January 2014

1/31/2014 - THE CENTER
Unless you’ve been without power for the last 24 hours, and with this polar vortex that’s entirely possible, you know that President Obama delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday night. And, if you’ve read the transcript or watched it live, you know that there were multiple references to Michigan, including the highlight of Andra Rush’s Detroit Manufacturing Systems story of putting people back to work and of newly appointed GM CEO, Mary Barra, breaking the glass ceiling.

1/24/2014 - THE CENTER
The wheels of progress and change often move slowly, and never more so than in a bureaucracy. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) representing a major shift in food safety, probably the biggest in the last 70 years, was signed into law early in 2011. Today, in early 2014, many aspects of the FSMA are still being discussed by the Food and Drug Administration and Congress.

1/17/2014 - THE CENTER
In today’s technology-based economy, having a strong online presence is very important. Think of it from a practicality standpoint– you’re online all the time. Whether you’re in front of your computer or gazing at your smartphone, the Internet is always at your fingertips. Fun experiment – count how many times you Google something every day!

1/3/2014 - THE CENTER
Our industry is gaining some great momentum, providing new opportunities for businesses to develop and grow. The Institute for Supply Management’s monthly PMI index is widely regarded as the key economic indictor for growth in our field and the last reading for 2013 was 57%. Readings over 50% indicate industry expansion, so this was a great reading.