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Industry Trends and Analysis Article List
Industry trends and analysis related articles
There are 72 articles related to industry trends and analysis.
The current expansion in the tube and pipe industry isn’t new, but it bears a close look nonetheless. Understanding the factors that are causing it and how manufacturers are reacting to it provide some guidance to the future of this trend.
By: Richard Marando - www.thefabricator.com, 4/15/08
 This article has been viewed: 372 times.  Printed: 42 times
The fourth annual Fabricating Update subscriber survey revealed that anxiety about the U.S. economy outranks other metal manufacturing industry concerns, including steel prices, the No. 1 concern the previous three years. Beating steel prices by a nose was the skilled-labor shortage. Find out what m...
By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 2/26/08
This article has been viewed: 1,043 times. Printed: 66 times
A press maintenance program should be designed to minimize downtime, enhance machinery output, and establish a formal record keeping system for ongoing inspections.
By: Jeff Fredline - www.thefabricator.com, 9/11/07
This article has been viewed: 1,264 times. Printed: 91 times
Selling Chrysler only nine years after the merger is a de facto admission that it was a mistake. While some analysts publicly wondered if Daimler would not eventually sell Chrysler, the suddenness of the declaration was unexpected.
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 7/10/07
This article has been viewed: 558 times. Printed: 68 times
TPA recently hosted a tour of eight tube and pipe producers and fabricators throughout India. Although the country is not advanced, this tour and a recent report by Goldman Sachs reveal where it stands and where it is likely to go in the near future. Its capabilities are modernizing and Goldman Sach...
By: Nancy Olson, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 6/12/07
This article has been viewed: 924 times. Printed: 81 times
Facing deep structural problems and mounting financial stress, Big Three executives publicly sought a meeting with President Bush to discuss how the federal government could assist the automotive industry, and the hundreds of thousands of Americans it employs.
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 5/8/07
This article has been viewed: 882 times. Printed: 90 times
Western companies believe that although India and China are receiving a lot of manufacturing sourcing jobs, they cannot compete with Western skills. However, with developing "knowledge economies" and an openness to change and progress sometimes lacking in Western companies, these countrie...
By: Dr. Victor Pantano and Michael Cardew-Hall - www.thefabricator.com, 4/10/07
This article has been viewed: 958 times. Printed: 91 times
2007 U.S. appliance shipments are forecast to grow only 1 percent because of a sluggish housing market. Shifts in channel preferences; successful market penetration by offshore brands; a strong demand for high-priced, innovative white goods; and the Maytag/Whirlpool merger are changing the i...
By: Kathleen McLaughlin, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 3/13/07
This article has been viewed: 2,140 times. Printed: 153 times
Many industries and careers rely on certification programs to train workers. The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl.®, has identified a need to certify precision sheet metal workers and is launching a certification program. This article explains the program's goals, outlines the devel...
By: Jim Donaldson, FMA certification and in-plant training manager - www.thefabricator.com, 3/13/07
This article has been viewed: 1,105 times. Printed: 102 times
As the Big Three try to return to profitability, most of their suppliers, many with a negative cash flow, are starting to crack under the pressure. Declining OEM unit volume and mix issues, pricing pressures, and high sustained raw material costs continue to constrain cash flows and limit bala...
By: Kathleen McLaughlin, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 2/13/07
This article has been viewed: 1,179 times. Printed: 133 times
The January 2007 “Fabricating Update” asked subscribers to choose their No. 1 concern from a list of factors affecting metal manufacturing. It also asked whether the Democrat-controlled Congress sworn in Jan. 4 will have a positive, negative, or no effect on their businesses. This article presents t...
By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 2/12/07
This article has been viewed: 2,164 times. Printed: 136 times
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By: Kate Bachman, STAMPING Journal® Editor - www.thefabricator.com, 1/9/07
This article has been viewed: 3,954 times. Printed: 174 times
Following the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show keynote address, the fabricator.com's Web Content Manager Vicki Bell sat down to talk with the speaker, former Michigan Governor and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President John Engler.
