Writer: Mirella Franzese
Industry corner
is a monthly series on what company leaders believe are the most important best practices in their sector or organization to ensure growth and sustainable success.
September 2025 — Constant trade disruptions, soaring shipping costs, and tighter labor markets are pushing U.S. businesses to reshore operations, bringing production closer to core markets for smarter logistics.
This onshoring momentum, while strong, will have significant implications for costs, employment, and supply chain resilience, industry leaders say.
“The trade-off is whether we prioritize lower prices or domestic job creation — a debate that will shape the future of our infrastructure,” said Raul Alfonso, EVP and chief commercial officer of Port Tampa Bay. “At the end of the day, we all want efficient, affordable trade, but we also want strong job growth and economic stability. Striking that balance will define the next phase of our industry’s evolution.”
Given the higher costs of U.S. labor and production, manufacturers are rethinking how they approach regionalized supply networks, agile technologies, and efficient planning to remain compliant, competitive, and cutting-edge. But weak supply chains, infrastructure, and transportation remain major hurdles.
“The COVID-19 crisis made it clear how fragile the supply chain can be,” Alfonso said. “The U.S. relies on just five major ports — Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Houston, Savannah, and the Pacific Northwest. When these ports face disruptions, the entire system suffers, leading to delays, shortages, and rising costs.”
Agile and green logistics
For Port Tampa Bay, the nation’s largest port in terms of inland availability and footprint, building a more efficient, sustainable network means cutting down on empty trucks and railcars.
“Right now, 80% of trucks leaving Florida are empty on their return trips north, yet freight rates for northbound routes are 50% lower,” Alfonso said.
Empty backhaul — cargo carried on return journeys — drives up costs because carriers pass the expense on to shippers and customers. It also limits productivity and increases emissions, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
To address this, Port Tampa Bay is working with trucking companies and CSX intermodal connections to maximize backhaul opportunities, covering both trucking and driver expenses on a single northbound trip, while filling return cargo. The strategy lowers shipper costs and, importantly, reduces total fuel consumption and emissions.
“It’s an economic and environmental win-win,” Alfonso said.
AI-driven infrastructure and supply chain resilience
Beyond smart logistics, digital investments in infrastructure are also driving resilience. According to supply chain finance company SecurCapital, 90% of logistics executives plan to invest at least $1 million in digital technologies such as AI-driven demand forecasting and real-time shipment tracking to offset disruptions like tariff pressures.
At the neighboring Port of Palm Beach, the $30 million Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) automates rail systems to enhance cargo flexibility, according to Executive Director Michael Meekins told Invest:.
“It is a good example of how the port collaborates with federal and state agencies to streamline operations and advance both port and regional interests,” said Meekins.
Through automation, the port better controls its roadway system, expediting truck movement. Meekins said the modernization supports greater rail usage, reduces congestion, and improves overall efficiency.
Automation is not without challenges, Alfonso cautioned. “Automation in container terminals has been a contentious issue — especially in labor negotiations. AI and automation will continue to shape the industry. The big question is: how much automation is too much? Finding the right balance is crucial — not just for efficiency, but for protecting jobs and maintaining a strong economy.”
Still, Alfonso said automation is critical to ensuring faster supply chain processes in the years ahead.
Regionalized supply networks
AI-driven growth is also boosting demand for robust infrastructure as the U.S. reshores data center projects. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), for instance, invested $150 billion in the US over the past three years, showing the importance of location for high-value supply chain success.
Amid rising competition, markets with regionalized supply networks — resin sites, airports, and ports — and strong infrastructure are winning the fight for highly sought-after data center projects. Between October 2024 to April 2025, such projects generated $102.6 billion in capital investment and created more than 17,600 new jobs.
“The availability of reliable and cost-effective power is now the top competitive factor for site location decisions,” wrote Alexandra Tranmer, director of industry and workforce at CEcD, and Dillion Roberts, director of ProspectEngage, in a report by consulting firm Camino Associates. “From semiconductors and electric vehicles (EVs) to data centers and chemicals, many of today’s biggest reshoring projects are massive energy users.”
As shown in a 2024 Site Selectors Guild report, electric power capacity — not cost — is now the defining factor for industrial projects. Camino Associates notes that regions attracting the most projects offer megawatt availability, grid access speed, transparency, and renewable energy integration.
While workforce availability also matters, locations with superior sustainable power capacity are favored. Markets like Phoenix, Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, and Memphis are at the forefront of the data center and EV manufacturing boom
“Being close to Austin, we see many support companies for large firms like Tesla and Samsung establishing operations in our area,” said Mike Kamerlander, president and CEO of the economic development agency, Hays Caldwell EDP in Texas. “Thanks to our abundant electricity and power reliability...We anticipate an AI-driven explosion in our area, with several data center projects in the pipeline,” Kamerlander told Invest:.
These industrial projects, in turn, fuel the growth of neighboring local economies and drive business demand. “Approximately 78% of our project leads are in manufacturing, driven by our workforce, cost of doing business, and infrastructure availability,” Kamerlander said.
Key considerations
As political and economic instability continues, the biggest threats to trade corridors — national and global — are weak fiscal coordination and rising interest rates, which risk delaying infrastructure upgrades, technology adoption, and energy transitions, according to The World Economic Forum.
“Some economies attract capital surges, fueling rapid technology adoption and infrastructure upgrades. Others face inflation spikes, currency volatility or debt constraints – limiting their ability to modernize or sustain supply chain reliability,” wrote Kiva Allgood, managing director of the World Economic Forum, and Per Kristian Hong, partner and Americas strategic operations and performance lead at Kearney. “This creates persistent chokepoints, supply chain blind spots and heightened cybersecurity exposure.”
“Supply chains must be designed to embrace uncertainty and respond with agility. In an era shaped by geopolitical shifts, regulatory churn, and climate volatility, supply chain competitiveness hinges on the ability to re-route, re-scale and re-align as operating conditions evolve,” they outlined.
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