The COVID-19 pandemic has brought fresh attention to the need for a strong U.S. manufacturing sector. The federal government has dusted off the World War II Defense Production Act to turn our remaining manufacturing capacity towards producing the millions of pieces of medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to endure and recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Thousands of makers and urban maker spaces have powered up their 3D printers to produce face shields, and the almost-forgotten U.S. textile sector has been tasked with generating thousands of masks, gowns, booties, and more. The challenge to secure needed equipment—at the same time as the rest of the world needs it as well—has brought many to a realization of why it is so vital to have robust industrial capacity in the United States. And not just for its role in producing all this necessary equipment: for its role in producing good-paying jobs, as well.