Inside a Tennessee factory, Sharpie has reimagined American manufacturing—producing its iconic markers faster and more cheaply in the US than overseas, all while keeping jobs at home, reports the Wall Street Journal in an extensive look at how the company is bucking the trend of outsourcing abroad. The Maryville factory, nestled in the Smoky Mountains, now produces the bulk of Sharpies sold in America, following nearly $2 billion in investments and a comprehensive redesign of its processes by parent company Newell Brands.
Back in 2018, Sharpie was still relying on overseas manufacturing for much of its production. That's when Chris Peterson, now CEO, challenged his team to figure out if they could beat Asian factories at their own game—and do it stateside. The answer: an ambitious push toward automation, staff training, and supply chain consolidation.
Today, robots handle much of the packing, while longtime employees have transitioned into roles like automation engineering, supported by company-funded training and even college tuition. The result: wages at the plant are up by about 50% in five years, and no jobs were cut. Production is now three to four times faster, and quality has improved, with robots even catching printing errors on marker barrels.
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The move hasn't just sped up deliveries and cut shipping costs—it's let Newell keep prices stable despite inflation. All but the felt tips (which still come from Japan) are now US-made, and the factory pumps out 1.8 million Sharpies daily, with more product lines set to return from China soon. Read the full piece at the Journal.
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