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Industry Trends and Analysis Articles
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2010 Capital Spending Report indicates rebuilding set to begin : After a tumultuous 2009, metal fabricating companies ready to look forwardFor those metal fabricators that have wondered if their competitors were operating at similar capacity levels in 2009, you can rest easier at... Publish date: January 14, 2010 |
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Economy still plaguing most metal fabricators : 5th annual “Fabricating Update” survey resultsFigure 1 Results From December 2009 "Fabricating Update" Survey A new year and decade have dawned, but for metal fabricators, the typical... Publish date: January 12, 2010 |
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Metal fabrication in 2010: A wildcard year : Business may be better than expected—or notIf an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Figure 1 Admit it. This year, we were all... Publish date: December 8, 2009 |
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Lost in translation : Manufacturers push for standardization in the metrology arenaQuality managers at certain industrial heavyweights have a dream: for all digital part data—including elements related to design,... Publish date: December 15, 2008 |
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'It's the economy, stupid'The results are in and they are not surprising. An overwhelming majority of respondents to an annual survey of metal fabricators ranked the... Publish date: January 13, 2009 |
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EuroBLECH 2008: A celebration of metal fabricating and forming : A visit to Hannover, Germany, for the world's largest sheet metal manufacturing exhibition reveals a European taste for automation and efficiencyWhat does a European metal fabricating and forming tradeshow mean for a U.S. fabricator? Apparently, a whole lot. "It means everything. It has... Publish date: January 13, 2009 |
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Will tube and pipe industry have energy to continue expanding? : Despite some trouble spots, prospects overall are goodIf you have been involved in the tube and pipe industry for more than a few months, you're well aware that this industry is in the midst of an... Publish date: April 15, 2008 |
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Employee loyalty—An elusive goal?Because of the skilled labor shortage, employers are ramping up retention efforts to try and hold on to the workers they currently employ.... Publish date: September 11, 2007 |
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Creating a pressroom preventive maintenance program : A step-by-step guideMany fabricators rely on fire-house maintenance when a machine goes down, all available resources are marshaled to fix the problem. This... Publish date: September 11, 2007 |
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Selling Chrysler : From a marriage made in heaven to a divorce made in StuttgartWhen Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche, who ran Chrysler for five years, admitted the automaker was for sale this past February, Detroit began... Publish date: July 10, 2007 |
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Don't underestimate India : TPA tours the country that could overtake U.S. by 2050Photo courtesy of Nancy Olson If you pay much attention to international economics, you know that during the past few years much of the press... Publish date: June 12, 2007 |
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A tale of two cities : Automobiles,The Big Three,Suppliers,Supply Chain,New DomesticsIf Charles Dickens had written about modern Detroit and Washington, D.C., it might have read like this: "It was the worst of times, and it was the... Publish date: May 8, 2007 |
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Competing with global sourcing in a 'knowledge economy' : How Western attitudes can be a disadvantageAutomotive news pages these days are populated with numerous stories of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers engaging in... Publish date: April 10, 2007 |
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FMA jumps on the certification bandwagonCertification is everywhere you look in just about every industry imaginable: law, health care, education, and manufacturing, to name a few.... Publish date: March 13, 2007 |
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Appliance demand flat : Industry undergoing major segment shiftsPhoto courtesy of Whirlpool Corp.,Benton Harbor, Mich. A sluggish housing market and high prior-year comparisons are conspiring to keep... Publish date: March 13, 2007 |
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Detroit's reality check : Production cuts, restructuring threaten supply chain viabilityDetroit had one heck of a wake up call in 2006. The days of rampant excess capacity are over as General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler's... Publish date: February 13, 2007 |
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Steel prices remain top concern in 2007In January 2007 steel prices remained metal manufacturing's No. 1 concern, according to a "Fabricating Update" survey that asked subscribers to... Publish date: February 12, 2007 |
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China's Unusual Tax MoveThe Chinese government's control policies are currently focused on controlling exports by increasing export taxes, said Patrick McCormick, World... Publish date: January 9, 2007 |
