| Leadership—the Key to Revitalizing Manufacturing |
“The future of manufacturing is in the hands of today and tomorrow’s leaders,” writes Laurie Harbour. “There is an urgent need for North American manufacturing leadership to keep pace with the rapid changes in competition, economics and technology to compete in the global marketplace.
“We are at an inflection point,” she continues, “where today’s leaders need to transition to the next generation of leaders.”
Taking a deep dive into this important topic, she and her team have authored a new book: Tradition Meets Transformation: Leadership Strategies to Revitalize Manufacturing. |
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| MetalForming Minute |
Check out this month’s MetalForming Minute for an editorial-content update from editorial director Brad Kuvin. On the agenda:
- Our special industry update slated for the January-February issue of MetalForming, with insights into several key end-use markets including automotive, appliance, medical and HVAC.
- An automotive-industry special issue coming in February, including
an exclusive interview with Tesla engineering guru Thomas Ausman.
- Our first MetalForming LIVE event in 2024—an expert panel discussion on workforce development.
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| Win in 2024 When You Stop Doing These 10 Things |
Don’t let bad habits hold you back in the new year. The best manufacturers revealed 10 things they cut out of their day to day to operate efficiently and get ahead of the competition. Download the 10 Things Great Manufacturers Won’t Do whitepaper today to learn more.
DOWNLOAD >> |
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| Heading into the New Year, Metal Formers Continue to Expect Economic Activity to Stabilize |
| Metal
forming companies expressed increased confidence that business
conditions will continue to stabilize in the first quarter of 2024,
according to the December 2023 Precision Metalforming Association (PMA)
Business Conditions Report. More than half (57%) of surveyed companies
expect no change in general economic activity in the next three months
(compared to 49% in November), while 13% anticipate an increase in
activity, an increase from 9% last month. |
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| EV Sales Leading to a Decoupling of Economic Growth from Oil Demand |
| In a new white paper from investment firm Ridge Creek Global, we learn that energy-transition-related investments are rebounding, and as “we start looking at 2024 we can start to see the world nearing peak oil,” the report notes. “This is not coming from a concern about the planet or from geostrategic considerations but from a changing energy landscape…with increasing disconnects between global oil demand growth and global GDP growth.” |
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| Put Your Company at a Competitive Advantage |
| Position your company as an industry leader when you utilize PMA resources—ITR Econ Trends reports, trade publications, One Voice and FABTECH trade shows. A PMA membership will provide your company and all of its employees with a range of valuable industry resources that are designed to help you become more connected, more informed, more efficient, more competitive and ultimately more profitable. |
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| Recession Talk Easing, but Technology Orders Slow |
| As
the summer of 2023 ended, the number of economists predicting a
recession dwindled quickly, yet despite the generally more optimistic
outlook, orders for manufacturing technology, measured by the U.S.
Manufacturing Technology Orders Report, continued to fall relative to
2022. |
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| From ITR Economics: Interest Rate Decline in 2024 |
| In this blog post from Brian Beaulieu, CEO and chief economist of ITR Economics, he projects that “disinflation will continue to be uneven but still yield lower inflation as we progress through 2024… Lessening inflation in 2024 combined with decreasing economic activity will provide the Fed with the circumstances needed to lower interest rates.” |
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| Webinars Help Managers Create a Culture of Risk Management |
| From Federated Insurance comes a regularly scheduled (and archived) webinar series to help manufacturers create a culture of risk management. Gather your management team and take a look. Topics include property and equipment maintenance, employee-handbook dos and don’ts, common OSHA citations and recordkeeping advice, and cybersecurity. |
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| Advanced High-Strength Steels Training On Tap |
| From the Auto/Steel Partnership comes this webinar series comprising three metallurgy-focused modules and seven forming modules, designed to cater to a spectrum of technical skill levels—those new to the world of advanced high-strength steels, as well as experienced professionals looking to refine their expertise. |
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Training
Pressroom Automation