Attract and Retain Skilled Labor The U.S. economy added 13,000 manufacturing jobs in January, and employment in the sector has been growing since the end of the Great Recession. That’s good news, but this positive trend does pose a challenge to manufacturers that need more skilled workers. In fact, in a recent survey, 52% of manufacturers identified finding skilled labor
Read moreIndiana is the most manufacturing-intensive state in the United States in terms of jobs per capita. However, like most U.S. states, it has not been immune from loss of manufacturing jobs. Many people attribute the loss of jobs to either offshoring or automation, but which is it? To help answer this question, you may want to read a recent
Read moreManufacturing Imports Continue at All-Time High Times are still good for small manufacturers. Demand is strong and most companies are busy. If a small manufacturer isn’t making money in this environment, something is wrong. At the same time, it’s important to know that manufacturing imports are at an all-time high. For the year ending 10/31/2018, the value of manufactured goods
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As I visit companies in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, I consistently hear that lean manufacturing does not work in job shops. The belief is that lean manufacturing only works in low mix/high volume environments, e.g. Toyota, but not in the high mix/low volume environments typified by most job shops. In other words, there is no such thing as a lean
Read moreIt’s hard to believe in this day and age how many businesses still choose not to take advantage of the benefits of adopting a Lean culture. As a business owner or officer, you are free, of course, to make a decision not to implement Lean – after all it’s your company. Maybe you’re already making more money than you can
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