By Jeff Wissink For many consumers, a service call evokes frustration. The customer has a problem, can’t find the solution online and grudgingly picks up the phone, anticipating a language barrier and cultural disconnect with an overseas call center agent. That customer service experience is the product of many cost-reduction initiatives throughout corporate America over […]

As Obama and Romney debate offshoring, many commentators have pointed out that estimating the total job loss from offshoring is difficult. However,  we can answer a different but related question:  How many manufacturing jobs could we bring back if we closed the trade deficit? A recent analysis by the Progressive Policy Institute, Manufacturing in […]

In February, Jenny Drinkard, an industrial designer and recent Georgia Institute of Technology graduate, proposed an idea to a website called Quirky.com to turn modified milk crates into a home storage system. Then 1,791 Quirky community members around the world refined the design, suggesting accessories and ranking them in order of preference on the site. […]

The enormous benefits of safe, responsible, tightly-regulated American natural gas development cannot be denied. This fact is proof positive. Indeed, several columns this week further underscore how “Shale extraction represents one of the most important developments for the economy in the last 60 years. It’s pushing down energy prices and creating many new opportunities for […]