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Metals upsets, offsets, and onsets in 2007 : What are the smart plays on price?Figure 1 U.S. hot-rolled band prices hovered around $600 per tonne in the first quarter of 2006, rising to nearly $700 per tonne midyear, then... Publish date: January 9, 2007 |
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NAM on Fabricators' Top Two ConcernsNo. 1—Steel Prices Does NAM (a very political entity) have a position on the corrosion-resistant-steel tariffs currently under sunset... Publish date: January 9, 2007 |
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The future of energy: stability or volatility? : Short-term, long-term views of demand, supply, and pricePetroleum. Natural gas. Coal. Propane. Kerosene. Fuel oil. Liquid petroleum gas. Uranium. Hydroelectric. Biomass. Geothermal. Solar. Wind. All... Publish date: November 7, 2006 |
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Bigger is better : Why size matters for automotive suppliersAutomotive suppliers are getting bigger. The combined sales of the top 10 North American suppliers in 1995 were $58.2 billion. Ten years later... Publish date: October 10, 2006 |
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To E or not to E : The debate over E85Vehicles running on E85, a fuel that blends traditional gasoline with ethanol, are receiving considerable attention. The Big Three are heavily... Publish date: September 12, 2006 |
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The U.S. sedan — an endangered species? : Future cars may be built overseasOver the last decade the U.S. market has become a global anomaly. Vehicle buyers in Europe and Asia have embraced fuel-efficient vehicles and... Publish date: August 8, 2006 |
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The Midwest automotive exodus—fact or myth?Newspapers are filled with articles chronicling the growing automotive investment in the South and companies leaving the Midwest. Automakers from... Publish date: July 11, 2006 |
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SUVs: A profit center in fluxThe late 1990s and the first few years of the 21st century were the glory days for large SUVs. Trucks and sticker prices grew bigger with each... Publish date: June 13, 2006 |
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Race to be greenAutomakers are scrambling to introduce environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient cars. From hybrids, diesels, and ethanol-capable engines to... Publish date: May 9, 2006 |
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Auto show lessonsAccording to an old industry adage, you can judge the financial health of automakers by the food they serve at their parties—the bigger... Publish date: April 11, 2006 |
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The China-dominated manufacturing environment : What are you doing to compete?Editor's Note: This article is adapted from William Barron's presentation, "China's growing economic influence—How are you reacting?"... Publish date: March 7, 2006 |
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The big squeeze : As Detroit loses market share, automotive stampers' fortunes hinge on customer mixIf you're a parts supplier to the New Domestics, 2006 could be the best of times. However, if you supply parts to the Big Three, 2006 could... Publish date: February 7, 2006 |
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Steel prices still No. 1December 2005 "Fabricating Update" Survey Results As 2006 dawned, steel prices remained metal manufacturing's No. 1 concern.... Publish date: February 7, 2006 |
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Want a firsthand look at manufacturing in China? : Visit tube, pipe production and fabrication plants in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and BeijingIt finally happened, and when most of us least expected it. While two Chinese companies, Haier and China National Offshore Oil Co. (CNOOC),... Publish date: September 13, 2005 |
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Beyond Social Security : Preparing for retirementEditor's Note: This column was prepared by Todd Luchik, manager of content development and research for Winning Workplaces, a... Publish date: July 12, 2005 |
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The Big Three's 2005 cost challengesA decline in the Big Three's market share, combined with rising health care and retiree costs, is contributing to extreme cost pressures for the... Publish date: April 11, 2005 |
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FMA goes to ChinaThe group had just spent 11 days last November traveling through Taiwan and China, visiting sheet metal stamping and fabricating... Publish date: February 8, 2005 |
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Growing interest in a growing market : Finding opportunities in IndiaIn 1999 political developments opened the country's economy even further to foreign direct investment and paved the way for several major... Publish date: December 7, 2004 |
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Providing a comfortable, safe environment for workers with disabilitiesEditor's Note: Much of the following information was taken from a U.S. Department of Justice comprehensive list of questions and answers about... Publish date: December 7, 2004 |
