Management

Walter Surface Technologies, Dallas, in March announced the opening of a 22,000 sq. ft, distribution and training center in Dallas. Located at the Freeport Corporate Center, the new facility directly serves 20 states throughout the Southern and Western United States.

Dosatron International, Inc., headquartered in Clearwater, Fla., in March named Matthew Wellage as Regional Sales Manager. Wellage has 6 years of experience working for a manufacturer of chemical dispensing equipment, and more than 8 years of experience in industrial pipe, valve and fitting distribution.

In the 1987 movie "Wall Street," the archetypal corporate villain Gordon Gekko memorably argues that “greed is good”—and that the bottom line is the only good a dutiful company need pursue. Thirty years on, Ethisphere Institute has announced 124 companies spanning five continents, 19 countries and 52 industry sectors as the 2017 World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees. Of these, four are in the category of Industrial Manufacturing: 3M Co., Deere & Co., Milliken & Co. and Timken Co. Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, Pa., is the only honored company in the category of Machine Tools and Accessories.

Kitagawa North-Tech Inc., Schaumburg, Ill., reportedly will open a new office and warehouse facility in Queretaro, Mexico, on April 7. Kitagawa North-Tech, which makes standard chucks, advanced chucks, cylinders, steady rests, custom-engineered workholding and workholding accessories, described the new facility as a demonstration of the company's "commitment to Mexican customers," according to a March 17 company news release.

Donald Trump promises to bring factory jobs back to the U.S. from overseas, but many blue-collar workers are hurt more by a lack of skills than by globalization.

The U.S. manufacturing industry is rushing to embrace technology as a critical part of its processes and plans to make new technological investments in 2017, but barriers to Industry 4.0 adoption still exist, according to Automation Alley’s 2017 Technology Industry Report. According to the report, 85% of national manufacturing executives said their company plans to increase budgets for technological advancements; nearly a third of them plan to increase their budgets by 10% to 15%.

At Manufacturing Tomorrow, Greg Dyer of Randstad Commercial Staffing writes about “The hottest jobs in manufacturing in 2017.” He notes “new technology, innovative production systems, a growing preference for American-made goods and a decline in offshoring are transforming U.S. manufacturing. There is an increased demand for technology-savvy workers to not only capitalize on the next industrial revolution, but to fill a critical void left behind by retiring workers.” The hottest manufacturing jobs this year are: “production supervisor, maintenance mechanic, driver, machine operator and warehouse supervisor.”