Blogs

Reshoring and Automation: Where Do Cobots Fit in?

By Tom Morrison posted 6 days ago
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A look at how smaller manufacturers are using the technology to grow their businesses. For North American businesses of all types, especially those in the manufacturing sector, 2022 was anything but typical. Or boring. Or easy. “Labor shortages” and “supply chain issues” became go-to phrases that encapsulated the most significant challenges for industry, continuing well into 2023. The good news? Supply chain issues are improving monthly, and inflation has dropped by more than 50% from its peak. Additionally, reshoring initiatives are gaining ground around North America as businesses and policy makers at the state and federal levels recognize the ...
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Let Your Voice be Heard...Join the Conversation

By Tom Morrison posted 6 days ago
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Each week MTI sends Members a weekly business operational check-in. The check-in is one question on a key issue, providing some great insight into how Members are handling key issues, impacting their daily operations and overall strategy. The following are some key results over the last several weeks. If you aren't receiving these quick weekly emails, contact Kristen Speer at kristen@heattreat.net and we will make sure you receive them. With the labor shortage, do you drug test for pre-employment? Do you perform random drug testing? Do you accept medical marijuana cards? With workers comp, where are you seeing most ...
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Choppy Waters

By Tom Morrison posted 6 days ago
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Summer has been one for the history books as the market wrestled with UPS’ labor negotiations, FedEx’s restructuring, downshifting consumer spending, and slackening parcel demand. As the parcel express market moves from summer into fall, a perfect storm of carrier challenges, market shifts, an unsettled economy, and weakening demand is threatening to upend the best-laid plans of shippers—just as supply chains are beginning to normalize after two years of pandemic-induced turmoil. Among the challenges: A massive restructuring at FedEx designed to cut costs, consolidate ground and express parcel network operations into a new “One FedEx” ...
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How Industrial Workers Can Drill Down on Safety This Summer with Wearables

By Tom Morrison posted 13 days ago
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Wearable technology is revolutionizing workplace safety with real-time, personalized insights mitigating the increasing risks of heat stress. The escalating climate crisis continues to take a toll, and industrial workers are at the frontline, grappling with a multi-record-breaking summer of heat waves. Workers in Arizona have faced 25 days in a row above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. June 2023 was the warmest June since 1850. Rising temperatures mark a surge in heat stress, dehydration, and other heat-related illnesses. This intensifies the challenges industrial athletes face, as the physical health and productivity of our labor force hangs in the balance. ...
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Machine Learning for Machine Tools

By Tom Morrison posted 13 days ago
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With computers beating both chess grand masters and world-class Go players, plus ChatGPT writing everything from college term papers to love poems, artificial intelligence (AI) is arguably the hottest topic in tech today. But what about in manufacturing? Theoretically, with enough data and the right algorithm, AI and machine learning could assess machine condition, adjust programs to improve throughput or quality, and perhaps more. So, what’s the reality? Design Magic Let’s start with generative design. Computer algorithms can automatically design a part to meet a diverse set of constraints and requirements. “Your engineering ...
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Prioritizing Reskilling, Reentry, and Rebuilding the US Workforce

By Tom Morrison posted 13 days ago
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Labor Day reminds us of the enduring spirit of the American workforce. This day isn’t just about barbecues and the unofficial end of summer; it’s a celebration of the tenacity and resilience of workers everywhere. Yet, amid this celebration, an overshadowed segment of our population longs to be part of this American work ethic: the 79 million people in this country with a criminal record. In the US, 95% of incarcerated individuals will return to our communities. However, despite 81% of business leaders and 85% of human resources executives acknowledging that individuals with criminal records perform just as well or better than their ...
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Can AI Enhance Leadership?

