The Wall Street Journal's Scott Davis explains some of the tailwinds that will propel U.S. manufacturing into 2021. He writes: The U.S. manufacturing industry has experienced a lifetime of trauma over the past two decades—but we believe 2020 marks the bottom of that long and high-profile decline. This past year has been particularly traumatic, as the pandemic brought with it the largest cut in industrial earnings on record in the second quarter, driven by the global shutdown that started in January in China and still exists in some form in many countries today. However, as we look out … [Read more...]
More American Manufacturing Coming Home
Weiler Abrasives Group has announced it will bring its Chinese abrasives production line to the United States. In a press release on Inddist.com, Weiler said that it will close its Suzhou, China location in coming months and move production to its Cresco, Pennsylvania facility. The company continued: "We are confident this will be entirely seamless to our customers. We are excited about the benefits the move will bring to our local community and our North American customers, including improved service levels that our customers have come to expect from Weiler,” said Bill Dwyre, managing … [Read more...]
Confident Manufacturers Hitting on All Cylinders
American manufacturing is growing again, with the favorable winds of tax cuts and regulatory reform at their back, manufacturers are confident and busy. Sarah Chaney and Bob Tita report in The Wall Street Journal: For now, the long U.S. expansion, now in its 10th year and being further fueled by recent business and individual tax cuts, appears to be paying dividends for American plants that churn out cars, appliances and business equipment. “Activity right now is hitting on all cylinders. Demand is up, production is up, [and there’s] really robust hiring overall,” said Chad Moutray, chief … [Read more...]
How HP Stays Afloat in the Rocky Waters of the PC Market
With the proliferation of tablets, smartphones, powerful gaming consoles and smart televisions, many of the features that used to make PCs unique have been added to other devices. In some cases, such as wireless connectivity and touch screens, PCs' feature set has been surpassed. These changes in PC market have made it all the more impressive that HP CEO Dion Weisler has been able to keep the company successful. Jay Greene reports for The Wall Street Journal: Shortly after Dion Weisler took over Hewlett-Packard Co.’s computer business in 2013, he assembled his charges to survey nearly 40 … [Read more...]
Companies Make “The War on Plastic” Part of Their Marketing Plan
With a growing anti-plastic sentiment among consumers, companies are trying to reduce the amount of plastic they use and increase the amount of recycled materials they use. A big announcement by Coca-Cola last week that the company would "collect and recycle the equivalent of all its packaging by 2030," is just the latest sign that this is a trend companies are going to be promoting as part of their marketing. The FT reports: Makers of everything from crisps and drinks to shampoo and laundry detergent are responding to growing public alarm about pollution as a younger generation, deemed to be … [Read more...]
The Global Manufacturing Boom Marches into 2018
Purchasing managers indexes from around the world are indicating a global manufacturing boom. The U.S. Markit Manufacturing PMI rose today to 55.1, it's highest reading since 2015. Bloomberg's Fergal O'Brien reports: A slew of Purchasing Managers Indexes published on Tuesday from China, Germany, France, Italy and the U.K. all pointed to deeper supply constraints, with a U.S. gauge to be released at 9:45 a.m. Washington time. Shrinking capacity may mean companies have to hire or invest more to avoid overheating, yet it could also force them to push up prices, propelling inflation … [Read more...]
Manufacturers Thrive in New Era
Attitudes are optimistic in the manufacturing sector. Owners of manufacturing businesses are excited to have an ally in the White House. Manufacturing employees are excited about increased hiring here in the U.S., in part thanks to rising wages for foreign workers. The rising wages and supportive environment for manufacturing are driving hiring and investment here in the U.S. Andrew Tangel and Josh Zumbrun report: Employment numbers point to the overall progress. The U.S. manufacturers have added 156,000 workers since Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016, according to … [Read more...]
Will Boeing Bring More Jobs to South Carolina?
In the face of mergers and acquisitions in its supplier base, Boeing has decided to ramp up its production of parts for its planes to protect itself from price increases. With the potential for Boeing to open up new manufacturing lines, the company's home-away-from-home, South Carolina stands to benefit. The state has been flooded in new job opportunities thanks to friendly regulations that encourage business to grow. Employees in the state seem especially happy to work with Boeing. It's hard to find a better place than Charleston, South Carolina, one of America's "Best Cities for … [Read more...]
Is America About to Make Great Things Again?
If you have been reading the news this week you may have gotten some mixed messages on the future of American manufacturing. The big news is the announcement from Foxconn (the Taiwanese manufacturing giant that built most of your iPhone) that the company will build a $10 billion LCD display screen plant in Wisconsin. The move was touted by the president, and the factory could potentially employ 13,000 people. Reuters reported: Trump praised Foxconn chairman Terry Gou at a White House event, asserting: "If I didn't get elected, he definitely wouldn't be spending $10 billion ... This is a … [Read more...]
Report Shows Manufacturers Booming: Is This the New Trump Economy?
An index produced by the Association for Manufacturing Technology showed a 22% increase in manufacturing technology orders in May compared to the year before. Manufacturers are expanding their operations and seeking additional capacity. Industrial Distribution reports: Automotive customers made some significant orders in the month, and continued investment from machine shops indicates that manufacturers are seeking additional capacity. The gains in manufacturing technology orders are in line with other positive economic indicators for the manufacturing industry: industrial production, … [Read more...]