The future of the American economy is hiding in an unlikely place: a new, reinvented manufacturing sector.

It's easy to name the companies that have dominated the stock market over the past ten years. Apple, Google, Amazon, Netflix, Facebook--these are all among the best-performing stocks over a decade or more. But here's a company that has performed just as well: HEICO. Or what about Trex? Ever heard of Casella? Or Graco?

These lesser known companies are all part of a sector known as industrial tech, and together they offer a surprisingly bright future not just to investors but to workers as well as our broader communities. Their products include aerospace parts, color enamels, and recycled plastic lumber; things consumers don't necessarily buy but which we all rely on for the functioning of our economy. And it turns out it's a booming business.

In The Titanium Economy, McKinsey partners Asutosh Padhi, Gaurav Batra, and Nick Santhanam reveal this little-understood, under-appreciated and under-valued sector of the economy for what it really is: a reliable source of high-paying, domestic jobs and soaring stock prices, a bright spot in an economy that has too often been buffeted by external shocks. The shining stars in this sector leverage technology while investing in people and processes to drive competitiveness. With retail struggling and internet companies bedeviled by scandals, these companies provide a recipe for both stability and long-term profitable growth, while also strengthening the backbone of an economic supply chain that has been under siege for several years. This book sets right the perception that good American jobs have disappeared, and paints an attainable picture of better times to come for the industry, its constituents and our economy at large.
About the Author: Nick Santhanam is currently CEO & President of Fernweh Group. He was formerly a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company's Palo Alto Office, and was the leader of their global industrials practice. In addition, Nick was the global convener of several McKinsey annual events, including the Industrial CEO event (GILS), Industrial-tech and Semiconductors CEO event (T-30), Food Processing CEO event (FPH-30), and Senior Tech Influencers Summit (TEDS). He co-authored several of their leading industrials research; McKinsey on Industrials, McKinsey on Food Processing and Handling, and McKinsey on Packaging. He is also on the Advisory Board of Smithsonian Libraries.

Asutosh Padhi is the managing partner for McKinsey in North America, leading the firm across the United States, Canada, and Mexico and serving as part of McKinsey's 15-person global leadership team. He is also a member of McKinsey's Shareholders Council, the firm's equivalent to the board of directors. Working with iconic industrial companies, Asutosh has overseen performance transformations in technology and innovation. He has helped global multinationals bolster their supply chains, reorient strategies, and improve organizational and operational performance. Asutosh is a McKinsey Board member and serves as an Advisory Board Member at Northwestern's Kellogg Business School for the Master's in Management and Manufacturing program.

Gaurav Batra is a partner based in Washington DC and co-leads McKinsey's Industrials Practice in the Americas, advising clients on strategy and margin improvement issues--with particular focus on commercial excellence, pricing, and distributor/channel management. Batra also leads McKinsey's Advanced Data Analytics (ADA) initiative in the Advanced Electronics Practice to help drive sustainable performance improvement. Batra joined McKinsey from Capital One. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University and Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology.