Business
The Service Contract Becomes the Product
For a widening set of manufacturers, the machine is now the customer acquisition cost and the maintenance agreement is the business. The shift is rewriting how these companies are valued.
Independent Business, Technology & Culture
Sunday, August 16th, 2026 105 stories Independent & Reader-Supported
For a widening set of manufacturers, the machine is now the customer acquisition cost and the maintenance agreement is the business. The shift is rewriting how these companies are valued.
After years of supply chain speeches, the physical evidence has arrived: factory construction, border logistics investment and trade flows reorganizing around proximity.