Economy

CTE Editorial Director Alan Rooks ponders the good news about U.S. manufacturing of late.

Cutting Tool Engineering Editorial Director Alan Rooks examines Germany's manufacturing model in his July Lead Angle commentary.

In his August 2011 Lead Angle editorial, Cutting Tool Engineering Editorial Director Alan Rooks addresses whether the plan for the latest U.S. manufacturing initiative unveiled by President Obama will provide a boost to the industry.

CTE Editorial Director Alan Rooks laments the long and winding road to economic recovery in this Lead Angle editorial in the September 2011 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Manufacturing was a star in 2011 and looks to shine brightly in 2012.

As the U.S. strives to become less dependent on foreign energy sources, energy producers are increasingly employing hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to drill shale deposits and extract natural gas and some oil. That booming market requires a range of parts from shops around the country.

States near the Marcellus Shale, a huge natural gas formation centered in Pennsylvania, are feverishly pursuing a $4 billion ethane “cracker” to be built by Royal Dutch Shell. The cracker will process ethane-rich gas from the Marcellus Shale into ethylene, and the ethylene will be used by the pharmaceutical, chemical and plastics industries. The plant will create 10,000 construction jobs and several hundred permanent jobs.

It's getting to be a broken record. February was another up month for U.S. manufacturing as output increased 0.4 percent. Output rose 0.7 percent in January after jumping 1.5 percent in December—the biggest gain in 5 years. Also, U.S. manufacturers added 31,000 jobs in February, on top of adding 227,000 jobs in 2011. Of course, the big question is how long can this last?

Cutting Tool Engineering Editorial Director Alan Rooks ponders one of the metalworking industry's biggest challenges of late—filling numerous job vacancies.

Managing energy costs and improving energy performance requires an ongoing commitment.