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The Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the 51�Թ���, has  the finalists for the 2026 Manufacturing Leadership Awards, which honor world-class manufacturers and individual leaders for outstanding achievements in digital transformation.

• The finalists represent excellence across nine project categories and two individual categories, reflecting the breadth, depth and momentum of digital innovation underway throughout the manufacturing sector. A complete list of finalists is available .

Partners in Collaborative Innovation: In addition, the MLC unveiled the 2026 Partners in Collaborative Innovation, which recognizes technology and consulting organizations that play a vital role in advancing Manufacturing 4.0 throughout the industry.

• The recipients are organizations that support manufacturers on their digital transformation journeys through thought leadership, technology, research and ecosystem-building.

The gala: Category winners will be announced at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala on June 24 at the Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona.

• In addition to category winners, the gala will also recognize recipients of the Future of Manufacturing Award, Small/Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year, Large Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year and Manufacturing Leader of the Year. The gala takes place at the conclusion of .

New leadership: Earlier this week, the  the appointment of Ron Castro, vice president and chief supply chain officer at IBM, as chairman of the MLC Board of Governors, and Will Bonifant, group vice president and chief supply chain officer at Hormel Foods, as vice chairman.

• The MLC Board of Governors is a distinguished advisory body composed of senior manufacturing executives who provide strategic guidance to the council on its critical issues agenda, research initiatives and programs designed to help manufacturers advance on their Manufacturing 4.0 journeys.

The last word: “In an era defined by rapid technological change and continued business uncertainty, manufacturers are demonstrating that digital transformation remains a powerful driver of resilience, competitiveness and long-term growth,” said MLC Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David Brousell.

U.S. wind and utility-scale solar projects generated a record 17% of U.S. electricity in 2025—an enormous jump from their share of less than 1% in 2005 ().

• Adding in small-scale solar, the two sources’ net total generation came to 19%.

A solar expansion: The data also reveals the astronomical growth trajectory of solar power, which has grown every year since 2006.

• “In 2025, utility-scale solar power generation totaled 296,000 GWh, 34% more than in 2024.”

• Wind power also grew, though more slowly, generating 3% more electricity in 2025 than in 2024.

Dispatchable sources: Dispatchable generation sources, which can produce electricity without depending on the variability of sunshine or blowing wind, still make up the majority of U.S. electricity production.

• Together, gas, coal and nuclear power accounted for 75% of U.S. utility-scale electricity generation in 2025.

All-of-the-above energy: “These data points demonstrate the importance of the 51�Թ���’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to power manufacturing growth in America,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen.

• “As energy demand continues to grow, the U.S. must invest in many sources of energy and lift burdensome permitting requirements to ensure more energy projects and electricity infrastructure get built.”
• “A permitting system that costs manufacturers at least  per year is hindering investments across all energy sources—and is constraining manufacturers’ ability to invest and hire in America. Congress must act now to support manufacturing and all forms of American energy dominance by passing comprehensive permitting reform this year.”

As America celebrates its semiquincentennial, manufacturers are looking ahead to the next 250 years, according to 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons.

What’s going on: “Manufacturing made America what it is,” Timmons said during a recent  with Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO David Taylor, which aired last week on that organization’s “PMA Perspective” news program.

• “The greatness of America has been really embedded in the ability of our people to create, to build. … As we set the stage for the next 250 years … we want to make sure that our federal legislators are focused on a comprehensive manufacturing strategy.”
• The interview, which took place during the 51�Թ���’s recent 2026 State of Manufacturing Tour, was held at historic Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia, the site of the First Continental Congress in 1774.

Four pillars of success: The tour stop in Philadelphia, the United States’ first capital, “pointed out how important our foundational ideas are to creating the environment for success for manufacturing in the years to come,” Timmons said.

• “And that’s why we want to renew that commitment with our Manufacturers’ Accord for the Next 250 Years to focus on those four pillars that made America exceptional: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.”

What manufacturers need: To continue its success for at least another 250 years, American manufacturing needs several things, Timmons told Taylor, some of which the administration has delivered already. These include the following:

• A favorable tax environment: The “strengthening of [tax] reforms in 2025 was really the rocket fuel that manufacturers needed to give us a boost in terms of investment, job creation and wage growth.”
• Permitting reform: “[W]hile we have a commitment to energy dominance, we still have an issue with getting projects off the ground.”
• Immigration reform: “We … need to look at a credible system of [legal] immigration” to help fill open manufacturing jobs.
• Workforce development: “We have an obligation to make sure that our workers are trained appropriately in [new] skills,” such as interacting with artificial intelligence.

