Manufacture Smarter Blog

4/11/2014 - THE CENTER
Engaged Employees, Human Capital, Invested Workforce, Holy Grail? That’s what you’d believe if you read the headlines. Finding and keeping employees actively engaged and connected to your business vision is becoming harder to find than the proverbial needle in the haystack.

3/21/2014 - THE CENTER
As many U.S. manufacturers are aware, outsourcing continues to be a hotly debated topic. It was particularly a major issue in the 2000s when outsourcing became popular. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that major corporations eliminated about 2.9 million U.S. positions in the 2000s while adding 2.4 million jobs overseas.

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.

12/6/2013 - THE CENTER
Every year around this time, you probably see messages from the media and pundits about shopping and buying from local businesses. And that message is correct – it’s important to purchase from local organizations during the holiday season. It’s a great boost to the local economy.

7/5/2013 - THE CENTER
​Yesterday, we celebrated one of the best holidays in our country… the Fourth of July! We stuffed our faces with burgers and macaroni salad, played some horseshoes and joined with our family and friends to celebrate all the things that make the U.S so great!

3/29/2013 - THE CENTER
​Family-owned businesses are a hot topic in our offices right now. A conservative estimate of 22,800,000 (or 95% of the 24 million small businesses in the U.S. today) are family-owned and they provide employment for at least 60% of all workforce. According to the Small Business Administration, Family-owned businesses are also responsible for 78% of all new jobs created. That’s a chunk of workforce. And

3/8/2013 - THE CENTER
We’ve been hearing a lot lately about how American manufacturing is making a comeback. Last year was particularly hailed as a “manufacturing renaissance,” as the sector led the way for economic improvement and consistently racked up positive industry stats. Manufacturing has been roaring back… but will it continue on this path?

1/25/2013 - THE CENTER
Recently our Federal Sponsor, NIST MEP, posted an article called Challenging Times. In it, Ken Voytek shared some data gleaned from clients surveyed across the MEP network. As part of the survey and to help inform MEP new products and services, clients are asked to identify the top 3 challenges their companies face over the next three years.

12/21/2012 - THE CENTER
2012 has been a pivotal year for our country's manufacturing sector. A sector which is integral part of any sustained economic recovery. We’ve seen a renewed focus from media, legislators and the general public to sustain and assist the industry.

10/22/2012 - THE CENTER
In an era of global competition, smaller manufacturers face challenges above and beyond the challenges that larger, more established companies face. By definition, small manufacturers are companies making less than $10 million in revenue annually. Based on numbers from the latest Michigan County Business Patterns, roughly 92.28% of Michigan’s SMMs or 11,423 of Michigan’s 12,378 manufacturing establishments meet this criterion.