We’ve talked a lot about the issue of Baby Boomers retiring and handing the industry over to the next generation. We’ve also talked a lot about trying to attract more Millennials and Post-Millennials to a career in manufacturing. However, statistics

“In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America”. - Netflix  

As the US job market becomes more competitive, parents, students, and even society as a whole seems increasingly hesitant to spend money on a degree they fear won’t help them get a good job. 

 

We have spent a lot of time talking about interconnectivity, data gathering, assessment, and analytics over the past month, however there is another side to digital progress we can’t overlook. As manufacturing operations increasingly become

Ever hear of the Luddites?

I, Machine, take you, Data, to be my wedded partner, ‘til death do us part. 

Math has never been my strong suit, but lately, even I am starting to think something isn’t adding up when it comes to manufacturing employment data.

This week’s MakingChips manufacturing news story, The Great Robot Takeover: Fact or Fiction, provided a surprisingly comprehensive look at the past, present, and future of incorporating robots into manufacturing processes as well as the emotional

I learned two shocking new things about our industry this week. The first came from our MakingChips featured manufacturing news article from Industry Week which focused on newly released data by SCORE, mentors to America’s small business.

You’re busy. Your employees are busy. Manufacturing is busy. Now I’m here asking you do add something else to your plate? Well trust me, this is important...

As you know, times they are a’changing for all of us here in the metalworking nation. Welcome to the fourth industrial revolution, or “4IR” as it is being called.

My youngest child is graduating high school on Sunday and it got me wondering how much a high school diploma is actually worth these days? There are wildly differing reports and, like most things, it seems to depend on a number of factors such as

Manufacturers are not traditionally known for being the most open organizations. This is often tied to the fact that many of their customers have parts that are proprietary or connected with the government or military. But, this NDA-culture has

Why do manufacturing companies need marketing automation? Because in the age of Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Netflix all of us expect fast, personalized service, great products, and an easy to use experience from any company we work with, including