Category: US Economy

The solution to the economy? Be more like metalworking machinery

It’s impossible to turn on the TV, pick up the paper or go online without seeing some news story about the deteriorating US economy or the vanishing middle class. This is, however, far from the truth. At C. Marshall Fabrication Machinery Inc., we know the manufacturing industry and the middle class is as strong as ever. We’re just going through a brief period of change.

Last month, President Obama gave a speech in Galesburg, Illinois. He declared, “What we need isn’t a three-month plan, or even a three-year plan, but a long-term American strategy, based on steady, persistent effort, to reverse the forces that have conspired against the middle class for decades.”

Yes, we must make the middle class stronger. The way to accomplish this is to prop up the manufacturing industry once again. You see, America rose to prominence through manufacturing. It was the backbone of the American economy. Not only did manufacturing help citizens become part of the middle class, it helped put their children through college. Millions of those jobs have vanished, leaving a gigantic hole in America’s heart. Are we broken? Not quite.

In the article, “Obama’s Speech Is a Confession of Impotence,” Megan McArdle of Bloomberg writes,

The problem in America is not that we suddenly lost our manufacturing mojo. In fact, we’re still very good at it. […]But our manufacturing employment is down by one-third, because production is highly automated in most industries. Even small metalworking operations now use computer-aided design and robots as much as they do grizzled machinists.

The manufacturing industry is far from impotent. Although McArdle asks, “Are machinists vanishing?” we must not take it to heart. Again, we’re just going through a period of change. When all is said and done, we’re still strong! Computers and robots will never be able to replace the human heart.

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Henry Ford once said, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” Hmm…

An uplifting quote of perseverance, wouldn’t you say? Nowadays, it seems like everything is going against the economy. It feels stuck, whether it is due to falling wages, the disappearance of the middle class, an overabundance of McJobs, etc. This is, for lack of a better word, depressing. Ford’s quote reminds us that we always have a backbone. We must use it, because we’re always taking off against the wind.

In a way, we must be more like metalworking machinery. Imagine modeling our lives after these beautiful pieces of machinery…like the plate roll. We must be fully hydraulic and heavy-duty, with no need for proprietary replacement parts. Or we can be like angle rolls, hydraulic motors attached directly to each of our planetary drives, eliminating loss of torque. What do you think?

At C Marshall Fabrication Machinery, Inc., we know the manufacturing industry and the middle class is as strong as ever. We’re just going through a brief period of change. After all, we have over 30 years of experience and know what we’re talking about! The metal fabrication industry helps pump America’s blood. We will help you find the right machine!

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-24/obama-s-speech-is-a-confession-of-impotence.html

America’s strong manufacturing presence

All over the country, manufacturing firms are rebounding since the most recent economic struggles in the late 2000s. Manufacturing is seen as a great source of jobs in this country, even though the sector has lost about 2.5 million employees over the past decade. Still, there are signs that in some significant states, these industries are experiencing a major comeback.

Between 2009 and 2011, Michigan reported the highest rate of new job growth in manufacturing industries of any state. This has huge implications for the auto industry, as each of the Big 3 American automakers are headquartered there. Manufacturing accounted for 16.3 percent of that state’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011, according to this USA Today article. About 5 percent of that total came from the automobile industry.

In Indiana, strong gains in manufacturing have greatly increased hopes for the economy of that state. Manufacturing made up a massive 28.2 percent of Indiana’s entire economy in 2011, and has been bolstered by recent expansions into the state from global corporations like Honda. The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is another large presence in the state and is a big reason why chemical manufacturing made up 7 percent of Indiana’s total GDP.

States that already have a strong manufacturing presence are continuing to make gains. With $88.25 billion in manufacturing output in 2011, North Carolina had the fourth-best manufacturing economy in the country. Chemical manufacturing was responsible for most of this, but food, tobacco and beverage production also made up significant portions of that state’s economy.

The past few decades have been trying times for the American economy, especially when it comes to factory jobs. As we adapt and move forward in a new, globally-connected world, manufacturing can again be the creator of viable jobs across the country. When companies are ready, C Marshall Fabrication Machinery, Inc. will be sure to standby with all of the equipment they’ll need to get ahead.