Manufacturing

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13 12, 2014

Redirection of the World’s Manufactured Goods?

By |2016-08-19T19:16:45+00:00December 13th, 2014|Economic Growth, Export, Import, Manufacturing|Comments Off on Redirection of the World’s Manufactured Goods?

The United States continues to be the world’s great consumer. Imports to the United States of manufactured goods were nearly $1.72 trillion in 2011, and since 2001 have increased by 79%. China is by far the leading exporter of manufactured goods to the United States ($390.6 billion in 2011), nearly double that of second-place Canada ($207.3 billion).[1] More telling is how imports have changed in the past 10 years. China manufacturing exports to the United States rose 292% as that nation achieved manufacturing expertise combined with low-cost labor; among the top 10 manufactured-goods exporters to the United States, only [...]

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13 12, 2014

Manufacturing Performance

By |2016-12-21T22:51:04+00:00December 13th, 2014|George Taninecz, Manufacturing, MPI Manufacturing Study|Comments Off on Manufacturing Performance

A year ago, manufacturing executives expected that their 2012 plant sales would increase by 9% (median) and 10.5% (average), according the 2011 MPI Manufacturing Study.[1] Those projections may yet turn out to be true given recent U.S. Department of Commerce data. Despite a modest drop in value of manufacturing shipments from May to June this year, the value of all manufacturing shipments year-to-date rose 5.8% across all industries vs. 2011 (not seasonally adjusted).[2] Both durable goods and non-durable goods shipments posted year-to-date increases, 9.1% and 3%, respectively. Primary metals lead the durable goods sector with a 20.9% increase; plastics and [...]

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13 12, 2014

Investing for the Future

By |2015-03-30T18:52:31+00:00December 13th, 2014|Capital Equipment, George Taninecz, Information Technology, Manufacturing, MPI Manufacturing Study|Comments Off on Investing for the Future

With the year half over, many organizations are reevaluating their investment plans. Are sales strong enough to justify new equipment or information technology? Will continuing uncertainty in Europe temper enthusiasm for new commitments? At times like this, it’s helpful to know what competitors are thinking. U.S. and international manufacturing plant executives reported 2011 spending on capital equipment at 5% of sales (median) and 8.7% (average); spending on information technology was 1% of sales (median) and 4.3% (average) in 2011. Perhaps more importantly, 42% of the plant executives reported that capital-equipment spending would increase in 2012; 37% of executives said [...]

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13 12, 2014

Hiring? Think Safety

By |2016-12-21T22:51:38+00:00December 13th, 2014|George Taninecz, Manufacturing, OSHA, Safety|Comments Off on Hiring? Think Safety

U.S. factory employment rose 470,000 from January 2010 to March 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with manufacturers adding 37,000 persons in March. Top hires were at motor vehicles and parts companies (more than 12,000) and machinery companies (more than 7,000).[1] Manufacturers are staffing up because orders are rising, and management is increasingly feeling the constraint of underemployment as they try to hit their output numbers. But increasing output should not be the first order of business for management as new hires and/or returning workers walk into plants. Think safety. In addition to training new or [...]

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