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The meeting of the manufacturers : Job shops encouraged to work together to land larger jobsIt all started last year when Paul Sommers of the University of Washington gave a speech at Rock Valley College, Rockford, Ill., about the... Publish date: November 9, 2004 |
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Four Canadian automotive fabricators and what drives their success : The fast, the lean, the fair, and the curiousEditor's Note: In an effort to offer a glimpse into some of the successful fabricating and manufacturing operations in the world, The... Publish date: August 10, 2004 |
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Competing in the global arenaLess than 40 seconds to go. The home team is down by 2 points. Tension grows as the clock counts down. The players and referees dart back and... Publish date: March 25, 2004 |
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Offshore outsourcing—an economic and political issueWhen it comes to solving the economic problems, I'll believe it when I see it —meaning when my unemployed children and friends find... Publish date: March 11, 2004 |
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Goin' Global : How U.S. fabricators can angle in worldwide watersWelding photo courtesy of Fronius Intl. GmbH, Austria. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis,... Publish date: March 11, 2004 |
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A 'bout' with the championRep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., has emerged on Capital Hill as the mouth for manufacturers. As a congressional representative for a... Publish date: February 26, 2004 |
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Meeting ISO 14001 requirements : Leveraging advanced forming lubricant technologyFirst published in 1996, ISO 14001 specifies the actual requirements for an environmental management system. It applies to those environmental... Publish date: November 6, 2003 |
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March for manufacturingYes, the issue is on the radar screen. People are talking about it. E-mails are racing around the Internet. Letters are being written.... Publish date: October 23, 2003 |
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Pinpointing future laser welding marketsWhile some laser welding equipment manufacturers are thriving right now, others still fight a battle as old as the technology... Publish date: October 23, 2003 |
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Any good news in manufacturing?This article was inspired by a reader's reaction to Part II of David Goodreau's two-part series about the state of manufacturing,... Publish date: August 14, 2003 |
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The Perfect Economic Storm and The 100-Year Flood in Manufacturing—Part 2Editor's note: This article discusses the final three of six factors contributing to the current state of manufacturing —... Publish date: July 24, 2003 |
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The Perfect Economic Storm and The 100-Year Flood in Manufacturing—Part 1Editor's note: This article discusses three of six contributing factors to the current state of manufacturing—global... Publish date: July 10, 2003 |
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The end of the (welding) world as we know it? : Connecticut may face changes in its vocational-technical welding programsMany across the state whose livelihoods depend on welding—shop owners, instructors, and welding equipmentmakers—are waiting to hear if... Publish date: June 26, 2003 |
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10 questions to ask about equipment leasing : Inquire before you signA lease finances only the value of the equipment expected to be depleted during the lease term. The lessee usually has options to return... Publish date: May 29, 2003 |
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Sick at Work?For some workers, various symptoms of illness appear when they enter the workplace and disappear when they leave. These workers suffer from... Publish date: May 15, 2003 |
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Siege planning or stategic planningSoon after that comment, toward the end of a globalization workshop titled China and the Middle Market Manufacturer, organized by GSSC and... Publish date: April 24, 2003 |
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Steel industry anything but status quo: Next generation of distributors set to lead wave of changeThe other day, I received one of those greeting cards that plays a tune when opened. That card contains more computer power than... Publish date: July 12, 2001 |
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Fabricating precision parts for automobiles : Examples of Malaysian manufacturers stepping up to strong demandIn September the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) trade ministers agreed with Australia and New Zealand to move ahead with a closer... Publish date: November 29, 2001 |
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The Age of Cautious OptimismFor most of my life I thought that cautious optimism was an oxymoron -- that people were either optimistic or pessimistic, and anyone who... Publish date: March 13, 2003 |
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An industry perspective : Good news (productivity), bad news (poor supply chain management)On the positive side, job shops continue to be innovative and improve productivity; materials and software are improving; entry-level positions... Publish date: February 14, 2002 |
