<p>In today&#39;s episode, Matt Horine speaks with Scott Maier, CEO of Virginia-based Blue Star NBR. Scott explains why the U.S. still imports about 99% of nitrile gloves and how pandemic shortages exposed major supply-chain risk. He outlines the capital, scale, and technical complexity required to reshore commodity glove production, and argues gloves are strategic for industries like semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, rare earths, magnets, and batteries. The discussion covers China’s expansion and vertical control of both glove output and raw materials, the need to treat PPE as national security infrastructure, and policy requirements such as tariffs, financing, and long-term buyer commitments (including proposed CMS reimbursement incentives for hospitals buying domestic PPE). Maier also describes workforce development efforts in southwest Virginia/Appalachia and Blue Star’s plans to complete a raw-material facility and begin building multiple glove plants.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Timestamps</strong></p><p>00:00 Welcome to US Manufacturing Today + Introducing Scott Maier (Blue Star NBR)</p><p>01:21 Scott’s Path from Finance to Building Manufacturing Companies</p><p>02:34 The Wake-Up Call: America’s Medical Supply Vulnerability (Pre-Pandemic)</p><p>03:36 What Really Happened During the Pandemic Glove Shortages</p><p>04:55 What It Takes to Build Nitrile Glove Manufacturing in the U.S. (Scale &amp; Capital)</p><p>06:12 Misconceptions: Why Glove Manufacturing Is Harder Than People Think</p><p>07:49 Beyond Healthcare: Gloves as a Strategic Input for Critical Industry</p><p>08:33 China’s Vertical Control of Gloves + Raw Materials (and Why It’s a Choke Point)</p><p>09:51 PPE as National Security Infrastructure &amp; Economic Sovereignty</p><p>12:39 Policy Reality Check: Tariffs, Financing, and Buyer Commitments</p><p>14:13 Competing with Subsidized Imports: The ‘China Price’ and Raw-Input Advantage</p><p>19:46 Demand Signals &amp; Incentives: CMS Reimbursements and Onshoring Momentum</p><p>21:21 Workforce &amp; Site Selection: Training Pipelines in Southwest Virginia</p><p>24:20 Automation &amp; the Next Wave of Reindustrialization (Textiles and Beyond)</p><p>26:07 Looking Ahead: What Success Looks Like + Risks, Optimism, and Advice</p><p>30:14 How to Help + What’s Next for Blue Star NBR (and Where to Follow Scott)</p><p>31:50 Wrap-Up, Thanks, and Where to Find More Resources</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Links</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-maier-82512245/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Scott on LinkedIn</a></p><p><a href="https://x.com/scotttmaier" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Scott on X</a></p><p><a href="https://www.bluestarnbr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Blue Star NBR</a></p><p><a href="https://sustainment.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a href="https://www.veryableops.com/navigating-trump-2-0">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Navigating Trump 2.0 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.veryableops.com">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Revitalizing US Manufacturing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://company.veryableops.com/create-profile">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign Up on the Veryable Platform ⁠⁠</a></p>