Atomic Industries chief calls for broader U.S. manufacturing rebuild
Aaron Slodov says the U.S. should rebuild its industrial base beyond defense after decades of moving away from manufacturing.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Atomic Industries founder and CEO Aaron Slodov called for a new U.S. industrial push in a Fortune commentary published June 29, arguing that the country has spent nearly six decades pulling back from manufacturing. Slodov framed production capacity as central to U.S. communities, workers and allies, rather than as a defense-only priority.
Slodov leads Atomic Industries, a Detroit-based manufacturing technology company that Fortune described as a supplier to major original equipment manufacturers and fast-growing hardware startups. His essay appeared in Fortune’s commentary section as part of its “250 Years of Innovation” coverage.
In the piece, Slodov argued that the United States remains an industrial society and should treat manufacturing know-how as a core national asset. He said the country had relied on globalization and a shift toward services in the hope that trade would support a more stable world order.
According to Slodov, that approach has left Americans confronting an older lesson: making goods, and retaining the ability to make them, is one of the clearest ways to sustain a population. He did not present policy details in the commentary, but called for a broad effort to rebuild the country’s industrial base.
Slodov said the next century would be difficult for Americans and would require a deliberate commitment to building. He tied that argument to past periods of U.S. development, citing railroads, steel and silicon as examples of earlier national industrial achievements.
The manufacturing push he described would extend well beyond military needs. Slodov wrote that rebuilding production could strengthen communities, support families, raise workers and make it easier for people to own a stake in the future.
He also linked the effort to U.S. partners abroad. While he said the focus at REINDUSTRIALIZE is on America, Slodov added that the issue also matters for allies around the world.
Technology was another part of his argument. Slodov said the country now has tools that can help speed up industrial ambition, though the commentary did not name specific technologies or programs.
Fortune identified the piece as commentary and said opinions in such articles belong to the authors, not necessarily to the publication. Slodov’s essay was presented as a personal argument from a manufacturing technology executive about how the United States should approach the coming decades.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.