ABSTRACT
Several decades ago, the quality revolution hit the manufacturing sector before the others, crippling the US auto sector, whose leaders didn’t see it coming, and creating an economic boom in Asia. Similarly, the sustainability movement is affecting the manufacturing sector first. The reasons are straightforward. Manufacturing often deals with hazardous chemicals, uses a lot of energy, depletes natural resources, generates tons of waste and employs factories around the globe. Usually, those most in the cross-sights, and thus prompted to be more active in the sustainability movement, are multinational corporations selling branded products to the general public (eg Nike, Toyota) or industries formerly reviled by environmentalists, whether associated with energy and fossil fuels (BP, Royal Dutch Shell), natural resources (Louisiana Pacific, the Collins Companies) or the chemical industry (Monsanto, DuPont). Just as with the quality revolution, those who got on board first have tended to benefit the most and those who wait risk losing market share.
