Opinion

Reinvigorating American and Canadian Economies

Dan Dimicco’s recently-published and excellent book, “American Made,” mostly about restoring manufacturing and construction to a central role in the American economy—and by implication to the Canadian one as well—should convince readers of widely differing political perspectives that his thesis is essentially sound for both nations.
Reinvigorating American and Canadian Economies
Dan DiMicco, chairman emeritus of Nucor Corp., stands near photos of the company's steel plants at the company's headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., on July 18, 2006. AP Photo/Chuck Burton
David Kilgour
David Kilgour
Human Right Advocate and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
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Dan Dimicco’s recently published and excellent book, “American Made,” mostly about restoring manufacturing and construction to a central role in the American economy—and by implication to the Canadian one as well—should convince readers of widely differing political perspectives that his thesis is essentially sound for both nations.

Dimicco walks his talk so well that he was included by the Harvard Business Review in its 2010 top 100 list of the best performing CEOs in the world, based on what he achieved at Nucor, now the largest American steel company and the largest recycler in North America.

At Nucor, the culture is uniquely inclusive, excluding special “perks” for senior management. Each of its 22,000 employees is a full team member; remarkably, no one has been laid off in 40 years despite some very tough periods, including 32 U.S. steel companies being in bankruptcy in the early 2000s.

The “no favorites” philosophy is demonstrated in part by giving employees the same amount of vacation and insurance coverage; no one gets a company vehicle, aircraft, or even an assigned parking spot.

A freedom to try new ideas provides Nucor a distinct competitive edge: a creative, get-it-done workforce. As a result, it has been honored as one of 100 Best Corporate Citizens, best in class, Best Big Companies for environmental responsibility, corporate ethics, fairness toward employees, and accountability to local communities.

David Kilgour
David Kilgour
Human Right Advocate and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
David Kilgour, J.D., former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific, senior member of the Canadian Parliament and nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work related to the investigation of forced organ harvesting crimes against Falun Gong practitioners in China, He was a Crowne Prosecutor and longtime expert commentator of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong and human rights issues in Africa. He co-authored Bloody Harvest: Killed for Their Organs and La Mission au Rwanda.
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