The last word: “[E]very single person has a voice in this choir,” Timmons concluded.

• “And we need citizens, business leaders [and] everyday folks to call their members of Congress … to say, ‘We want this country to come together for the good of the American people and work on policies that will reduce the cost of doing business in the United States and make us more competitive.’”

Blake Moret has big plans for his tenure as 51�Թ��� Board Chair (, subscription).

What’s going on: The Rockwell Automation Chairman and CEO “looks forward to chairing the 51�Թ��� during a period of economic uncertainty and rapidly changing technology—most notably artificial intelligence.”

• Moret, who recently confirmed that Rockwell’s new approximately 1-million-square-fooot plant will be built in New Berlin, Wisconsin, took on the role at the 51�Թ��� because of his strong belief in the importance of manufacturing.
• “[M]anufacturing is at the absolute core of the American economy,” he told the Milwaukee Business Journal. “It’s important that it’s successful.”

Permitting reform: One of the 51�Թ���’s top advocacy issues is permitting reform—and getting it done is a passion Moret shares.

• “Streamlining permitting and making sure that the regulations are necessary, that they don’t add unnecessary delays in new investment. … There is certainly permitting with respect to the environment that is absolutely needed. But there’s also a lot of streamlining and efficiencies that can be introduced to get these new projects done.”

Overcoming challenges: Moret said, “A chief hurdle for manufacturing in the U.S. today is the uncertainty surrounding tariffs and the workforce shortage.” But he has recommendations.

• “A stable environment [on tariffs] would unleash more spending,” Moret said.
• On the labor pool: “Rockwell has the Academy of Advanced Manufacturing for training returning veterans for technician-level jobs. The 51�Թ��� has a similar program,” he said, referring to the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME), a program founded in 2010 by Toyota and now run by the 51�Թ���’s 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate, the Manufacturing Institute.
• “First, attract new entrants to fill jobs but also have the capabilities to interact with the technology. That’s really the winning hand,” Moret advised.

AI moves: Moret is a big believer in the importance of artificial intelligence, and Rockwell is making AI investments in its facilities worldwide. What’s next?

• “[E]ducating policymakers is really important,” he told the Journal. Those “who are considering existing and proposed rules need to understand how AI can be used. Also, understanding what the risks are—there is obvious risk to workforce disruption and cybersecurity. The bad guys use AI as well as the good guys. Just being able to present that from a manufacturer’s point of view will be an important role.”

In the Manufacturing Institute’s , MI President Carolyn Lee had a clear message for industry leaders: “Workforce is not a side issue. It is the strategy.”

An exciting moment: Speaking at NTT Data’s North American headquarters in Dallas, Lee observed that manufacturers have an exciting opportunity before them.

• “Across the country, people are rethinking the way they approach learning. They’re reimagining the way to build a career. More and more, they are turning to other pathways as launchpads to their future,” she said.
• “Young people today have started to see more value in a different kind of job. A recent Harris poll found that the share of Gen Z-ers interested in blue-collar careers stood at 50%—more than twice as high as Americans overall.”
• “So as more young people seek out skilled pathways, we must seize the opportunity to ensure they see manufacturing as a sector in which they apply those skills for a durable career,” she continued.

Cultivating the right skills: Lee pointed out that these young people interested in the manufacturing industry must be equipped with the skills to succeed in it. She urged manufacturing companies to design and sustain strategies that will build this new workforce.

• “When manufacturers open their doors to students, parents and educators—through plant tours, classroom visits or MFG Day events—they do more than promote their companies. …  For many young people, that first exposure is the moment they realize there is a home for them in this industry; that manufacturing is a place where they can build, solve and contribute,” she said.
• “But an employer’s role doesn’t stop here. It must continue through partnerships with high schools, community colleges and universities; through internships, mentorships and apprenticeship programs that blend classroom instruction with paid, hands-on learning.”
• If all these steps are taken, students will “see a pathway forward—not just a first job, but a future,” Lee added.

MI in action: Lee highlighted the MI’s groundbreaking work in expanding talent pipelines and increasing access to rewarding manufacturing careers.

• “For example, through Heroes MAKE America, we are turning military excellence into manufacturing careers. We’ve expanded from entry-level on-site training and networking to offering in-demand high-skilled training. We’ve built and launched the Manufacturing Readiness Badge program, which translates military experience into validated, industry-recognized skills that manufacturers understand.”
• She also spotlighted the “rapid growth of the MI’s FAME program—the nation’s premier ‘earn and learn’ apprenticeship model for manufacturing. Since the MI took over stewardship of FAME from Toyota six years ago, FAME has more than doubled in size. Today, it includes nearly 500 companies across 17 states, boasting an incredible 85% job placement rate with sponsoring employers.”