By Tom Morrison posted 20 days ago
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Do you remember your introduction to smartphones? Ryan, our techy son-in-law, was the first person I knew with an iPhone. Usually understated, Ryan declared that the iPhone was the first technology he’d seen that would change how he lived his life in small and significant everyday moments. We shook our heads in disbelief — a new version of a phone would change your life? We’re at the same place in history with artificial intelligence (AI) . This time, I won’t be on the sidelines waiting to see if it’s legitimate. When asked if people should worry about AI taking over their jobs, researcher Josh Bersin shared: “Absolutely not. The only ...
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Leadership on Point: Managing through the Generational Divide

By Tom Morrison posted 20 days ago
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The principles for managing multiple generations are really the same principles of good leadership. It’s hard to keep them all straight – the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, GenZers, Baby Busters, Millennials, iGen, Gen Alpha. Regardless of what you call them, or who falls into which generation, the issue is the same. How do we lead multiple generations in the workforce with different values, work styles and motivations? I am increasingly working with manufacturing companies in need of navigating culture issues that arise from a multi-generational team. Those leaders who understand the differences each generation brings to a workplace ...
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Monday Economic Report

By Tom Morrison posted 20 days ago
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Housing Growth at Risk: Mortgage Rates Soar to 22-Year High The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reached 7.23% last week, the highest since the week of June 1, 2001, according to Freddie Mac. Higher borrowing costs and issues of affordability risk slowing growth in the housing market, which had begun to stabilize in recent months. Existing home sales fell 2.2% to 4.07 million units at the annual rate in July, the lowest since January. With sharply higher mortgage rates, homeowners are less willing to sell their existing homes, limiting inventories for sale. On a year-over-year basis, existing home ...
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How to Create a People-First Culture in Large Workplaces

By Tom Morrison posted 27 days ago
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It takes constant review and enhancements to keep employees happy. Continental’s Wahpeton, North Dakota, facility got its start as family-owned WCCO Belting, a company which grew from a few employees to more than 300 over the 70 years it has been in business. Now, as a Continental production facility, the company has carried on its people-first culture, which stems from its Midwestern roots and values. These values have proven successful in multiple ways, leading to increased profitability, a full order pipeline, and a successful business. Creating and maintaining a purposeful culture doesn’t happen by itself. It takes commitment and dedication ...
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NAM Update on Potential UAW Strike

By Tom Morrison posted 27 days ago
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As many of you know, the UAW is negotiating a new labor agreement with important automotive manufacturers as the current contract expires September 14. The consequences of a strike would have a potentially devastating impact not just on the vast automotive supply chain but many related sectors within the manufacturing economy. The NAM is calling for a swift resolution to the negotiations and framing the harmful impact of stoppage on manufacturing, working families and our economy. You can find our latest message here and available below. As we continue to frame the implications of a possible strike, please let us know how your organization may be quantifying ...
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Without a Problem-Solving Culture, AI is an Expensive Mistake

By Tom Morrison posted 27 days ago
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Artificial intelligence won't miraculously solve your problems unless your company is good at curiosity, effective data-gathering and use of data in decision-making. A 2016 U.S. Department of Commerce survey of 80 U.S. manufacturers and vendors reported that smart manufacturing would provide $57 billion in annual cost reductions. This represents an approximate 3.2% reduction in the shop-floor cost of production. The promise of smart manufacturing is significant. Artificial intelligence is already being used to improve safety, quality, maintenance, scheduling, product design. But many companies do not have the necessary culture in place to benefit. ...
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Why the US Needs Manufacturing to Succeed

By Tom Morrison posted 08-17-2023
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Leadership focus on sustainability, nearshoring and DE&I is critical to manufacturing's future, writes the CEO of Chicago-based grid manufacturer S&C Electric. Who can forget those early, confusing, and scary days of the COVID-19 pandemic? Overnight, our world changed. In the midst of this unknown world with very real fears, everything screeched to a halt. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wakeup call in many ways. When the factories, flights, people and systems that power our global supply chain and economy stopped, our dependency on this logistical ecosystem became a vulnerability. Many who had never given a second thought to where our basic ...
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Sage Advice about Older Workers

