Don't look now but Jay is global

Thirty years ago, the phrase “the global economy” could make your eyes glaze over.
It was constantly repeated, but most folks were skeptical.
It might be greeted with a silent, “Yeah, sure,” whenever it was mentioned.
But a funny thing happened.
Thirty years later, it turns out to be true.
Look at Dunkirk, where the city’s glass container-making factory — born as Hart Glass and known over the years as Armstrong, Kerr, Ball-Foster, Saint-Gobain and Verallia — is now a healthy and important part of a company with Irish roots and a headquarters in Luxembourg.
Look at Portland, where FCC (Indiana), originally known as Jaytec, has been a keystone of the local manufacturing base for a quarter of a century. The fact it was born in Japan, its international headquarters is in Hamamatsu City or its leadership has been Japanese in partnership with Americans from the beginning is taken for granted.
Or look at this week, when a company based in India and with ties to Japan acquired the wiring harness business that’s been variously known as JCI, Alphabet or Stoneridge over the years. Today, employees are getting used to being a part of Samvardhana Motherson Sumi Ltd. Even saying the name is a real mouthful.
But a little research tells you that samvardhana means “to grow” in Hindi, and that’s a very, very good sign for the future.
Once upon a time, non-local control of manufacturing meant company headquarters might be in California or Pennsylvania.
These days, the distances are both greater and shorter.
But what’s especially exciting and should be encouraging to everyone who cares about the local economy and our shared future is while we’ve joined the global economy big time, we still continue to generate our own homegrown entrepreneurial ventures, companies like Moser Engineering and Mosey Manufacturing and MyFarms and IOM Grain.
Are they local?
Yes, they are.
But are they global as well? You bet your life they are. —J.R.[[In-content Ad]]