Over lunch not long ago, I had the chance to sit down with Bill Fischer, a professor of Innovation Management at IMD in Switzerland — one of the world's leading business schools. Our conversation turned, as it often does in my world, to the state of manufacturing and what globalization has done to it. Bill put it in terms that stuck with me: "The globalization pendulum swung way too fast."
He's right. Over the past few decades, the rush to offshore production happened at a pace that outstripped our ability to manage the consequences. Companies chased lower labor costs overseas without fully accounting for the hidden costs — quality control issues, intellectual property risks, supply chain fragility, and the hollowing out of domestic manufacturing know-how. We saw it play out in real time during the pandemic, when businesses that had moved their entire production overseas suddenly couldn't get products to their customers.
At AnkerPak, we've always believed that manufacturing culture matters. It's not just about having machines and floor space — it's about having people who understand production, who take pride in the work, and who can solve problems in real time. That kind of culture doesn't survive when you ship everything offshore. It erodes. And once it's gone, rebuilding it takes a generation, not a quarter.
That's why AnkerPak's mission has always been about more than just running a packaging and logistics business. We're working to rebuild manufacturing culture right here in Columbus, Georgia. We invest in training. We invest in people. We believe that when you give workers meaningful work and treat them with respect, you get quality that no overseas factory can match. The pendulum is swinging back — and companies like ours are here to make sure there's something to swing back to.