Citing "Fabricating Update" survey results ...
By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 1/9/07
This article has been viewed: 750 times. Printed: 145 times
Productivity rates continue to climb. Profits for manufacturing companies have been rising since the fourth quarter of 2001. A backlog of new capital goods orders is taking place, and shipments have been lagging orders over the past year. Things are shaping up for a good 2007.
By: Dan Davis, Editor-in-Chief - www.thefabricator.com, 1/9/07
This article has been viewed: 1,222 times. Printed: 132 times
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By: Kate Bachman, STAMPING Journal® Editor - The FABRICATOR®, 1/9/07
This article has been viewed: 987 times. Printed: 112 times
Senior Editor Eric Lundin looks at changes in supply and demand for energy, and how they have affected the prices for crude oil, gasoline, natural gas, and electricity. He also digests a few predictions to see what fabricators can expect for future energy prices.
By: Eric Lundin, Editor, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal® - The FABRICATOR®, 11/7/06
This article has been viewed: 1,163 times. Printed: 122 times
All automotive suppliers, regardless of size, find themselves facing a business environment more challenging than any they have previously experienced. Size with the economies of scale it brings is just one of numerous strategies that can be used to cope with the demanding nature of today’s automoti...
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 10/10/06
This article has been viewed: 973 times. Printed: 136 times
Vehicles running on E85, a fuel that blends traditional gasoline with ethanol, are receiving considerable attention. While proponents claim the benefits of E85 range from environmental friendliness to improved national security, critics argue that the widespread adoption of E85 will be a tremendous ...
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 9/12/06
This article has been viewed: 1,569 times. Printed: 115 times
Soaring fuel prices caused by Hurricane Katrina and turmoil in the Middle East have turned U.S. tastes toward passenger cars. Rather than trying to catch up with the competition, the Big Three are using global partners to speed their response to international automakers’ passenger car success.
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 8/8/06
This article has been viewed: 1,494 times. Printed: 128 times
While the Midwest has not lagged as far behind in international investment as many believe, the financial struggles of the Big Three have been a substantial economic burden for the region over the last three decades.
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 7/11/06
This article has been viewed: 970 times. Printed: 136 times
As oil hovers around $60 per barrel, SUVs aren’t that cool anymore. Many view them as dinosaurs, remnants of '90s excess that have no place in a thriftier, more environmentally conscious century.
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 6/13/06
This article has been viewed: 982 times. Printed: 163 times
Automakers are racing to introduce green technologies. Toyota is the leader in hybrid sales and plans to introduce two new models even though it will continue to lose money in the short and medium term. Instead of trying to outsell Toyota, GM has introduced flexible-fuel vehicles that run on E-85, a...
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 5/9/06
This article has been viewed: 980 times. Printed: 149 times
The North American International Auto Show held in Detroit is a stage for automakers to display their latest and greatest; it also serves as a harbinger of what’s coming at suppliers over the next few years.
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 4/11/06
This article has been viewed: 1,004 times. Printed: 166 times
The key drivers of appliance demand are new construction, existing-home sales, remodeling, and replacement demand. Even though new construction housing starts are forecast to be down 7 percent and completions down 2 percent to 3 percent, analysts are forecasting 3 percent to 4 percent volume g...
By: Kathleen McLaughlin, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 3/7/06
This article has been viewed: 1,856 times. Printed: 206 times
All manufacturers have to realize that what is going on in China will affect them in some way, no matter how small their business is. Protectionist policies from the U.S. government aren't on the horizon to help. Business owners and managers are negligent if they do not make an effort to understand...
By: William Barron - www.thefabricator.com, 3/7/06
This article has been viewed: 1,755 times. Printed: 169 times
Three companies dominating the market is a distant memory as Japanese and European automakers’ market shares steadily increase. The Big Three has evolved into the New 6 that includes Toyota, Honda, Nissan, GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. Suppliers tied to the Big Three will have to make a negativ...
