Industry Trends & Analysis

From January to November 2018, the Institute for Supply Management reported that Buffalo, New York's Purchasing Managers' Index was consistently higher than the national PMI, averaging 72.4, which was more than 10 points above the national average. With a long history as a manufacturing hub and recent growth, it's not surprising that there are many great manufacturing jobs available in the community. Moreover, the types of jobs advertised are changing. Instead of traditional manufacturing positions, employers are hiring for roles like machinist and programmer, which usually offer higher wages and better advancement opportunities.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership has a unique position in the federal government that allows the MEP to collect and analyze feedback directly from clients served by the MEP's national network. This provides the MEP program with a wealth of information that guides the MEP's approaches to serving the U.S. manufacturing industry both now and in the future. At the start of a new year, it is important to take a step back and look at what clients are saying. Being responsive to the needs of manufacturers and helping mitigate their challenges are two of the program's goals. Integrating client feedback to help clients prepare for future challenges is important.

I haven't received any books about manufacturing lately, but a PDF of the new book "Rock Stars at Home" landed in my inbox, so I read it.

Lead Angle: The key to the future is to adapt as a media company and be available on all the media channels our audience uses.

The operations manager at the largest nail manufacturer in the United States, Mid Continent Steel and Wire Inc., says his company has fought hard to survive in the face of unfair foreign competition over the past 12 years. The business planned for further growth and was on a great path until the Trump administration levied steel and aluminum tariffs, which took effect in June.

In the United States, the universal complaint about recruitment for manufacturing jobs is that there aren't enough qualified candidates for all the positions that people are working feverishly to fill. So why are recruiters hobbling their own efforts by purposely limiting the candidate pools they'll even consider?

Economic experts say that growth will rise but less briskly than it did this year.n

Manager's Desk: If growth is a part of your business plan, don't let the costs that go with it catch you by surprise.

Lead Angle: Editor Alan Richter chats with economic authorities in the aerospace, automotive and energy industries to find out what's coming next year.

"Nation longs for one more day with dying manufacturing sector." That headline, published in 2014 by the satirical website The Onion, anticipated both President Donald Trump's fears and the retorts he gets from his critics. He campaigned on a promise to bring back jobs in manufacturing after decades of decline. To people who see the future of the U.S. economy in services, these promises seemed backward. When he was head of the National Economic Council, Gary Cohn reportedly asked Trump which he would prefer: sitting in a nice air-conditioned office or standing on his feet all day. In 2018, it looks as if the president is winning the day.

A fact sheet by the National Immigration Forum focuses on immigrants in the U.S. manufacturing sector, highlighting key information about their demographics, incomes and contributions.

It started with the email from "Sarah." "Dear Friend. We are precision CNC machining manufacturer from China. Please try us, so that you will cost-down 40 percent at least!" I hate junk mail. Next to robocallers and those dirtbags who leave ominous voicemails threatening legal action by the IRS, spammers are the worst. The intrusiveness of it, the endless inbox management, never mind the laughable English skills. It's irritating.