The CEO of a startup building robots for factories explains how US manufacturing is at a crossroads
Business Insider
February 20, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The US manufacturing industry is at a critical juncture, with experts like Edward Mehr of Machina Labs advocating for a shift toward distributed and flexible manufacturing over traditional centralized models. Mehr argues that replicating China's large-scale factory model is impractical for the US, and instead, the focus should be on innovation and next-generation technologies. His startup specializes in robotics-enabled manufacturing for industries like defense, aerospace, and automotive, emphasizing flexibility and portability to reduce costs and streamline production.
Machina Labs' robots are designed to switch between different operations, eliminating the need for extensive factory retooling. This approach not only saves time but also makes production more adaptable to changing demands. While the robotics sector is still in its early stages—about five years away from a game-changing breakthrough comparable to ChatGPT—major companies like Tesla and Amazon are already making significant strides in automation.
The company recently secured $124 million in Series C funding, which will be used to build a new 200,000-square-foot factory equipped with 50 robots. This facility aims to produce thousands of structures annually, marking a significant expansion from its current capacity of hundreds per year. The factory will also employ around 150 human workers, similar to a traditional factory's workforce. Despite concerns about AI's impact on jobs, Machina Labs has found that employees are highly engaged in their new
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Originally published on Business Insider on 2/20/2026