By: Kathleen McLaughlin, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 2/7/06
This article has been viewed: 2,890 times. Printed: 189 times
Steel prices, which are influenced by raw material availability and prices and rising energy costs, remain metal manufacturing's greatest concern. This article discusses steel prices and discloses how other concerns rank. It also features comments from the metalworking industry professionals who...
By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - The FABRICATOR®, 2/7/06
This article has been viewed: 3,557 times. Printed: 260 times
China has been in the news extensively during the past couple of years, and developments in 2005 have intensified the focus on the world's most populous country. Chinese companies Hair and China National Offshore Oil Co. put in bids on U.S. companies (Maytag and Unocal); meanwhile, the People's Bank...
By: Eric Lundin, Editor, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal® - www.thefabricator.com, 9/13/05
This article has been viewed: 2,530 times. Printed: 359 times
Lost in the debate over Social Security is that no one can live on it alone. Unfortunately, many employees lack the financial savvy to manage their money and plan for retirement. Business can and should address this issue with its employees. To provide for tomorrow’s retirees we need to educate work...
By: Todd Luchik - www.thefabricator.com, 7/12/05
This article has been viewed: 1,471 times. Printed: 267 times
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By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 4/11/05
This article has been viewed: 1,899 times. Printed: 603 times
Two weeks after the first FMA China Tour group returned to the U.S., news broke that IBM had entered into talks to sell its PC business to China's largest PC manufacturer, Lenovo. That news came as no surprise to tour participants.
By: Scot Stevens, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 2/8/05
This article has been viewed: 7,577 times. Printed: 639 times
Although India had a heavily socialist economy for much of the past few decades, the country has experienced remarkable growth since the opening of its economy in the early 1990s.
By: Anne Meerboth-Maltz, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 12/7/04
This article has been viewed: 2,212 times. Printed: 289 times
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By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 12/7/04
This article has been viewed: 2,049 times. Printed: 450 times
A new organization in Rockford, Ill., thinks job shops working together is a MARRVelous idea.
By: Stephanie Vaughan, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 11/9/04
This article has been viewed: 2,497 times. Printed: 397 times
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By: John Cooper, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 8/10/04
This article has been viewed: 5,607 times. Printed: 990 times
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By: Eric Lundin, Editor, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal® - The FABRICATOR®, 3/25/04
This article has been viewed: 1,924 times. Printed: 393 times
The U.S. is considered to be the best consumer market in the world. However, competition for this market has increased as more and more countries have cast their rods in the U.S consumer pool.
By: Kate Bachman, STAMPING Journal® Editor - The FABRICATOR®, 3/11/04
This article has been viewed: 3,041 times. Printed: 553 times
Listening to the current economic rhetoric, much of which contains formulaic doublespeak and political posturing, has led me to a couple of clichéd observations. In terms of talk—which is not quite as cheap in an election year, when the stakes are higher—you ain’t seen nothing yet. Political candida...
By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 3/11/04
This article has been viewed: 3,824 times. Printed: 526 times
Rep. Don Manzullo speaks about taxes, steel tariffs, health care, and manufacturing’s future.
By: Dan Davis, Editor-in-Chief - www.thefabricator.com, 2/26/04
This article has been viewed: 1,809 times. Printed: 317 times
As of July 2003 all 5,000-plus Ford Motor Company suppliers were required to be ISO 14001-certified. In 2002 General Motors required all of its suppliers to implement environmental management systems (EMS) that conform to ISO 14001. The trend will continue for the auto industry and others.
By: Brad Jeffery, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 11/6/03
This article has been viewed: 2,214 times. Printed: 450 times
As the “jobless” recovery continues, the job cleansing of the U.S. manufacturing base tops 2.7 million. These millions now without jobs remain faceless, statistical footnotes to mainstream media reports about how the recession ended in 2001, production is on the rise, and how job losses are singular...
