Proximity is becoming a feature, not an afterthought, and buyers appreciate the difference immediately.

In my home city, a new carbon fiber manufacturing facility is about to start production.

It is the first of its kind in Canada, and uses carbon from the Alberta Oil Sands, the world’s third largest proven oil reserves. One of my clients wants to be an early customer, even though their current parts come from China at a lower cost.

The calculus is shifting.

Near-shoring is gathering speed for reasons bigger than tariffs. 

Manufacturing Dive reported that in 2025, companies were localizing production to manage supply-chain risk, respond faster, and shrink logistics overhead.

The trend is not cosmetic.

It is operational, financial and psychological.

If you can make your product closer to the people who buy it, you create value in multiple layers.

You gain faster iterations.

You gain tighter control.

You gain a trust signal that is hard for offshore competitors to replicate.

And depending on your region, you may gain grants or trade advantages. In my client’s case, Canadian production means CUSMA-exempt US sales, and probably manufacturing grants.

For founders, this opens a strategic path.

Position your product as regional and responsive. Offer a premium tier built locally and a global economy tier until local costs come down.

Most important, tell the story clearly: we build it where you use it.

Proximity reduces perceived risk more than most features or claims ever will.

Want to make your product irresistible? That’s what we do as product marketing consultants at Graphos Product, helping innovators turn need-driven ideas into market-ready successes.