Attracting Millennials to Manufacturing Careers

While this is a common theme in manufacturing, we’re always looking for fresh ideas or new twists on solving this workforce issue.

More Wisconsin manufacturers are getting involved with schools to promote available careers that don’t necessarily require 4-year college degrees. They’re giving students ‘hands-on’ opportunities and also reaching out to parents and teachers. “If you can show them “half the education, half the tuition, possibly zero debt, and a job that's averaging about $55,000 a year coming right out of school, that sounds like a pretty good deal to me,” said Steve Benzschawel, a director at Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.

Read more about the campaign from Plant Services magazine and NPR here

Customer Loyalty? It Still Happens. Here's How

This month, Metal Forming Magazine took a look at customer loyalty, and steps many companies are understanding to build it. And to no surprise, having the lowest price is not high on the list.

Critical, but sometimes overlooked steps, including really listening to customer expectations, having a plan that fits your own vision, and knowing how to market your expertise to each customer.

As sourcing becomes more competitive – and complex- fabricators are using new ways to stay competitive, and doing what it takes to create customer loyalty.

Read “Five Simple Strategies to Do More for Your Customers” from Metal Forming magazine here.

Milwaukee, San Francisco Rank High in Manufacturing Job Growth

Here's an interesting piece of news:

In a brand new Industry Week report, Milwaukee and San Francisco saw the highest percentage growth in manufacturing jobs over last year, according to a new analysis by the statistics firm Wanted Analytics. Wanted compared hiring data, including job ads, from April to June 2015 for 350 U.S. metropolitan areas.

The Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin area saw a 33.5% increase in manufacturing jobs over the same time period last year. Among the hirings: General Plastics and Milwaukee Tool recently expanded in the Milwaukee area.

Read the full article from Industry Week Magazine here

Check Out Our Laser in Action

The latest innovation at Dalco Metals is our Amada FLCAJ 4020 fiber laser.

We can now process sheets up to 78" x 158" (2 meters x 4 meters) and, in addition to cutting carbon steel up to 7/8”, we can cut aluminum and stainless, plus highly reflective materials like brass, copper and titanium. Our goal is to help meet your growing needs and lead times.

See a video of our fiber laser in action here.

Job Shops: Diving In Head First

In metal fabrication—especially at small, privately held shops—money quite often isn’t front and center, which makes sense. People can make a lot of money in this business, enough to be very comfortable, especially if they’re in the right place at the right time. But if all they care about is making a lot of money, metal fabrication isn’t the easiest way to do it.

Here’s a terrific article from Tom Heston, senior editor of The Fabricator, on what drives job shop entrepreneurs.

Check it out here

Debunking Myths about Manufacturing Jobs

The clichéd image of a manufacturing job is of dirty, backbreaking, low-paying labor. And women need not apply—it's an industry dominated by men. But separating fact from fiction about the actual people behind the welder's mask and on the assembly line can be tricky.

But wait a minute….a recent CNBC report looked at facts that debunked those, and other, myths about manufacturing.

You can read the brief, insightful report, here

Innovation = Asking the Right Questions

Courtesy of the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, here’s a short video from innovation expert Warren Berger on the process of innovation. Berger finds that nearly all innovation begins with a question….”why isn't someone doing this or what if someone tried to do that?” Translated to your business or shop floor, it’s a demonstration of unlocking change by getting people to ask “why not?”

Check it out here