By: Scot Stevens, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 10/23/03
This article has been viewed: 1,637 times. Printed: 374 times
Aficionados of laser welding technology at times must feel a little like telephone vendors beamed back to 1603. They know almost everyone is going to use them in the future, but getting buy-in today can be like hawking loans at 25 percent-lots of interest and few takers.
By: Lincoln Brunner, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 10/23/03
This article has been viewed: 4,388 times. Printed: 486 times
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By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 8/14/03
This article has been viewed: 2,151 times. Printed: 442 times
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By: David Goodreau, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 7/24/03
This article has been viewed: 2,160 times. Printed: 341 times
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By: David Goodreau, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 7/10/03
This article has been viewed: 2,294 times. Printed: 365 times
The end of manufacturing is near for the state of Connecticut, some fear.
By: Stephanie Vaughan, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 6/26/03
This article has been viewed: 3,770 times. Printed: 436 times
Equipment leasing—an arrangement in which a business pays for the use of equipment but does not own it—is growing in popularity for many reasons. Benefits of leasing include flexibility, convenience, and protection from having to be responsible for equipment obsolescence.
By: Michael Fleming, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 5/29/03
This article has been viewed: 1,823 times. Printed: 312 times
All employees have days at work when they don't feel well. Usually these days are intermittent and can be attributed to a cold or other illness or job-related stress.
By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 5/15/03
This article has been viewed: 2,630 times. Printed: 346 times
"Globalization isn't news," said Lawrence J. Kendzior, a partner at Gleeson Sklar Sawyers & Cumpata LLP (GSSC), a privately held accounting firm that focuses on what it calls "middle-market manufacturers." "The news is that it's suddenly impacting companies that have never before been affected."
By: Scot Stevens, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 4/24/03
This article has been viewed: 1,946 times. Printed: 473 times
When it comes to the economy, cautious optimism is as good as it gets.
By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 3/13/03
This article has been viewed: 1,786 times. Printed: 365 times
This perception that keeping an employee working increases the probability that the employee will return to full duty quickly leads to some really creative efforts that focus on keeping the employee at work and keeping the numbers low.
By: Cheryl Henderson, CSP, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 3/13/03
This article has been viewed: 2,076 times. Printed: 485 times
The cost of industrial fires can be enormous in terms of fatalities, serious injuries, property loss, revenue loss, and the costs of replacing equipment and repairing or rebuilding facilities.
By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager - www.thefabricator.com, 2/27/03
This article has been viewed: 2,181 times. Printed: 416 times
The exclusion of Canadian steel producers from restrictions on imports to the U.S. was a relief after months of uncertainty. The Canadian steel industry wants to ensure that the Canadian market does not become a back door for imports into the U.S. Keeping the industry strong by opening new markets, ...
By: John Cooper, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 9/26/02
This article has been viewed: 2,191 times. Printed: 314 times
Aerospace business in the U.S. will improve, but not without a bit more time in the doldrums, according to Boeing's CEO.
By: Lincoln Brunner, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 9/12/02
This article has been viewed: 2,011 times. Printed: 524 times
The businesses that supply the auto industry with its parts are doing more and more work for less and less of the pie.
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 8/29/02
This article has been viewed: 2,023 times. Printed: 455 times
The U.S. export assistance network of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce offers U.S. companies help with exporting issues. The network provides marketing research, financial assistance, leads and contacts, legal assistance, trade advocacy, and trade events screening.
By: Kate Bachman, STAMPING Journal® Editor - The FABRICATOR®, 8/29/02
This article has been viewed: 1,922 times. Printed: 311 times
The recession in the U.S. was also felt by Mexico, the 2nd largest trading partner of the U.S. But, through the maquiladora program, which has been in effect for 37 years, the blow was softened.
