We Were at the Table. You Should Be Too.
- Lacey Ernandes
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 25
Why the SBA’s Made in America Roadshow Reinforces the Need for Alaska Manufacturing Association
When the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its Made in America Manufacturing Initiative, it promised to cut $100 billion in red tape, expand access to capital, and fuel a resurgence in small-scale manufacturing across the country.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler called it a cornerstone of the President’s agenda:
“The great American comeback starts with restoring American industry.”
They’ve launched a new Office of Manufacturing and Trade, opened a Red Tape Hotline, and are promising faster access to 504 and 7(a) loan capital. But most importantly, they committed to actually listening—hosting a series of nationwide Made in America Roadshow roundtables with manufacturers on the ground.
And when that roadshow stopped in Alaska?
We were there. And our members were almost the only ones.
That’s a problem—and an opportunity.
At a roundtable that was meant to listen to the voices of manufacturers across the state, it became clear that those voices were missing.
Not because they don’t exist, but because:
They’re too busy trying to survive the system to engage with it.
They’re building real businesses with real impact—but isolated, siloed, and unsupported.
So we brought our stories.
We talked about the freeze-dried food businesses who don’t fit any existing category, and get labeled as “dryers” because the forms don’t know what to do with them. We brought up the fact that you can’t train as an owner even though you’re the one wearing five hats, fixing the machines, and trying to grow the business. We spoke about why innovation in Alaska has to be scrappy, creative, and local—because the infrastructure sure isn’t helping.
We talked about:
the real-time cost of waiting 90 days for a grant approval,
the endless circular referrals between government agencies,
and the absurdity of "surprise" inspections you have to book plane tickets for.
The feedback wasn’t subtle:
“If you want us to innovate, stop trying to fit us into boxes we were never made for.”
But here's the bigger truth: One roundtable won’t fix this.
Alaska isn’t like the Lower 48. Our manufacturers face higher logistics costs, fewer buyers, limited access to capital, and a regulatory framework that rarely makes room for us.
The SBA has shiny portals and promising slogans like “Make Onshoring Great Again”—but those tools only work if someone on the ground helps you navigate them, advocates for your business, and holds those systems accountable to Alaska’s reality.
That’s why we started Alaska Manufacturing Association. And why you need to be part of it.
Alaska isn’t just behind—it’s being boxed out.
We’re sitting at 5–10% of our manufacturing potential. Why?
Because we’re exporting raw materials just to pay to bring them back as finished goods. Because we have no box manufacturers, no X-ray food inspection equipment, and not a single aluminum can plant for our breweries. Because the regulations, funding timelines, and approval processes were built for anywhere but here.
It’s so bad that one business owner said the issues he’s facing in Alaska remind him of the time he did development work in Nigeria. Yes—Nigeria.
We’re expected to follow the same rules as the Lower 48—with none of the infrastructure, support, or access.
The takeaway?
AKMA is more than a membership—it’s representation.
When federal agencies come to Alaska asking “what do you need?” we want more than one or 6-7 people in the room trying to explain a system that’s stacked against us.
We want every local producer, every machine shop, every food manufacturer, every small shop hustling to make something in Alaska to be seen, heard, and supported.
If you’ve ever struggled with red tape, felt isolated, or wondered why no one seems to understand what you're trying to build—we get it. We’re building it too.
And if you’ve ever:
Lost time chasing funding that didn’t fit you,
Been ghosted by agencies who promised help,
Struggled to find other people doing what you’re doing…
Then you already know: we need each other.
AKMA is building the platform that connects us, advocates for us, and represents us when the decisions are being made.
Next time the SBA—or any agency—asks “What do Alaska’s manufacturers need?”
We want to answer, loudly and collectively:“ This is what we need. And we’re not waiting quietly anymore.”
🚨 Your next step:
Join Alaska Manufacturing Association. Pull up a chair. Share your experience. Help us shape Alaska’s manufacturing future—for us, by us.
Kommentare