It’s no secret that American manufacturing has been experiencing a resurgence, thanks in large part to reshoring and nearshoring initiatives spurred by the pandemic plus legislation efforts from the last two administrations.

But here’s the catch. The latest boom has resulted in a huge shortage of qualified workers with a nearly half-million current openings in the sector, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This has put pressure on executives to quickly fill these roles in an efficient manner without sacrificing qualifications and standards. Carolyn Lee, President and Executive of the Manufacturing Institute, told NPR that roughly half of all open roles require at least a bachelor’s degree. However, the ones that don’t also struggle to be filled.

by Jake Stiles, CEO

Linkedin recently notified me I just hit my 30^th year at Stiles Associates. Where’d the time go?

In recent discussions with our clients and top executives, supply chain disruption continues to be the top concern. To provide greater insight into how the market's responding, below is an overview of how we've partnered with organizations to secure exceptional Supply Chain leadership talent:

Over the last five years, companies have been using a secret weapon in their fight against uncertainty and inefficiency: on-demand leaders. The data suggests, however, identifying this powerful resource as rarely used or unknown might be a thing of the past.

 

 

Even in tumultuous global trade environments, the demand for A-players remains strong. Below is a brief overview of the Operations leadership roles we filled in Q1 2025:

by Jake Stiles, CEO
Stiles Associates

Based on the conversations I’ve had with clients and candidates over the last couple of weeks, I understand many of you are finding ways to deliver value in an increasingly difficult and ever-changing tariff landscape. We also understand that many of you are increasingly relying on Lean thinking across the enterprise to make sure margin levels are preserved.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[New London, N.H., March 10, 2025] – A new manufacturing survey from executive search firm Stiles Associates highlights the significant impact of the recently implemented tariffs on manufacturers operating in the United States., Canada, China and Mexico – and how they’re on adjusting.

The survey of over 100 senior manufacturing executives found that 84% manufacture in the United States. Additionally, nearly 30% of respondents indicated they manufacture outside of the U.S. equally spread between Mexico, China and Canada.  

This comprehensive hiring checklist is designed to streamline the recruitment process and ensure all critical steps are meticulously followed. From defining the role and creating a compelling job description to partnering with an executive search firm and conducting thorough candidate assessments, this checklist covers every aspect of the hiring journey.

By closely adhering to these guidelines, organizations can enhance their ability to attract top-tier talent, make informed hiring decisions and ultimately build a strong, cohesive team that aligns with the company's strategic goals and culture.

In January, Stiles Associates released its annual full-year compensation study that shares data from a sampling of searches we filled on behalf of client organizations in 2024. Both hiring authorities and candidates alike routinely use this information to better understand current market trends when it comes to compensation packages for various roles in different sectors.

As 2024 comes to a close and we start looking ahead to 2025 (time certainly flies!), I first want to wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season. We all – myself included as a husband, father and CEO – can easily get swept up in the day-to-day of our jobs and families, making this time of year incredibly important to recharge the batteries so we can give everyone who depends on us our very best.