Tariffs create an incentive to move production to the United States, but will that economic incentive be enough to spark a change? Advanced manufacturing operations can involve expensive equipment, new facilities and automation to keep labor costs low. And, expect some costs to rise as construction labor gets scarce and as tariffs add to equipment costs. In this live interactive event, we will discuss:

• How to secure funding to bring operations to the United States
• Strategies to minimize startup costs
• Policies from local, state and federal governments that could promote more reshoring
• Benefits from reshoring, outside of avoiding tariff costs

Access the webinar HERE.

Speakers include:

Michelle Comerford | Project Director and Industrial Supply Chain Practice Leader | Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company

Michelle Comerford is the Industrial & Supply Chain Practice Leader at Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co., one of the largest specialty site selection and incentives advisory firms in North America.  Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Michelle develops corporate location strategies and executes site selection projects for BLS & Co.’s manufacturing and distribution clients across the US. Throughout her 23-year career, Michelle has advised numerous clients across a wide variety of industry sectors on facility site selection decisions through consideration of specific operating factors and costs including supply chain network optimization and transportation costs, labor costs and skill availability, real estate, utilities cost and capacity, taxes, and incentives.

Michelle’s previous roles include Managing Director of Austin Consulting within the national industrial design-build firm The Austin Company and Broker/Logistics Analyst at commercial real estate firm The Staubach Company.  She is expert at the evaluation of supply chain logistics, location strategy, labor market analysis, community/site selection alternatives, as well as due diligence, incentives negotiation, property acquisition, and other aspects of project implementation for manufacturing plant investment decisions.  

Michelle has been a featured speaker at a number of economic development events and meetings, and she is a frequent contributor to manufacturing and supply chain industry-specific publications. Michelle is also a member of the Site Selectors Guild, where she is currently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors.

Michelle earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a double major in Logistics and Marketing from John Carroll University.