Crain’s Chicago Business reports Justin Norman, who runs 10 auto plants in the US and Mexico, believes the jobs, the wages, lifestyle and workforce that have been lost may not be as much a victim of the NAFTA trade deal that opened up more trade between the US and Mexico. “Since 2013 there's been 10 new auto assembly plant announcements in North America,” said Norman, CEO of Addison-based JD Norman Industries. “Nine of 10 happened in Mexico. It's not just cheap labor; it's availability of labor. A huge problem in the US is finding people who want to work on the factory floor. We have to make manufacturing jobs desirable again.”

Norman, CEO of Addison, Ill.-based JD Norman Industries, spoke at a conference yesterday to assess the impact of the election. Donald Trump made NAFTA — especially auto jobs going to Mexico — a central part of his “Make America Great Again” campaign theme that helped him win not only Indiana but Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.