I'm not a mechanical engineer, but if I were to make mechanical parts I'd probably venture up to Detroit, Windsor, Seattle, or Los Angeles to tap into automotiv

I'm not a mechanical engineer, but if I were to make mechanical parts I'd probably venture up to Detroit, Windsor, Seattle, or Los Angeles to tap into automotive and aerospace talent. It's hard to believe there aren't a ton of shops out in those areas to help keep costs competitive. But I could see costs remaining high for the reasons you stated - high cost, high value industries.