovereignty and Survival in Healthcare 208
23 EVs, Batteries, and Energy: Building the New Industrial Base 220
24 Services Reshored: Call Centers, IT, Healthcare, and the Hidden Half of
the Renaissance 230
25 Reskilling in the Age of AI and Automation: Equipping Workers for
Factories That Think 242
26 Communities Reborn 251
27 The Four Anchors of Industrial Renewal: A Playbook for Americas
Renaissance 269
28 The Road Ahead: Sustaining Momentum in a Fractured World 276
29 Future Horizons: Building the Next Industrial Era 283
Part IV Appendixes: Reshoring Resource Manual 289
Appendix A. Key Statistics, History, and Trends in Reshoring 291
Appendix B. Timeline of Outsourcing to Reshoring: Four Decades of Shifts in
Global Strategy 295
Appendix C. Practical Frameworks and Toolkits for Successful Reshoring 299
Appendix D. Key Metrics and KPIs for Measuring Reshoring Success 305
Appendix E. Policy and Incentive Programs: Federal, State, and Local 311
Appendix F. Organizations, Associations, and Advocacy Groups Supporting
Reshoring 319
Appendix G. Financing and Investment Partners for Reshoring 323
Appendix H. Field Manual for Governors, County Executives, and City Councils
327
Appendix I. Consultations and Advisory Services Black Book Insights: A
Resource for Reshoring 335
Appendix J. Global Benchmark Data Tables 339
Appendix K. Practical How- To Reshoring Checklists 345
Appendix L. Directory of Training and Apprenticeship Resources 349
Epilogue 355
Glossary 357
Further Reading and References 367
About the Author 373
Index 375
DOUGLAS BROWN is the Founder of Black Book Research, a reshoring-focused think tank and advisory firm integrating supply chain economics with the real-world impact of AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. Black Book Research delivers boardroom ready benchmarks for factory-footprint and capital-allocation decisions: what to build in America, what to source globally, and how to modernize manufacturing for productivity, quality, speed, resilience, and cost. He also founded Black Book Market Research, a rigorously independent, global market-research platform, informed by operator-level leadership across healthcare organizations and systems worldwide. His first book, The Black Book of Outsourcing, was an early guide to offshore outsourcing strategy; The Black Book of Reshoring applies that same rigor to todays strategic reversal.
