3D Systems Just Opened a US Manufacturing Center, and I Want One in Northern Michigan
I had never heard of 3D Systems before I came across this story, and I will be honest, my first reaction was not about the company at all. It was about location. The center opened in Colorado. And my immediate thought was: where is the Michigan version of this?
There probably is one somewhere. But Traverse City should be asking that question out loud.
What This Center Actually Does
The idea is straightforward. 3D Systems opened an industrial technology center in the US specifically to expand domestic capacity for advanced manufacturing. The goal is to give manufacturers, including smaller operations, access to equipment, expertise, and training that would otherwise be completely out of reach for a company that cannot afford its own R&D lab.
That is the part that caught my attention. This is not just for the big guys. It is designed to pull smaller manufacturers into capabilities they could not touch on their own.
And it fits into something bigger. This is exactly what people mean when they talk about reshoring and strengthening US manufacturing. I think that is tremendously important. There is no reason we cannot build that stuff here, and this kind of center is one way to make that actually happen.
Why Northern Michigan Should Pay Attention
I will be straight with you: I do not know enough about advanced manufacturing techniques to tell you exactly which ones would matter most for businesses up here. That is something I want to learn. If any of you are in manufacturing and want to come on and talk through what you do and how you do it, I would love that conversation. I would ask a lot of questions and learn a lot.
What I do know is that having something like this nearby would be a real opportunity for local manufacturers to grow into next-generation production. Right now, if you want to go use their equipment and see what it could do for your operation, you are booking a trip to Colorado. It would be a lot better if we had it here.
What to Actually Do About This
If you are a manufacturer in Northern Michigan, here is where I would start:
- Go talk to NMLNMC or the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and find out what programs already exist around advanced manufacturing access.
- Talk to your industry association. There may already be grant opportunities or coalitions forming that you are not plugged into yet.
- Think about whether there is a larger company, maybe a big aerospace or automotive-level operation, that might sponsor bringing a high-end next-generation manufacturing training and production facility to this area. That kind of sponsorship is how these things get built.
- Ask yourself honestly whether the domestic manufacturing push is creating real opportunities for your size of business, and what you would need to take advantage of them.
The domestic manufacturing push is real. I hope it is creating opportunities for small businesses, not just the large ones. Getting connected locally is the fastest way to find out.
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