Supply shortages and price increases are renewing interest in home production, writes Andrew Maykuth for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In the Philadelphia region, Michael Araten has been ahead of the trend. He received a visit several years ago from President Barack Obama when his company, the Rodon Group, started manufacturing the K’nex brand of plastic construction toys at a Hatfield plant in Montgomery County instead of in China.

Araten’s a big fan of an idea known as reshoring, especially in light of recent events. He wants other manufacturers to bring production back home and look at the true costs of producing overseas.

There’s an up and downside to reshoring.  Offshore manufacturing has meant a loss of American jobs and income and disruption to local economies.  But at-home manufacturing would mean higher-priced goods because of the higher cost of American labor and complying with U.S. environmental and workplace rules.

With recent problems with global supply, some companies are considering domestic factories as a backup for overseas production, Araten said.

“If you make all your essential things here, it makes your own country wealthier, it gives you more options, and it just allows you to thrive,” he said.

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about bringing manufacturing back home.