TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Kansas manufacturing leaders say the unpredictability of federal tariff policy is creating uncertainty in hiring and equipment investment, even as the industry works to build its next generation of workers.
The comments came Wednesday during a visit by Eudora High School students to Haas Metal Engineering in north Topeka, where students observed an automated parts assembler in operation.
“It will pick up parts off the table, it will automatically put it on the beam and then the welder arm will come down, scan it and see where it needs to place the weld,” said Dayton Hagans of Haas Metal Engineering.
Katherine O’Toole, executive director of the Kansas City chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association, said the current tariff environment has complicated decision-making for local manufacturers.
“That has affected our local manufacturers’ ability to really make strong decisions as far as acquisition of new machinery or even workforce, new employees,” O’Toole said.
Ryan Borgerding, owner of Jarbo Employment Group, said rapid policy changes are driving a fear of instability that is slowing investment in people.
“When we have policy change that’s happening overnight, that’s directly resolving the cost of everything that we’re making. It in turn is creating this fear of instability, and when there’s fear of the unknown there is an investment that’s not being made, and a lot of times it’s an investment in people,” Borgerding said.
Borgerding said the uncertainty is affecting even companies that are currently growing.
“If they start to hire in response to the increase in revenue and growth, the fear is that they are not going to be able to sustain that long term when they don’t know how to predict what’s going to happen,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty, both Borgerding and O’Toole said inspiring younger workers remains a priority.
“It’s absolutely essential that we’re getting the younger generation into the skilled trades and blue-collar work that’s already experiencing a number of shortages as it is,” Borgerding said.
“We want our young individuals to enter apprenticeship and to continue to benefit not only our local economy but everything we’re doing here across our country,” O’Toole said.
O’Toole said workforce development is a core focus of her association.
“A great passion of our association is workforce development, and we believe career exposure is the first step,” she said.
Students also visited HF Rubber Machinery and Kaw Valley Precision during the trip.
Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.