Beyond initial capital investment, regulation, and entrenched competitors, there is the "long tail" of production: namely, that most engineered products are bui

Beyond initial capital investment, regulation, and entrenched competitors, there is the "long tail" of production: namely, that most engineered products are built from parts sourced from many different vendors, sometimes thousands of miles apart. Add in fluctuating energy prices (read: shipping costs), medical insurance premiums that rise year on year, and it's difficult to see what your costs will look like in five years. In short, I agree: it looks expensive out there.