By: Martha Tovar, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 6/27/02
This article has been viewed: 4,452 times. Printed: 369 times
Slow times call for some desperate measures, but losing sight of a lean approach to manufacturing should not be one of them. Take an opportunity that slow times present to evaluate your business and take appropriate steps towards a lean operation.
By: Gary Conner, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 6/18/02
This article has been viewed: 1,778 times. Printed: 413 times
Slow in coming, for some, is the realization that the cycle will swing back upward.
By: Scot Stevens, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 2/28/02
This article has been viewed: 1,691 times. Printed: 373 times
On the positive side, job shops continue to be innovative and improve productivity; materials and software are improving; entry-level positions normally can be filled.
By: Gerald Davis, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 2/14/02
This article has been viewed: 1,753 times. Printed: 330 times
A look at projections for China's automotive market and recent activity by companies investing in that market are worth your time. Technology is a key factor to that investment, and the Chinese are taking full advantage of it.
By: Hafiz Mohd, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 2/14/02
This article has been viewed: 2,922 times. Printed: 457 times
Making the Internet pay has proven more difficult than a lot of first movers in the metals business made it sound in the late '90s. Thefabricator.com talked to a few people trying to capitalize on the lessons learned from all those no-brainers that
turned into no-gainers.
By: Lincoln Brunner, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 2/14/02
This article has been viewed: 1,845 times. Printed: 388 times
Detroit's Big Three have big problems ahead if they can't figure out a way to profit in a time of booming sales, let alone downturns such as the one looming this year.
By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 2/14/02
This article has been viewed: 3,122 times. Printed: 450 times
Steel is looking at some uncertain times, to say the least, but aluminum industry professionals see a little more to smile about if general economic conditions improve.
By: Helen Gallagher, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 1/10/02
This article has been viewed: 5,380 times. Printed: 428 times
As No. 4 steelmaker LTV prepares to liquidate, the integrated steel industry's heavy hitters are finally taking a serious look at consolidation
By: Lincoln Brunner, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 1/10/02
This article has been viewed: 2,096 times. Printed: 391 times
There's no telling just what the steel industry will look like even in the next few months as the federal government mulls its options for protecting a domestic steel industry suffering through perhaps its most threatening slump ever.
By: Lincoln Brunner, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 1/10/02
This article has been viewed: 2,404 times. Printed: 392 times
The Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) trade ministers have agree to move ahead with a closer economic partnership with Australia and New Zealand as an initiative amid the global economic slowdown. This article describes how some Malaysian companies are addressing productivity and cost issues.
By: Hafiz Mohd, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 11/29/01
This article has been viewed: 2,173 times. Printed: 474 times
A lot of parties can share the blame for what's happened to the North American steel industry, and its going to take effort from them all to pull the industry out of its quagmire. Can it be done? Time will tell.
By: Don McNeeley, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 11/15/01
This article has been viewed: 1,873 times. Printed: 442 times
Manufacturers were hurting before September. How do things look now? Well ... they could be better, industry players say.
By: Lincoln Brunner, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 11/15/01
This article has been viewed: 1,902 times. Printed: 354 times
As the market demands change, the steel distribution industry will take up the gauntlet and change with the times. Contrary to some speculation, the steel manufacturing industry is neither going away nor reluctant to embrace the innovations necessary to survive.
By: Donald R. McNeeley, Ph.D., Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 7/12/01
This article has been viewed: 2,828 times. Printed: 317 times
Covisint aims to be a lot of things to a lot of people in the automotive industry, starting with the industry's largest suppliers and working down through the supply chain.
By: Bart Kemper, Contributing Writer - www.thefabricator.com, 3/13/01
This article has been viewed: 2,555 times. Printed: 348 times
Major trends for the welding industry include developments in robotic automation, just-in-time production, and new ways to better serve customers.
By: Kevin Kelleghan, Contributing Writer - The FABRICATOR®, 2/12/01
This article has been viewed: 3,905 times. Printed: 449 times
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