Catherwood LibraryILR School

During wartime, the government focused on the U.S. mold-making industry to ensure the nation’s security, but after three decades of relative peace, the special attention has waned, leaving moldmakers to struggle on their own. High U.S. labor costs, the recent economic downturn and especially the strong dollar have shifted mold-makers’ work overseas to Asia, Canada and Europe. In an effort to stay competitive, many mold builders have invested in costly high-speed machinery, and some go as far as declaring the decline in U.S. moldmaking a national security problem, although others debate the legitimacy of the latter claim.