The promise of AI:  On the subject of AI, Lee observed that “people who can leverage new technologies into the way they operate—who can use it to help them solve problems, make better decisions and get more done—will succeed in the job market and power the future.”

• [A]s AI evolves the way work is done, it’s opening doors to roles and opportunities we’re only beginning to see,” she continued. “Just as past technological shifts have changed the workplace, they’ve also created new paths for people to grow and contribute.”
• “That reality makes workforce development and upskilling urgent—and essential. In order for America to dominate AI and leverage these technologies to their fullest potential, we need to ensure our manufacturing workforce is ready with the right skills.”

A call to action: Lee ended her speech by invoking the history of American manufacturing and its record of increasing our nation’s security and prosperity.

• “Manufacturing has never waited for permission to lead. We build opportunities. We solve challenges. And we know from our history—from the factories that powered the Industrial Revolution to the assembly lines that mobilized an arsenal of democracy, from the boom that built the middle class to the advanced production that created the modern economy—when manufacturing steps up, America moves forward.”
• “Today, we have an opportunity again to share what leadership looks like—by putting people at the center of progress and by building a workforce ready not just for today, but for what comes next.”
• “When manufacturing leads, America works.”

The subsidiary of U.S. uranium enrichment company Centrus has contracted with engineering firm Fluor for the multibillion-dollar expansion of its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio ().

What’s going on: American Centrifuge Operating LLC—the wholly owned daughter company of Bethesda, Maryland–based Centrus—has engaged Fluor “to serve as its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor as Centrus proceeds with its previously announced” Ohio facility buildout.

What it will entail: “Under the multiyear contract, Fluor will lead engineering and design of the expanded capacity in Ohio, manage the supply chain and procurement of key materials and services, oversee construction at the site and support the commissioning of the new capacity.”

About the undertaking: The Piketon project includes substantial production of Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) “to address [the] commercial LEU enrichment contingent backlog of $2.3 billion and growing demand from existing reactors.”

• Centrus will also build “12 metric tons of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) annual capacity for next-generation reactors.”

Related news: In January, Centrus that it had been selected by the Department of Energy for a $900 million task order to expand its enrichment and centrifuge manufacturing capabilities at Piketon and its facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

• The company said later last month that it would invest more than $560 million to turn its Oak Ridge centrifuge factory into a “high-rate manufacturing” site.

The 51�Թ���’s take: “Current and future energy demand requires a strong domestic nuclear fuel supply chain,” said 51�Թ��� Senior Director of Energy and Resources Policy Mike Davin.

• “The expansion of Centrus’ Ohio enrichment facility—and the news of the company’s partnership with Fluor to make the project happen—is a win for manufacturing and the U.S. in general.”

Greater access to nonprescription drugs can reduce health care costs for manufacturers and improve quality of life for their employees, the 51�Թ��� told the Food and Drug Administration this week.

What’s going on: The FDA put out a request for information on how to increase access to nonprescription drugs. The 51�Թ��� shared manufacturers’ longstanding commitment to providing health benefits to their workers as both an effective tool to attract and retain employees and to maintain a healthy and productive workforce. It also explained how rising health care costs have been a great challenge for the industry.

• Expanding access to over-the-counter medications—which are typically affordably priced, widely available and can be purchased and taken as soon as they are needed—can save time and money for employers and employees alike.

The benefits:  “Prescription drugs require doctor’s visits, which involve not just the time spent at the appointment itself, but also the time needed to schedule an appointment or locate an in-network provider if a patient does not already have one, as well as the financial cost of a copay or coinsurance,” the 51�Թ��� said, explaining why people need access to OTC drugs, in addition to prescriptions.

• “Manufacturing workers taking time off from work to see a doctor reduces workplace productivity at a time when the industry is already facing a manufacturing worker shortage. OTC drugs can help workers to recover more quickly and return to work sooner.”

What else should be done: Manufacturers commend the administration for its efforts to expand access to OTC medications. The 51�Թ��� recommended several steps the FDA can take to increase access, including:

• Rebalance regulations and reduce unnecessary burdens in the nonprescription drug regulatory process;
• Broaden the risk/benefit assessment for nonprescription drugs to include the consideration of benefits beyond those to the individual patient, such as to population health, the health care system overall and the economy;
• Broaden the FDA consideration of which drugs can be switched from prescription to nonprescription;
• Include specialized care professionals and patient advocates on advisory councils; and
• Maintain the three-year exclusivity incentive for some prescription to OTC drug switches that require significant financial investment.

