After shifting assembly of its K’nex brand of toys from China to its plant in Montgomery County several years ago, Hatfield- based Rodon Group is encouraging other companies to follow its example and bring manufacturing back home, writes Andrew Maykuth for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The need for reshoring manufacturing has become especially apparent during the pandemic, as global supply chains melted down.

“All of a sudden, the stuff you thought you were saving on overseas, you’re not saving,” said Michael Araten, chief executive of Sterling Drive Ventures, the owner of Rodon Group. “I saw this happen in the Great Recession: There’s a shock to the economic system that causes people to really look at their total cost of ownership.”

The company, which competes with the low labor costs of overseas manufacturing by investing heavily in automation and robotics, saw an influx of new business during the pandemic, especially in the medical field.

However, the company admits that its supporting role as a supplier for products created by other manufacturers limits the influence its efforts can have on complex global supply chains.

“We’re not the general contractor for the world,” said Araten.

Read more about the Rodon Group in The Philadelphia Inquirer.