Tool, mold & die city: Pennsylvania town is a hotbed of precision manufacturing

摘要

Some people might find it hard to believe that the loss of a major employer could make a city more prosperous. But that's what happened to Meadville, Pa., after the Talon Zipper Corp. began moving out of town in search of low-cost labor in the 1970s. Left in the wake of Talon's departure was its celebrated tool and die making apprentice program, which produced a slew of top-tier tool and die makers. Many of them went on to start their own shops and, in the process, they developed a highly skilled workforce that manufactures tools and dies sold around the world.