The following is a guest editorial from Mike Johnson, COO of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Silicon Prairie News, its staff or its affiliates. We welcome diverse perspectives and encourage open dialogue on the topics that shape our startup and innovation community.

American manufacturing is at a crossroads.

Years of offshoring sent U.S. industrial jobs overseas. Red tape has made starting and running a business more expensive. And supply chain disruptions make it harder for entrepreneurs and innovators to source the materials they need at prices they can afford.

Of course, a weaker manufacturing base isn’t just a business problem. It’s a threat to America’s strength and leadership across the world.

Rewind all the way back before the November election, when national leaders of both leading political parties applauded the notion of reshoring America’s manufacturing sector. While they differed wildly on the proposed tactics, the sentiment was clear: bring back American manufacturing.

The good news locally? Manufacturing in Nebraska has experienced growth for decades, with strong potential ahead. And with targeted investment and strategic improvements, our state can help lead a U.S. industrial comeback for decades to come.

Just look at the data. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, since 1997 manufacturing has been an outsized leader of our state’s economy, adding more than $300 billion to Nebraska’s GDP in that time. Per the bureau’s methodology, manufacturing was Nebraska’s largest industry sector 19 times in those 27 years — and in the eight years it wasn’t number one, it was a close second behind finance and insurance.

That might be surprising to some. After all, Nebraska is the Cornhusker state and is known around the world for its corn, its cows, and its other agricultural outputs.

But far from competing with our farmers and ranchers, Nebraska manufacturers cooperate with them. Whether that’s through food processing, storage and containment solutions, or other innovations that strengthen agriculture, the partnerships these two industries form increase the value they both create.

And that’s not just good for our businesses’ bottom lines. It’s good for the workers they employ, the communities in which they operate, and all Nebraskans who benefit from their investments and growth. When manufacturing is strong in Nebraska’s communities, growers have more consumers to market to, families have more options to find good employment, and economic growth statewide is anchored right here.

To keep the edge that this symbiotic relationship between manufacturing and agriculture gives, we need to tackle both national pressures and local challenges head-on.

That starts with two of the biggest priorities we have at the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry: First, to continue building a skilled workforce for the future, and second, embracing cutting-edge technologies that can help make Nebraskans even more innovative and productive.

Workforce development is crucial. As strong as our manufacturing industry has been, Nebraska still faces a shrinking labor pool, with declining populations in some areas and tight competition for talent. We need to train workers for today’s manufacturing jobs, and we need to start now.

Addressing that includes expanding Career and Technical Education (CTE) across the state. For example, a bill being considered in the Legislature this two-year session would encourage more high schoolers to earn college credits in fields that feed into our blossoming industry sectors while still in school.

The bill — LB173, sponsored by Sen. Jason Prokop — would expand these dual credit offerings through community colleges across the state. It’s a win-win: Students get a head start, and employers get skilled workers.

But expanding the talent pool is just one piece of this puzzle. We also need to make it easier for our skilled workers to imagine, build and maintain high-quality products, from next generation center pivots to technology used in energy generation that will power our towns, irrigation systems and factories.

That’s why businesses across the state are looking for more ways to modernize their operations and embrace technology — and lawmakers should look for ways to help them.

A good start would mean passing Sen. Tony Sorrentino’s LB536 — a proposal that may be included in another piece of legislation (LB265) through AM900. This bill would set up a one-year pilot program with matching grants to help Nebraska manufacturers invest in automation and help them upskill through training that teaches employees to use it.

These steps aren’t just about encouraging manufacturing here in Nebraska today. They’re about ensuring our state remains an industrial and economic leader for years to come. And lawmakers have an opportunity during this legislative session to make that happen.

Nebraska might be known for its crops and cattle, but thanks to hard work, grit and determination, our state is also proof that American manufacturing can succeed. With clear, focused action, our lawmakers can help build on that success and pave the way for the rest of the country to follow. If we don’t, other states will take the lead and take the economic growth that could otherwise be ours with them.