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The First Step to Fixing U.S. Manufacturing

Harvard Business Review

In fact, MGI analysis of financial data shows that large publicly traded US manufacturing firms, most of them multinationals with revenues greater than $500 million, averaged returns on invested capital of 22% from 1997 to 2013. manufacturers do source from domestic suppliers, they tend to regard them purely as a cost center.

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Top 10 Sustainable Business Stories of 2012

Harvard Business Review

This year, there were countless eco-efficiency stories about companies saving millions of dollars and developing new tools to make buildings, fleets ( Staples and UPS, for example ), and manufacturing much leaner. Announcements on waste may not be exciting, but they demonstrate how companies can turn a cost center into a source of profit.