As Trump’s Trade War Unfolds, American Companies Brace for Pain

The people running CRG Automation are not openly rooting for global economic chaos, but they concede that they are in a perfect position to profit from it.

The more that international trade is challenged by uncertainty — like President Trump’s threatened tariffs, or conflicts and crises that impede shipping — the greater the pressure on companies to move factory production to American shores.

But making goods in the United States means confronting higher wages and shortages of skilled workers. Which is where CRG Automation comes in.

At its plant in Louisville, Ky., engineers design and build systems that allow robots to take over repetitive tasks from human workers. The company promotes its offerings as crucial elements in the mission to expand American factory production. It expects sales to double this year.

“We’re in an industry that is uniquely positioned to capture the benefits of global turmoil,” said James DeSmet, CRG Automation’s chief executive. “We benefit when America wakes up and says, ‘We have to manufacture here.’”

Yet even CRG Automation finds itself pressured by the trade war that Mr. Trump is vowing to unleash.