It seems Paul Gordon of the Peoria Journal Star hit a chord last week.

Two metal fabricators in Morton, Ill., southeast of Peoria, changed ownership on the same day: Friday, June 26. Morton Welding, previously owned by Michigan-based BHM Technologies, was brought back under local ownership by a group of small investors. Another firm—Morton Metalcraft, currently undergoing bankruptcy reorganization—was sold to a Canadian company.

[More]

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Fabricator® Blog.

While my neighbors are circulating e-mails about the newly opened Irish pub that's within walking distance (conserve fuel and drown your sorrows) and notices about how to reduce the tax assessments on our homes—after all, our home values have dropped; one more reason to hit the pub— GM and Chrysler are asking for billions more in aid.

Back in November 2008, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO—and former governor of Michigan— John Engler stressed the importance of a stable auto industry in economic recovery. He said, "We're talking about close to a million jobs in America—we're talking about a lasting impact on our industrial production in the United States. We simply cannot afford to let the auto industry fail."

We know, John, but how much do we have to pour into what is fast becoming a money pit before we say enough already?

[More]

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Fabricator® Blog.

I spoke with a stamper last week who found one of the few areas for growth in this economy: takeover work. Jim Schwartz, general manager of marketing at Eagle Wings Industries, Rantoul, Ill., recently implemented magnetic die clamping, a technology that has allowed the company to take on new work in a hurry, reducing press retooling time to a matter of days. We’ll cover how the company does it in a future print edition of The FABRICATOR, but the surge in takeover work implies a larger trend. Companies that adapt quickly win; those that don’t lose and, as we’re seeing, sometimes shutter their doors.

[More]

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Fabricator® Blog.

Away from the revelry on the National Mall in Washington, auto industry executives and insiders have spent much of January in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show, an annual event that, for obvious reasons, has been toned down significantly. One of the few areas not in such a funk, though, is the industry’s continued push for hybrid and electric vehicles. Toyota unveiled its new Prius® and GM its plug-in Volt®, set for production in 2010.

That’s something managers at Ultimate Hydroforming I’m sure are glad to hear.

[More]

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Fabricator® Blog.

My brother-in-law and fellow blogger, Chris Walker, is having trouble with his Internet provider, something not too unusual until you consider his locale and his problem. He’s spending a year in Mumbai, India, as part of a fellowship program that helps for-profit humanitarian enterprises find better ways to do business. But back at his apartment, Chris can’t pay his Internet bill. He isn’t broke. He just works all day, and he doesn’t have time to go home and wait for the bill collector to arrive. Yes, a bill collector—no credit cards, no online bill paying, no mailing in a check. Only if you hand over the monthly payment to the collector, in person, can you keep your service. Why? Chris’ blog hammers home the point: “Labor here is cheap, so why bother making the payment process more efficient?”

The labor conundrum was top of mind for many April 1-3 at the Precision Metalforming Association’s Regional METALFORM in Birmingham, Ala., a gathering of industry professionals who, as ever, fight to keep work in North America.

[More]

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Fabricator® Blog.

My brother-in-law, Chris, is spending the year in Mumbai, India, as a part of a fellowship program that helps for-profit humanitarian enterprises find better ways to do business--that is, if he can get to work in one piece.

Last week he took a ride on Mumbai’s commuter trains. Call it herding, human style. On a typical rail platform during rush hour, people squeeze in and push out of railcars as if their lives depend on it. Come to think of it, their lives do depend on it. Reuters has reported that almost 4,000 die annually on Mumbai’s regional railway system. Yes, die. Thankfully, Chris wasn’t one of them, but the experience did leave him thinking what he’s thought of since he arrived last fall: So many people, so little space.

[More]

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Fabricator® Blog.

When tool and die maker Michael Ward Sr. started Ward Manufacturing Co. in 1936, one principle gave the business a solid foundation: Keep your powder dry.

That’s according to the founder’s grandson, Tom Ward, vice president of the Evanston, Ill., company, now under its third generation of management. The stamping house got its start making relay frames for the railroads, and the company still stamps many of those same parts today. “You could call our growth conservative,” Ward said. “We don’t owe a dollar; we’re debt-free.” Put another way, its powder is dry.

[More]

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Fabricator® Blog.

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled stamping shop floor questions, yearning to be answered.

Yes, I am seeking your questions to pose to (or stump!) STAMPING Journal’s Ask the Expert columnist, Tom Vacca regarding shop floor stamping problems, questions, and frustrations. Send your most challenging, wrench-throwing, expletive-inducing stamping and tool and die questions to kateb@thefabricator.com. Your questions and Vacca’s answers may be published in the Ask the Expert column.

Have even more questions? Why not bring them to STAMPING Journal® Forum, Sept. 26 – 28 in Hopkinsville, KY?

Dieology President and STAMPING Journal columnist Art Hedrick will explain how to reduce tooling costs without sacrificing quality. Automotive industry guru and STAMPING Journal columnist Bernard Swiecki will enlighten you on automotive and stamping trends.

Benchmark your best practices with Dana Corporation’s and Martinrea’s during their plant tours

[More]

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Fabricator® Blog.