This is a Major Recovery Indicator

In economic growth cycles, hiring usually lags behind. Growth in activity and income are needed to support new jobs. And right now, especially in Wisconsin, manufacturers are hiring. A Journal Sentinel article put it this way:

Wisconsin's status as the leading manufacturing state in the nation, as measured by the proportion of its workforce engaged in manufacturing, has translated into a faster job recovery for that portion of the economy here.

"Our manufacturing sector got hit pretty hard during this recession," said Scott Brave, senior business economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. "The interesting thing is it has also come back much more strongly as well."

You can read the full article here.

MEMORY-FREE STEEL

We have always reinvested in our business to provide our customers with continuous improvement and the latest in technology, productivity, and service.

Continuing with this tradition, we are excited to announce the addition of our new Dalco Metals Stretcher Leveler!

With new technologies in manufacturing and a greater need for ‘memory-free’ steel, we can guarantee your steel will be of the highest quality and processed precisely to your specifications. It will start flat and stay flat so that your laser and precision plasma processes are worry free. Eliminating coil memory means your equipment can run faster and more consistently because the time-consuming problems of warping or spring-back become things of the past, which means you can run ‘lights out’ with fewer interruptions and:
- Superior Reliability
 -Less Downtime
 -Competitive Cost Advantage

The DALCO Stretcher-Leveler produces ‘memory-free’ sheets up to 0.25" thick, 72” wide, with lengths up to 240”. Let us show you what we can do for you. Call us at 262-275-6175

FRESH TALENT

As the economy continues to shake off the dust and grow, a lot of manufacturers are seeing a troubling trend. New technologies in manufacturing, and a growing list of alternate career opportunities, have created a void in trained and ready talent.

Fortunately, there are solutions. Programs that recruit and train a new generation of skilled workers are cropping up all over the country. Here is Wisconsin, one of them is Second Chance Partners for Education, a Pewaukee-based nonprofit that operates eight alternative high schools, each of them HQ’d inside a manufacturing facility.

Read the whole story from BizTimes Magazine here.

CONGRATULATIONS PACKERS!!!!

A MANUFACTURING REBOUND

Productivity is up. Profits are, too. And the trend should continue in 2011.

In this weeks BizTimes Milwaukee, Eric Decker has researched and compiled a stream of positive data for Southeast Wisconsin, the State, and the nation. Several high profile surveys of manufacturing leaders show a very strong expectation of revenue and profits growth this year. And beyond the numbers, other factors here, and nationwide, point to consistent growth. “While 2010 has been a year of recovery in manufacturing, our forecast sees improvements in both investment and employment in 2011,” said Robert Ore, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

Take a few minutes to read the full story here.

CULTURE CHANGES SPELL GROWTH

You’ve read the reports: Ford Motor Company is alive and well, despite not receiving government aid. And, while the automotive industry is still a ways from being back on solid ground, there are lessons to be learned from the dramatic transformation they’ve been striving to make from bloated bureaucracy to a leaner, meaner customer-focused enterprise. Two of the keys, says CEO Alan Mulally, included simplification and communication. Trimming brands and encouraging innovation at all levels simplified the formerly cumbersome process. And communication, at all levels, especially managerial, has helped Ford respond faster to short-term issues while maintaining focus on the future.

Read the complete article at manufacturing.net

BEING GREAT WITH THE BASICS

Sometimes putting extra focus on ‘the basics’ goes a long way to boosting productivity and profitability. We came across a terrific case study in Manufacturing Business Technology magazine and an article about Vermont-based Tivoli, Inc. Tivoli makes taps and other precision cutting tools, but it’s their attention to the basics that sets them apart.

Their success is based on two key strategies that the work hard to instill in every one of their employees:
1: Always focus on progress and continuous improvement, and
2: Focus on partnerships both with customers and suppliers.

Sounds basic enough but, when you think about it, these are the elements that can have either positive or negative impact on overall performance. Basic…but great.

You can read the complete article here.