A nation of adventurers, entrepreneurs, and do-it-yourselfers

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"America has a culture of taking risks—it's in your blood." This came up in a discussion with the founder of software provider dataM, Albert Sedlmaier. Considering that his is a view from the outside—Sedlmaier is German—I thought this was an interesting take on life in the U.S. Part of our collective deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), bequeathed to us from the hardy adventurers who sailed to Plymouth Rock aboard the Mayflower, it's more than just culture, he explained. It's who we are.

My own family's time in the U.S. doesn't go back that far, but considering that my paternal grandfather crossed the Atlantic at age 16, I certainly wasn't in a position to disagree. Like many immigrants, he had no family in the U.S., didn't speak the language, and had no vocational credentials or specific educational background to help land a job. I can't imagine his mindset, or those of the countless people who immigrated before or since he came over in 1914, but "boundless enthusiasm" and "unbridled optimism" must have been part of the package.

How has it played out in our business culture? The U.S. certainly is a good place to be a risk-taking entrepreneur. The World Bank ranks more than 200 economies regarding the ease of doing business by using factors such as the ease of starting a business, getting construction permits, access to electricity, registering property, getting credit, enforcing contracts, and dealing with bankruptcy. The U.S. did really well, ranking eighth. New Zealand is at the top of the list, followed by Singapore, Denmark, Hong Kong, Korea (the southern one), Georgia, Norway, U.S., U.K, and Macedonia.

On the domestic front, this is good news. Nations at the top of the list are positioned to have more dynamic, vibrant economies than those further down the list. Of course, a higher ranking doesn't guarantee anything, but it implies the potential to keep pace with an ever-changing world. By one measure, gross domestic product per person, the U.S. again is doing well, ranking 19 in a field of 229.

On the international front, this also is good news. Protectionists, mercantilists, and fear-mongers are likely to disagree, but a country that ranks in the 60s on this list isn't a big threat. A country that far down on the list simply isn't going to shoot to the top anytime soon. Any structural, bureaucratic, legal, or technological roadblocks that exist take time to dismantle, and in many cases they are supported by vested interests, making them nearly impossible to clear. If you guessed that China ranks near the 60s, you're right.

Can a country move up the list in the distant future? Sure. Certainly these rankings are going to shift over time, but worrying about another nation's ranking isn't nearly as important as helping to encourage future generations of U.S. entrepreneurs (our sons and our daughters). If you do this already, you can help further by spreading the word, and if you're not already involved, it doesn't have to be costly or difficult.

• Manufacturing Day is right around the corner (October 4). Opening your company's doors for tours and sharing your experience with students can open a lot of eyes to the endless possibilities manufacturing has to offer. See mfgday.com.
• The organizers of FABTECH encourage individual students and school groups to attend the expo to learn more about manufacturing. See fabtechexpo.com and click on the REGISTRATION box in the upper right-hand corner of the page. The expo runs Nov. 11-14 at McCormick Place, Chicago.
• The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. organizes manufacturing camps for youngsters every summer and provides scholarships every fall. The 2019 activities are behind us, but FMA's fundraising organization—Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs—is preparing for 2020, and any donation, small or large, is greatly appreciated. See nutsandboltsfoundation.org.

If you know of other ways to help to promote manufacturing careers, let me know and I'll include your input in a future The Tube & Pipe Journal editorial or a blog post.