A LITTLE KNOWN FACT FROM CLIFF

Actor John Ratzenberger, best known as Cliff Clavin on the TV series “Cheers,” is, in real life, a serious guy. These days, he’s busy helping young people discover the potential in American manufacturing.

He explains that while touring America’s factories for The Travel Channel’s “John Ratzenberger’s Made in America,” he kept hearing about (and seeing for himself) the dire need for fresh, skilled workers. So, three years ago, he started “Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs,” an organization that provides summer camps and scholarships to help get youth ‘hands-on’ with well-paying jobs in manufacturing.

Catch up with Ratzenberger, and read more about his plans for “NB&T” in this interview at manufacturing.com

HOG WILD ABOUT METAL

It’s not every day that METAL is at the forefront of design, but the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee is (like their product) all about the METAL.

In an article in Modern Metals magazine, designers said “most of the metals in the interior were fabricated from standard shapes of rolled, punched and fabricated steel" to give it a true ‘factory feeling.’

So whether you’re into metals, Harleys or just amazing work, it’s definitely worth checking out. Here’s the complete article. And, see more pictures of this steel beauty here

THE CASE FOR OPTIMISM

News of the state of the nation getting you down? Well, there are some amazing things happening in our country and, while not all rooted in manufacturing, they shine a beacon on the men and women, the opportunity and drive that are helping…no, MAKING us succeed.

M. Robert Weidner III, Publisher of Forward, the magazine of the Metal Service Center Institute, spells it all out in his article “The Case for Optimism.”

You can read the complete article here.

CONSISTENT GROWTH

The Institute for Supply Management is reporting manufacturing in the U.S. grew for the 13th consecutive month in August, while the overall U.S. economy has grown for 16 consecutive months. We know that this doesn’t mean the recovery is a sure thing, or that potential down months aren’t ahead. We’ve also got long way to go to reach pre-recession levels. But it does indicate we’ve risen off the bottom and, through innovation and drive, manufacturing is leading the way.

Read the complete article here

TAKE A VIDEO TOUR OF DALCO

We can't say enough about our business relationship with Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the growth they've help us bring about through Five-S coaching and LEAN training.

Now, you can take a video tour of our facilities in Walworth, as Dalco President Bill Ring highlights some of the customer-focused changes we've made.

MANUFACTURING AND THE RECOVERY

It's been slow...but steady. Despite its fluctuations, Amrican manufacturing contiues to grow, and the prognosis is good. Though in the single digits, there have been three consecutive months of growth and, according to Norbert Ore, chair of the Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing Business Survey committee, "the sector appear to be solidly entrenched in the recovery." The same is reflected in the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey and trends in the auto industry.

You can read the complete BizTimes article here.

WHOSE INNOVATION IS IT ANYWAY?

We hear the word ‘innovation’ used a lot these days. But, when it comes to manufacturing, nobody defines it better than Mike Klonsinski, Executive Director of Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

In his recent article, 'Whose Innovation is it Anyway,' Klonsinski compares the conventional wisdom of innovation (research and development from laboratories and universities) with real-world innovation (“…the ability to anticipate customer needs and then deliver products, services, and solutions to meet those needs…profitably, rapidly, continuously.”)

He’s not knocking R & D by any means, but cites examples of Wisconsin companies who are innovating at a basic level, and reaping the rewards!

You can read his complete article here.