http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm The fabricator blog publishes commentary (containing links to more information) about timely topics of interest to the metal manufacturing community from editors of The FABRICATOR®, its sister publications, and thefabricator.com. Other recent blog topics include health care costs, skilled labor, education, the automotive supplier outlook, layoffs, and recaps of recent industry events. Check out the blog, read the commentary, and share your thoughts about these important topics. Add The Fabricator Blog to your news aggregator, and you'll see our editors' latest musings as they're posted. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:13:46 -0600 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:36:00 -0600 BlogCFC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/11/No-layoffs-except-for-Congress Yes, Tim, it truly is about jobs. Congress can debate health care reform, bail out banks, extend unemployment benefits, work to develop a climate bill, increase the legislative budget, and do whatever else it does until the cows come home, but we nee... [More] Article Feedback Skilled Labor Employment Wages Business Management Economy Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:36:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/11/No-layoffs-except-for-Congress http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/10/Its-about-jobs It's now one in 10, probably more. Take a walk and glance around. You'll probably see someone in need of a job. Within two blocks of my house, I know four who are unemployed—and those are just the neighbors I know. The Labor Departmen... [More] Manufacturing Employment Business Management Economy Fabricating Innovation Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:43:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/10/Its-about-jobs http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/6/Lean-adventures-continue I think I recently experienced one of those "Ah-ha!" moments that metal fabricators undertaking lean initiatives have pretty frequently. I was attending a meeting where the subject was improving communication between our ad sales team and our mag... [More] Manufacturing Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:14:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/6/Lean-adventures-continue http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/5/How-can-a-homebuyers-tax-credit-hurt-you If you agree that the government should get involved more or less directly in running the economy, you probably agree that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is a pretty good idea. All told, it provides more than $500 billion in spend... Economy Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:58:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/5/How-can-a-homebuyers-tax-credit-hurt-you http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/4/A-mostfitting-memorial-to-911 It's been eight years since the 9/11 attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and killed almost 3,000 innocent prople— enough time for two presidential elections; U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq; the fall of a dictatorshi... [More] Steel Current Events Fabricating History Recycling Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/4/A-mostfitting-memorial-to-911 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/3/The-economy-It-could-be-worse The status of Cummins perhaps best sums up the manufacturing economy at large. We may be on the rebound, but all of the unemployed aren't heading back to work tomorrow. Last week the engine maker reported third quarter profits that exceeded expect... [More] Skilled Labor Work Force Development Manufacturing Employment Business Expansion Economy Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:23:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/11/3/The-economy-It-could-be-worse http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/30/RIP-Highvolume-metal-manufacturing-in-the-US On the day that everyone was rejoicing about the GDP growth in the third quarter of this year, I'm still thinking about an announcement that Swedish appliance giant Electrolux made earlier this week. Somehow, that doesn't strike me as being great new... [More] Global Competition Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:12:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/30/RIP-Highvolume-metal-manufacturing-in-the-US http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/29/How-can-a-homebuyers-tax-credit-help-you Whether it's a good idea or a bad one is a matter of perspective. It's a tax credit related to a mortgage, and it can put up to $8,000 into the pocket of first-time home buyers. A quick look at housing start permits reveals the sad state of the ... Construction Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:01:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/29/How-can-a-homebuyers-tax-credit-help-you http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/28/Lack-of-help-for-small-business-is-obscene Fox News—most people either love it or hate it. I'm indifferent about it, preferring to look at it as I do most media: Take what I hear with a grain of salt and watch out for bias. Just yesterday, host Greta Van Susteren chatted with David C... [More] Manufacturing's Image Industry Assistance Article Feedback Economy Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:53:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/28/Lack-of-help-for-small-business-is-obscene http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/27/Reworking-a-codependent-relationship Did you hear? The automotive biz is rockin' and rollin'. General Motors—that's right, the same GM that trudged to bankruptcy court earlier this year—reported 2009 growth of 40 percent. Heck, the industry overall reported 90 percent growth... [More] Global Competition Automotive Industry Manufacturing Outsourcing China Economy Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:33:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/27/Reworking-a-codependent-relationship http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/22/A-big-slice-of-humble-pie I was wrong. I said it. I admit it. Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong. Totally wrong. No two ways about it. Wrong. GM filed for bankruptcy June 1, and nearly every editor, reporter, and blogger seemed to want to jump on the bandwagon and jump all over GM... Automotive Industry Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:08:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/22/A-big-slice-of-humble-pie http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/21/Its-all-bad-No-it-isnt Yesterday evening, I sat in a Jiffy Lube waiting room while my car was undergoing an emissions test—a requirement for tag renewal. A small, very old-school, rabbit-eared TV tuned to a local news station stood in the corner. As I attempted to wi... [More] Change Management Manufacturing Employment Wages Economy Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:39:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/21/Its-all-bad-No-it-isnt http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/20/Shh--Manufacturing-is-looking-better Psssst. Hey & down here. Im the headline about 20 column inches below the story about Balloon Boy. Keep looking down. Down. Just below that expose about Polanski. See me? Good. Don't tell anyone, but manufacturing's getting a bit better. In fact, ma... [More] Industry Assistance Automotive Industry Manufacturing Employment Current Events China Economy Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:13:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/20/Shh--Manufacturing-is-looking-better http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/15/Keeping-manufacturing-competitive The perspective was unique, but the advice was familiar: Innovation is the key to remaining competitive on the world stage. That was the message manufacturing experts with deep knowledge of the global marketplace sent to attendees at the Competiti... [More] Global Competition Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:49:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/15/Keeping-manufacturing-competitive http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/14/Retirement-Maybe-maybe-not I love online polls, especially those that allow takers to comment. There's a certain feeling of anonymity when you are sitting all alone in front of your computer screen that tends to make many of us more open when voicing our opinions through our k... [More] Article Feedback Employment Internet Economy Work Stress Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:58:00 -0600 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/10/14/Retirement-Maybe-maybe-not