Manufacturing Through Uncertainty

Last week, Sigma Design’s President and CEO, Lindsey, joined Suzanne Stevens and fellow panelists on the Portland Business Journal stage for the Manufacturing Through Uncertainty panel. It was a great conversation about economic uncertainty, supply chains, labor challenges, and growth.

It was also a return to a familiar stage. Last year, Sigma Design was named a Makers & Manufacturers of the Year Award winner, and we were glad to be back this year to share what we’ve learned.

Uncertainty Is the Landscape

Alan Greenspan once said, “Uncertainty is not just an important feature of the monetary policy landscape; it is the defining characteristic of that landscape.”

We’ve found that’s true in business, too.

Despite plenty of uncertainty, Sigma Design has:

• Grown headcount 25%

• Increased revenue 50%

• Opened a new facility in the Bay Area

• Converted office space into production space

• Taken over parts of our parking lot to keep up with demand

None of that happened because conditions were perfect. It happened because a lot of talented people kept finding ways to solve problems.

One Piece at A Time

Most challenges, no matter how big or complex they seem, become more manageable when you break them down into smaller pieces and start working through them. That’s true in manufacturing, in leadership, and in life in general.

Supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and economic swings aren’t going away. But the teams that keep growing through them are the ones that stay focused on the next solvable piece.

That’s the secret behind our growth: talented people solving problems, one piece at a time.

Thank you to the Portland Business Journal and Suzanne Stevens for hosting such a thoughtful discussion, and to our team for making this growth possible.