So many shop managers operate in firefighting mode. They call customers, suppliers, employees, and bosses to explain, apologize, and then shift into high gear to “Git-R-Done.” As columnist Jeff Sipes explains, that really has no place in manufacturing.

McLanahan/Universal Eng. has announced plans to stop manufacturing heavy equipment for the aggregate and mining industries at its plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

With manufacturing being only part of the operations at the 50-employee facility, this change will eliminate 15 jobs.

Detroit-based Plex Systems, a provider of cloud ERP for manufacturing, has announced the acquisition of DemandCaster, a provider of cloud-based supply chain planning (SCP) systems. As a result of the acquisition, the Plex Manufacturing Cloud now delivers a suite of cloud applications for running...

Avenel, N.J.-based nanolubricant manufacturer Nanotech Industrial Solutions (NIS) has named New Jersey-based TotalNano as an authorized distributor. TotalNano represents coatings and sealers with nanoparticles, designed to adhere to the surfaces of a variety of materials and protect them from...

Metal fabricators are swimming in data these days. The trick is collecting the right data and focusing on what matters: global objectives (shortened total manufacturing time) instead of local efficiency (inches per minute at a specific machine).

Dynamic Systems Inc. has developed CheckMate Job Tracking, a bar code technology job costing software program designed for small to midsized companies that need a way to track labor and materials against jobs. The software allows job data to be broken down into tasks, employees, or departments....

Traditional lean and Six Sigma practices are insufficient to address the complexities of modern industrial manufacturing, and companies are turning to smart operations, which use pervasive data collection, advanced analytics, technology investments, and deeper collaboration with partners to prepare...

Online manufacturing marketplace MFG.com, based in Marietta, Ga., has launched a redesigned website to help streamline processes for buyers and suppliers. The site helps sourcing professionals and engineers to locate manufacturers for CNC machining, injection molding, metal stamping, and metal...

Investment company Mosaic Capital Corp., Calgary, Alta., has entered into an agreement to acquire an 80 percent interest in the business being carried on by Mackow Industries. The remaining 20 percent will be retained by key management of Mackow. Based in Winnipeg, Man., Mackow is a...