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Exporting— Exploring Foreign Frontiers : Take advantage of U.S. government agency resources to assist your exporting effortsYou want to determine the potential for exporting your products to Jakarta. You know you could increase international sales if you could finance... Publish date: August 29, 2002 |
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Canada sighs, strategizes : Steel industry dodges tariffs, wards off backdoor importsIn a trade relationship with the U.S. defined more by cooperation than confrontation, Canada's steel and automotive industries felt little... Publish date: September 26, 2002 |
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Dealing with worker injuries : A different perspectiveFor as long as I have been in the business of occupational safety and health, "keep-the-injured-person-working" has been a mantra of... Publish date: March 13, 2003 |
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Mac's Muse: One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes ... gone! As U.S. steel industry gets its lunch eaten, many parties can share blameA recession, defined by economists, is two consecutive quarters of negative (absent) GDP growth. History shows that there have been 12 recessions... Publish date: November 15, 2001 |
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Trouble in Motown : Despite record sales, near future registers a sour note for auto industryDespite its second-best U.S. sales year ever in 2001, many of the auto industry's key players find themselves in financial trouble. It seems that... Publish date: February 14, 2002 |
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Welding Report: Sorting through industry trendsBecause the welding industry changes so slowly, advances are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. This has been true since the 1920s. And... Publish date: February 12, 2001 |
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Just what does Covisint mean, anyway? : How the auto industry's B2B supersite will transform its supply chainFor the last few years, the business world has been enthralled by the Internet. The stock markets are awash in all kinds of high-tech... Publish date: March 13, 2001 |
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Staying lean in a lean economyOver the past few months I've had the chance to speak at six different manufacturing conferences and trade association symposiums. Without a... Publish date: June 18, 2002 |
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Preventing the loss of life and property : Working safely with hazardous materialsNot surprising, companies that insure manufacturing companies report that fire is the leading cause of property loss. Terry Stevens,... Publish date: February 27, 2003 |
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'It's gonna be painful' Metal industry players note little to reassure them in days aheadAsk people in the trenches of the metals industry, job shops and equipment manufacturers alike, what lies down the road, and you might as well... Publish date: November 15, 2001 |
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Metals outlook mixed : Two different metals industries adapt to a challenging economyAs the U.S. economy continues to slow, steel and aluminum producers are looking for the bottom of the market. While gross domestic product (GDP)... Publish date: January 10, 2002 |
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The new face of manufacturing on the Net : Interviews with some survivorsThe other shoe started to drop for the First Wave of Internet start-ups nearly two years ago now, and keen observers could have forecasted... Publish date: February 14, 2002 |
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Consolidation talk picks up speed : As steel industry founders on the rocks, big players look at pulling togetherSeeing the U.S. integrated steel industry struggle through what is arguably its darkest hour is like watching a rowboat head for the falls: Almost... Publish date: January 10, 2002 |
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What now? Every facet of steel industry watches, waits as change sweeps inAs steelmakers await President George W. Bush's decision on recommendations to slap tariffs of up to 40 percent on certain imported steel... Publish date: January 10, 2002 |
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Around the World: China drives toward world auto marketThe demand for automobiles in Asia is estimated to reach 5 million before 2010, and China's share is expected to reach 3 million units in this... Publish date: February 14, 2002 |
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Up in the air : Boeing's Sears outlines outlook for U.S. aerospace industryEditor's note: The following are excerpts from Boeing Co. CFO and Senior Vice President Michael Sears' "Transformation in Aerospace" speech and... Publish date: September 12, 2002 |
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Manufacturing in Mexico : Despite recession, maquiladoras still a strong driving forceObject 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,... Publish date: June 27, 2002 |
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Car Corner: OEMs sock it to suppliers : Drive for profits runs parts manufacturers off the road, study showsTraverse City, Mich., may be a laid-back resort town, but there was more than a little tension in the air recently as automotive suppliers aired... Publish date: August 29, 2002 |
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