Crayola's now-CEO leaned in to automation when everyone else was offshoring and now he's reaping the rewards
Briefly

In the early 2000s, while many U.S. companies were offshoring production, Crayola opted to invest in improving domestic manufacturing. CEO Pete Ruggiero recognized the importance of close-to-market responsiveness and advocated for keeping production in the U.S. This strategic decision now benefits Crayola as it navigates the complexities of a tariff economy. Currently, 70% of Crayola's global sales come from their Lehigh Valley facility, demonstrating success in prioritizing domestic manufacturing over offshoring.
In 2007 when so many people were making decisions to offshore, I kind of strategically said to our CEO at the time, this close-to-market responsiveness is a critical capability.
Today, while Crayola sources from a number of countries including Brazil and Vietnam, 70% of what we sell globally, we make in the Lehigh Valley.
Read at Fortune
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