I sit down with Matt Parlmer, founder of GenFab, to discuss the re-industrialization of America. Matt came to manufacturing through software engineering, watching supply chains buckle during COVID and realizing how little the country actually makes anymore. His response was to build a new kind of factory—one that replicates itself while maintaining capital efficiency, avoiding the trap of heavy equipment costs that dooms most manufacturing startups before they begin.
We cover the concept of the “parts farm,” a modular approach that sidesteps traditional machinery setups and keeps investment risk low. We discuss how falling component costs and robotics evolution have changed what’s possible, and why electronics contract manufacturing is GenFab’s current focus. Matt lays out his plans for vertical integration and proprietary production capabilities aimed at competing with Chinese manufacturing directly.
The conversation turns to what re-industrialization actually requires: not just technology, but cultural and policy shifts. We talk government investment, trade policy, the skill gaps in the manufacturing workforce, and whether America has the collective will to treat making things as essential to national resilience. Matt makes the case that manufacturing isn’t just an economic sector—it’s civilizational infrastructure.
LINKS:
Support Nick Simmons’ wife and family’s GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-nick-simmons-life-and-legacy
Matt Parlmer’s memorial post for Nick Simmons:
General Fabrication website: https://www.genfab.co
Matt Parlmer on X: https://x.com/mattparlmer
General Fabrication on X: https://x.com/genfabco
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