The last word: “Increased access to nonprescription drugs is crucial for manufacturers as providers of employer-sponsored insurance, and for manufacturers of consumer health care products, who strive every day to improve the health and lives of Americans,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Policy Jake Kuhns and 51�Թ��� Director of Health Care Policy Jess Wysocky.

In November, the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index recorded a 1.4% annual gain, consistent with the gain in October. The 10-City Composite increased 2.0%, up from 1.9% the previous month, while the 20-City Composite rose 1.4% year-over-year, up from 1.3%. Among the 20 cities, Chicago posted the highest annual gain at 5.7%, followed by New York at 5.0% and Cleveland at 3.4%. Tampa again posted the lowest annual return, with prices falling 3.9%.

On a month-over-month basis, the U.S. National Index declined 0.1% before seasonal adjustment. At the same time, the 10-City Composite inched up 0.1%, while the 20-City Composite edged down less than 0.1%. After seasonal adjustment, the U.S. National Index rose 0.4%, while the 10-City and 20-City Composites both grew 0.5%.

The combination of high financing costs and prices continue to cap growth. Before seasonal adjustment, 15 of the 20 major metro areas saw price declines in November. The Northeast and Midwest continue to outperform other regions as overall conditions cool. Meanwhile, in addition to Tampa, the Sun Belt and Western markets continue declining, including Phoenix (down 1.4%), Dallas (down 1.4%) and Miami (down 1.0%).

Any short-term momentum from last year has slowed across regions. Home price gains continue to trail inflation, weakening home values over the past year. The new equilibrium of minimal price growth and elevated costs is leaving home values essentially flat in real terms.

Consumer confidence plummeted 9.7 points in January to 84.5, its lowest level since 2014. Among its components, the Present Situation Index and Expectations Index both declined as consumers’ concerns regarding the present situation and expectations for the future worsened.

The Present Situation Index, reflecting current business and labor market conditions, fell 9.9 points to 113.7. Meanwhile, the Expectations Index, which reflects consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions, decreased 9.5 points to 65.1, remaining below the recession signal threshold of 80 since February 2025.

Views of the current labor market situation weakened, with 23.9% of consumers saying jobs were “plentiful,” down from December (27.5%), while 20.8% said jobs were “hard to get,” up from December (19.1%). Looking to the future, 28.5% expect fewer available jobs in the next six months, up from 26.0% the prior month, while 13.9% anticipate more jobs to be available, down from 17.4% the previous month.

Mentions of high prices and inflation, tariffs and trade, politics and the labor market continued to top the list of topics influencing consumers’ views of the economy. At the same time, mentions of health care and insurance and war edged higher in January. Consumers’ 12-month inflation expectations increased, and the proportion of consumers expecting interest rates to rise dipped in January. At the same time, the share of consumers who believe a recession is “very likely” over the next year ticked up, and the small share thinking the economy is already in a recession rose.

Buying plans for cars overall were flat in January, as purchasing plans for homes fell. Consumers’ plans for buying big-ticket items declined in January, with purchasing plans for household appliances and electronics decreasing in all categories except smartphones. Consumers’ intentions to purchase more services also dropped; however, restaurants, bars and take-out remain the top planned service spending category and continued to rise. Overall, consumers’ views of their current and future financial situation weakened in January.

As anticipated, the Federal Open Market Committee maintained its interest rate target range at 3.50%–3.75% at its January meeting. In a change to its previous statement, the FOMC noted that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace, while the unemployment rate has shown signs of stabilization, no longer necessitating a rate cut. On the other hand, two FOMC members—Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller—dissented, preferring to lower the target range by 25 basis points. In addition, at its annual organization meeting, the FOMC reaffirmed its “Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monetary Policy Strategy,” which articulates its approach to monetary policy. The statement is identical to the version adopted in August 2025.

In the press conference following the meeting, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell noted that the economy goes into 2026 on a firm footing, with job gains staying low while inflation remains elevated. Chairman Powell noted that the FOMC is well positioned to determine the extent and timing of additional adjustments to its policy stance. In addition, the improved outlook for economic activity should have a positive impact on labor demand and employment.

The FOMC’s summary of economic projections, which maps out the Federal Reserve’s expectations for where interest rates may be headed in the future, generally is released in conjunction with every other FOMC meeting. Since the December meeting included a release of economic projections, there was not a release in conjunction with the January FOMC meeting. The December summary signaled a mixed stance regarding where monetary policy should go in 2026. Twelve Federal Reserve officials projected additional rate cuts across 2026, while four anticipated no additional rate cuts, and three predicted a 25-basis-point hike.