Big Soup Goes on a Lean Diet

摘要

These days, it's easy to get caught up in the romance of small manufacturing-entrepreneurs using 3D printers in their garages to create unique products. Some believe that is where the future of U.S. manufacturing lies. But in a country of 317 million people, even the most ardent advocate of additive manufacturing has to admit the U.S. has an ongoing need for big manufacturing. In December, I visited one of its chief practitioners, Campbell Soup's Napoleon facility in northwest Ohio. The facility had a record production year in 2013, producing 107 million cases with a list value of $2 billion.