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Is friend-shoring the real future of American manufacturing strategy?
Discover why American manufacturing's future looks nothing like its past. Host Blake Menezes sits down with Diagon co-founders Will Drewery and Greg Smyth to reveal the hidden realities behind factory announcements, reshoring strategies, and the $4 billion facilities making headlines. Will shares firsthand experience purchasing 10,000+ robotic arms at Tesla while Greg breaks down why traditional reshoring fails economically.
The conversation reveals the shocking reality that 70% of equipment in "American" factories still comes from overseas, plus insider stories from Tesla's inherited Toyota facility. From finding decade-old lunchboxes to navigating environmental permits, Will explains the true economics of retrofit versus greenfield manufacturing. Greg argues reshoring needs a complete rebrand, introducing friend-shoring as the strategic alternative that actually works economically.
In This Episode:
- 00:00) Greg's Canadian ski-themed birthday party discussion
- (02:48) Vibe coding with Will's Tesla robotics experience
- (06:48) Greg's perspective on AI abstraction in factory design
- (15:48) Reshoring needs a rebrand, friend-shoring versus traditional approaches
- (26:54) New factory announcements, Emirates Aluminum and GM Buffalo
- (33:41) Will explains new versus retrofit facilities, Tesla Fremont case study
- (38:13) Hot takes segment and AI tools discussion
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About the show:
The Movers and Makers podcast, powered by Diagon.ai, explores the future of manufacturing and supply chain innovation. Hosted by Diagon co-founders Will Drewery and Greg Smyth, the show will cover factory-building strategies, manufacturing processes, and market insights. With expertise from Diagon, a leader in reshoring and streamlining manufacturing equipment procurement, the podcast offers valuable perspectives for engineers, executives, and enthusiasts, aiming to optimize supply chains and drive efficiency in the industry.
About the hosts:
Will Drewery Will Drewery is the founder and CEO of Diagon, an equipment marketplace focused on serving the battery industry. With a background in equipment procurement, Will's career began as a DOD contractor in Iraq in 2009, followed by significant experience at Tesla (2012-2018), where he built and led the equipment procurement team. He also gained valuable tech expertise working with Social Construct and Astra. In February 2024, Will successfully led Diagon through a pivot from a procurement software model to its current marketplace focus, raising $4.3M in Series A funding. His mission is to simplify the complex processes of sourcing, financing, and managing machinery for high-tech industries, particularly in batteries and aerospace.
Greg Smyth is a co-founder and current VP of Supply Chain for Diagon, as well as a venture partner and podcast host. Greg has extensive experience in engineering, supply chain management, and investment. Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, Greg worked at ExxonMobil for 8 years before moving to Silicon Valley in 2016. At Tesla, he spent 4 years negotiating $200M contracts, leading the development of self-driving hardware, and managing full life cycle commodity procurement—from raw materials to recycling. Greg is also an angel investor who continues to drive Diagon’s growth and success.
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