Happy 250th Birthday, America!
- Juan Carlos Mojica Marquez
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
This year, America celebrates 250 years of history. Fun fact: "The Continental Congress formally declared freedom from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, but approved the Declaration of Independence two days later" (Thanks Morning Brew)
This is only my second Independence Day as a U.S. citizen, but it's a good one to celebrate. Like many others, I came here because I believed in the values that have made this country a place of opportunity for generations: freedom, ingenuity, hard work, resilience, and the belief that tomorrow can be better than today.
Those same values built America's manufacturing strength. They fueled innovation, solved impossible problems, and helped establish the United States as a global industrial leader. But if we're honest, those values don't always make it onto the manufacturing floor.
More often that I'd like to admit I've heard:
- "That's not my job."
- "We've always done it this way."
- "Someone else will take care of it."
-"Just leave it."
Imagine the impact if we replaced those phrases with just one question: "How can I contribute to our goal?".
Continuous improvement isn't just about Lean tools, Six Sigma, or automation. It's about ownership. It's about every engineer, operator, technician, supervisor, planner, and manager asking how they can make the process a little safer, a little better, and a little more efficient than yesterday. The best manufacturing organizations don't succeed because a few people carry the load. They succeed because everyone understands the mission and takes responsibility for moving it forward. They are ONE team!
As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, I hope we continue embracing the values that made this country exceptional—not only in our communities, but also in our workplaces.
Let's retire "It's not my job."
And replace it with:
"How can I help?"
Because that's how we build stronger teams, stronger companies, and a stronger manufacturing industry. We at Nomos Ingeniare are always willing to help!
Happy 250th Birthday, America! 🇺🇸
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