Proximity Is The Solution: Forbes Highlights Haddy As Blueprint For U.S. Reindustrialization And Surviving Tariffs

Startup Prepares to Launch Largest 3D Printing Factory in the World

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new feature article from Forbes hails Haddy’s autonomous robots as a “revolutionary” force in the future of U.S. manufacturing and its 3D printing technology as a game-changing answer to the turmoil of global tariffs.

The Forbes piece profiles Haddy’s state-of-the-art St. Petersburg factory — which is set to become the largest 3D printing facility in the world with its grand opening on April 10 — and highlights its breakthrough model for distributed, AI-powered, local manufacturing.

“Tariffs and trade wars amplify the value of in-country manufacturing,” writes author Robert C. Wolcott. “Unfortunately, building massive scale factories here in the U.S. to replace overseas production would be a fool’s errand. That’s rebuilding the past. But we can bring production home, profitably.”

The solution, he says, is “proximate manufacturing” via small-footprint, flexible, robot-enabled production close to customers. Haddy, he explains, is leading that charge.

In the article, Haddy CEO Jay Rogers lays out the company’s vision: a national network of microfactories that allow for on-demand, custom production of goods – from furniture and infrastructure to defense equipment and disaster relief supplies, all while using fully recyclable materials and robotic systems that get smarter with every print.

“We used to choose between mass production and customization. Now we can have both,” Rogers tells Forbes. “With digital product designs and flexible production near customers, we offer unprecedented agility.”

The article recounts a real-world test: when Hurricane Ian devastated a local coffee shop, Haddy rebuilt the business’s furniture — including a complex, custom-designed coffee bar — in just one day. The rapid response, says Forbes, “portends a fundamental shift toward proximate, responsive manufacturing.”

“Haddy’s products were competitive even before tariffs,” Wolcott writes. “Because microfactories like Haddy’s can do things traditional producers simply cannot.”

As tariffs and global instability force companies to rethink their supply chains, Haddy’s model offers more than just resilience. It offers a roadmap to reindustrialize America, reduce manufacturing waste, and empower local economies.

“Change is always resisted initially,” Rogers says in the piece, “but the benefits of customization, resilience, sustainability, and local economic vitality are too compelling to ignore.”

About Haddy

Haddy is “Rebuilding America, One Layer at a Time.” Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, the company combines robotics, AI, and sustainable materials into the most advanced microfactories on the planet. With backing from top venture capital firms and partnerships across design, defense, and public sectors, Haddy is reinventing how physical products are built—smarter, faster, and closer to home.

Grand Opening

Date: April 10, 2025, 12 - 2 p.m.
Location: St. Petersburg, FL (details via RSVP link)
Details: The event will feature live robotics demonstrations, factory tours, and a showcase of Haddy’s latest innovations across furniture, architecture, and beyond.

Contacts

INFO@haddy.life