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Sustainability, Geopolitics & Manufacturing

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Tariffs.

It's been THE topic of discussions on both sides of the Atlantic (and indeed around the globe) for the last several weeks. The U.S. Administration's trade policy decisions and actions have caused shock, horror and all manner of emotions and outbursts.

If you talk to those affected the most, however, the CEOs, COOs and supply chain leaders of manufacturing companies, you will largely experience a more pragmatic response. Not that they are not affected or concerned, they very much are, but they also understand that now is a time for pragmatism and strategic action - not emotion. 

Here below are key takeaways and messages from recent events (2 EACC and 1 partner) that provide a diversity of perspectives and insights and sound advice to all business leaders grappling with the current crisis and uncertainty.


On April 30th, the EACC Greater Cincinnati held our 3rd annual SUSTAIN Symposium. Speakers included: Their key messages were:
 
  • Matt Elliott: Taming the Chaos with the Power of AND
"Today’s high-velocity business environment demands rapid decision-making, and either/or choices are often the simplest and easiest path forward. But that speed can come at a cost—sacrificing innovation, collaboration, and long-term value.  Adopting the "Power of &" framework tames chaos by slowing the world down, allowing us to dig deeper, think bigger and unlock breakthrough collaboration, trust and innovation. The result? Leaders thrive by balancing profit with purpose; employees adapt to transformation with confidence by pivoting from change-weary to change-ready; teams shift from chasing short-term wins to sustainable growth; and organizations thrive by moving from division to connection.   All by harnessing the Power of &."
 
  • Daniel Yoder: R.A Jones Then (2023) and Now (2025)
"Facility improvements, small and large, are a great way to start your sustainability journey. They are visible to the employees and community. With this momentum you can scale sustainability into more areas of your organization that will yield even greater benefits for the community, customer, and business."
 
  • Marvin Cunningham: Sustainable by Design : A Family Business Prepares for the Future
"The Business Case for Sustainability:  That companies of any use can use sustainability to plan for and invest in the future.   In my option it is something that companies cannot afford to ignore."
 
  • Matt Schultz: Energy Market Outlook: Demand, Cost, and Capacity in PJM
"The U.S. power grid faces significant challenges that have begun to manifest in the form of higher and more unpredictable costs, along with decreased reliability. This is being driven by increasing demand tied to data centers, EVs and electrification, but also by aging infrastructure and the ongoing retirement of firm, reliable assets. Consumers of electricity have the opportunity to act and insulate themselves from the volatility in the electricity markets by performing energy audits, investing in energy efficiency and considering alternative sources like on-site renewable energy."
 
  • Natalie Cooke: Recycling & Waste Management: Trends, Influences, and Goals & Ambitions
Of the USA's top 55 companies, only 3 got an A score for their Net Zero grade (as defined by Progress to reduce emissions by 1.5% by 2050). There is tremendous opportunity for improvement where businesses and manufacturers are concerned. There is a distinction to be made between "Net Zero", a measure of emissions, and "TRUE Zero" and measure of circularity. It is the difference between incineration and incineration avoidance. It is the "Redesign, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" economy. 
 
From left to right: Daniel Yoder, Matt Schultz, Marvin Cunningham, Matt Eliott, Natalie Cooke and moderator Drew Guthridge

On May 6th, the EACC in partnership with the Cincinnati Region Chamber of Commerce hosted a roundtable on Geopolitics: Risks & Opportunities presented by EY. Speaker Courtney Rickert McCaffrey's key message was:

"Geopolitical developments will continue to drive transformation and require executives to rethink their global business models and strategies."

With this in mind, and having provided an overview of the top 10 geopolitical developments in 2025 (pictured below), as well as a copy of her co-authored book "Geostrategy by Design" we learned the following:
 
  • Ensure at least one team member has a holistic understanding and view of the geopolitical landscape and risks, and has the ability and opportunity to communicate input as part of strategy discussions and development
  • A geopolitical strategy is not dissimilar to a marketing strategy. It involves:
  1. Scanning: identify and dynamically monitor political risks
  2. Focus: assess how these political risks could affect your company
  3. Manage: integrate political risk into connected risk approaches
  4. Strategize: incorporate political risk analysis into strategic discussions
  5. Govern: establish a cross-functional geostrategic team 
  • There has been bipartisan consistency around the concept of "de-risking" - de-risking from China, de-risking the supply chain. It's the HOWs that have varied.​ ​

  • EY survey of actions being taken by businesses as a result of recent trade policy activity (tariffs):
  1. Reconfiguration of supply chains
  2. Relocalization of production assets
And while political risk concerns spiked with the start of the Ukraine war, they have not since returned to their pre-war levels, remaining elevated, still.
 
 

And on May14th, the EACC attended the CSCMP's event on Trade Wars: Tariffs in Supply Chain, where speakers Joel Messing (Senior Director, NA MO E2E Warehouse Planning & Operations, P&G), Lena Pysareva (New Business Development & Client Relations, Smurfit Westrock Packaging Solutions) and Steve DeNunzio (Senior Lecturer at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business) provided tremendous insights and practical advice.


Our key takeaways from that event were:
 
  • Don't react. Research and Respond (use historical data and experiences)
  • Know your supply chain cold
    • How to protect it
    • Build agility into it
    • Build its resiliency
  • Tap into new technology as it best serves you to build efficiencies
  • Explore transport modality substitutions (e.g. road vs rail or rail vs air)
  • Always be working on your relationships and partnerships - these will help in times of crisis
  • Do not listen to the non-experts or self-proclaimed experts
 


 

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