By Tom Morrison posted 08-17-2023
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Manufacturing often frets about the aging of its workforce. Some nimble companies revel in it. The past decade has featured a long march of news about manufacturing’s labor shortage. At last count, some 800,000 manufacturing jobs were going unfilled in the United States. Less well-known, but just as dire, is the underemployment of older workers. Did you know, for instance, that only half of Americans in their 50s are steadily employed? Beth Truesdale, an employment scholar at the W.E Upjohn Institute, calls this phenomenon the “disappearing workforce” because if you consider yourself no longer actively looking for a job, no matter the circumstance, ...
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How To Think About AI: A Guide For Manufacturers

By Tom Morrison posted 08-17-2023
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The artificial intelligence revolution has arrived, and it’s here to stay. ChatGPT has provided us the indisputable evidence that this long-awaited technology is entering a more mature—and more valuable—stage. In fact, generative AI will produce between $170 billion and $290 billion in value for the advanced manufacturing industry alone, according to new data from McKinsey & Company . Across all industries, McKinsey says the technology will add between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion in value. I’m no CFO CFO -0.3% , but those are some seriously big numbers. Of course, manufacturers must take action to grab the opportunity. With ...
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Declining Imports Compress US Trade Deficit in June

By Tom Morrison posted 08-10-2023
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The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in June as businesses cut back on purchases of foreign-made capital goods, resulting in imports falling to the lowest level in more than 1-1/2 years. The decline in imports reported by the Commerce Department on Tuesday potentially signals a slowdown in business investment and overall domestic demand amid hefty interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. Imports are falling as businesses carefully manage inventory in anticipation of softer demand. That was underscored by other data showing a bigger decline in wholesale inventories in June than initially estimated. "Weakening consumer demand for goods and retreating ...
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Be Long on Patience When New Workers are Short on Skills

By Tom Morrison posted 08-10-2023
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I am obsessed with the Wall Street Journal story about America’s many new, young workers who are oblivious to workplace behavior norms and skill expectations . One person thinks it’s OK to read a book while store customers are present. A fast food worker manning the fryer thinks it’s OK to walk away from his food-burning, fire-hazard post to chat with friends. An entry-level engineer doesn’t have basic skills that his predecessors mastered in college. In my early 20s, I was an over-confident, eager-to-please, eager-to-learn, eager-to-shine new employee. But that was nearly 40 years ago. I didn’t have to contend with the mother of all disruptors: ...
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How to Know it’s Time to Change

By Tom Morrison posted 08-10-2023
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Albert Einstein said, “’The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” What he didn’t elaborate on is knowing when it’s time to change. In the business world, leaders are called upon to anticipate and address their continually changing environment for the benefit of their stakeholders. Those who do not heed the call to lead change as an ongoing process may jeopardize their business’s future. Every business operating model has a finite shelf life. Over time, as the operating environment changes, the business model loses effectiveness. What are the indicators that it’s time to refresh or redefine your business operating model today? Three ...
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Metal Treating Institute Hosts Summer Meeting in Niagara Falls

By Tom Morrison posted 08-03-2023
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The Metal Treating Institute was excited to host members from its Great Lakes, Atlantic Coast, and Canada Chapters in Niagara Falls on July 26 and 27. Members came together for peer networking and to participate in industry discussions on: · MTI’s Jobs of Tomorrow Workforce Development Initiative · How to Minimize Business Insurance Premiums Through Safety and Risk Management · How to Build Leaders Who Create a Vibrant Work Culture · How to Fill Worker Shortage with Process Flow Mapping Methodologies To view a photo highlight gallery of the Niagara Falls program, CLICK HERE . MTI 2023 President, ...
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MTI Jobs of Tomorrow Hits Funding Goal

By Tom Morrison posted 08-03-2023
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The Metal Treating Institute is excited to announce it has hit its funding goal to begin production on the Jobs of Tomorrow Workforce Development project. MTI had 23 companies commit to a total of $48,000 needed to jumpstart the project. The remaining $72,000 will be funded through a $30,000 grant from the MTI Educational Foundation and Furnaces North America 2024 Trade Show. With the labor shortage being the #1 pain point and obstacle to future growth of MTI Member companies, the Jobs of Tomorrow project is focused on helping attract the next generation of workers to the heat treating industry. Over the course of the next year, ...
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