Humans Are Winning the Battle With Robots
Companies like Airstream, the maker of retro-cool, high-end trailers, find it more efficient to use a workforce of people, rather than make sizable investments in automation that risks being wasted if the economy slows.
JACKSON CENTER, OHIO—Airstream’s factory here is racing to fill a backlog of orders for its retro, high-end travel trailers that spans well into next year. The company is hiring, adding dealers and spending $50 million to build a bigger plant.
I counted eight workers climbing through an Airstream to bolt a hulking aluminum shell to a steel chassis, and snake fluid lines and wires through walls. To finish the shiny, silver capsule off, workers will need to install 3,000 rivets by hand.
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