As a design engineer/draughtsman, I've always thought I'd have a job for life. However I've had to adapt continually to avoid career death. It'll be interesting to see if we attempt any sort of manufacturing resurection. We could but it would require a massive shift in consumer psychology...
Well traditionally, or 50+ years ago things tended to come from countries that had the materials, remember containers were all made of tin. delicious tin :ohmy: furniture was made of genuine tree wood, and lasted a lifetime.
We can and do, its generally high quality and expensive.
Problem is we need materials, they don't grow on trees, and if they did we've chopped most of them down. We don't produce much metal any more.