Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/688926
2016 | Doing Business in Connecticut 59 goal of ultimately modernizing the whole system on which the business operates. Although it's been a year since the shut- tering, not all the equipment that was in operation in Mexico is fully back online in the states; some of it remains in storage, and the company is in the process of "recommission- ing machines, fixing equipment, updating it, preparing it to be put back in service," Liv- ingston said. But ultimately, the decision was the best strategic choice for Horst, he stressed. "We feel strongly that we can be competitive in New England," he said. Although some of the challenges are the same as in Mexico, "at least we're closer to home, in this cluster of com- panies in the Connecticut River Valley. Being close to your headquarters, close to your core, is easier." e company is among a small — albeit growing — group of manufacturers that are returning jobs to the states. It's an ef- fort known as "re-shoring," or insourcing, onshoring, rightshoring, and backshoring, according to the nonprofit ReShoring Initia- tive, which advocates for and collects data on the practice. According to a 2014 report, although there are still 3 to 4 million manufacturing jobs offshore, over the last decade, the U.S. has shied from losing roughly 140,000 jobs a year to gaining about 10,000 a year. Typically it is high-tech manufacturing jobs that are re-shored, according to the nonprofit's find- ings, while some of the top reasons for doing so are to take advantage of better government incentives, a more skilled workforce, cheaper energy costs, and closer proximity to existing markets and customers. "We're starting to get some on-shoring back," agreed Bonnie Del Conte of the Rocky Hill consulting organization CONNSTEP. She stressed the lower domestic risk for companies, as well as greater opportunities when it comes to quality, specifications and on-time delivery. And all told, re-shoring is a boon to more than just the principal compa- ny, she said, because the benefits flow up and down the supply chain. Going forward, Horst, in addition to investing in its own business and operations, will join other state manufacturers in bolster- ing a steady workforce pipeline. And, Liv- ingston stressed, his company will continue to be nimble to stay ahead of the changing economic environment. "We'll use our entrepreneurial skills to make the right investments," he said. ❑ PHOTO/PABLO ROBLES Scott Livingston, CEO of Horst Engineering and Manufacturing Co. ' We made the decision to increase our business in Connecticut. ' — Scott LivingSton, cEo, HorSt EnginEEring and Manufacturing