The recent government shutdown has furloughed thousands of employees at a time of year when consumerism keeps manufacturers and retailers their busiest. The connection between the Affordable Care Act and the shutdown make the response to the impasse especially interesting in manufacturing, as the changes in health care have been an ongoing concern for manufacturers…. Read more

The manufacturing industry is back on the rise after the loss of 6 million factory jobs between 2000 and 2009. The rise has been significant (520,000 jobs since January 2010), but small compared to the hit in the first decade of the millennium. The US currently has about 11.9 million manufacturing employees – a number… Read more

The manufacturing industry sets the tone for the economies in most countries. Growth in this industry is therefore exciting and encouraging, but it often requires upgrades. Two successful companies that found up-to-date solutions to manage their growths are Minnesota-based Nordic Ware and Canadian drug store distribution center Value Drug Mart. The Company Consumers may recognize… Read more

The second annual Manufacturing Day is slated for October 4th, 2013. The Modern Materials Handling article “Manufacturing Day’s sponsor base adds four industry associations” stated, “Manufacturing Day is an annual national event, executed at the local level, that supports hundreds of manufacturers across the nation that host students, teachers, parents, job seekers and other local… Read more

Several years ago, Modern Handling Management started collecting information through their Annual Census of Distribution. The results gave key insights into what kinds of traits world-class facilities share. While some of their common threads are simply about company size, many of them are things that smaller companies can implement for prestige and success. As MH&L… Read more

Just-in-time operations have transformed not only the warehouse and manufacturing, but also how goods flow through US ports. While inland ports have existed for about 20 years, new ones are being designed and built to keep up with changes. The congestion that was building in seaports prompted the need to expand, but land cost and… Read more

One of the greatest challenges facing the manufacturing industry is a lack of qualified workers. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, in 2011, about 600,000 jobs went unfilled in the industry. The Manufacturing Institute writes: “The manufacturing workforce is growing older at a greater rate than the economy as a whole and the U.S…. Read more

The strength of our manufacturing industry signifies strength in the economy. Many sectors depend on a solid manufacturing base. News reports on the industry vary greatly – some show concerns that manufacturing is producing well below capacity. Manufacturers are also focused on the 2014 budget and the Regulatory Accountability Act. Other news reports focus on… Read more

One of the hot topics in manufacturing in recent years has been the possible resurgence of US manufacturing with jobs coming back to the US from China.  The term for bringing manufacturing back to the US is called “reshoring”.    After a huge outflow of jobs going to China in the earlier part 2000, we have… Read more