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 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:17:19 -0500 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:31:00 -0500 BlogCFC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Webmaster Webmaster http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/17/760-manufacturing-companies That number bounced around the blogosphere this week as CIT teeters on the brink of bankruptcy. CEO Jeff Peek told news outlets that 760 manufacturing companies could shut down if CIT collapses. And then comes the ripple effect, which is even scarier... [More] Industry Assistance Change Management Manufacturing Current Events Wages New Business Business Management Economy Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:31:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/17/760-manufacturing-companies http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/17/To-celebrate-or-not The U.S.s birthday has come and gone, and while most of us celebrated in the usual waya day off from work, a cookout, and some fireworkshow many of us took the time to reflect on our nations place in the world? At 233 years, the U.S. is an awfull... [More] Fourth of July Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:26:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/17/To-celebrate-or-not http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/16/Summer-bummer I got a vacation e-mail reply today from a gentleman in Sweden who said he would be gone "Week 29 to Week 31" and would only be checking e-mail on a weekly basis. I guess I'll just check back with him in Week 32? The whole concept of being away f... [More] Work Ethic Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:30:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/16/Summer-bummer http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/15/Fabricators-and-politics Yesterday's "Fabricating Update" lead item ruffled feathers, raised hackles, and had this editor ducking for cover as fabricators sounded off about comments from the Obama administration's recently released employment report. The item cited an art... [More] Article Feedback Skilled Labor Work Force Development Manufacturing Education Employment Current Events Economy Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:48:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/15/Fabricators-and-politics http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/10/Credit-crunch-not-going-away-soon I had a conversation a couple of months ago with a friend who is a manufacturing representative for several metal fabricating companies. The guy is sharp and runs the business as a one-man operation. He's busy and invests in software tools that help ... [More] Business Management Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:46:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/10/Credit-crunch-not-going-away-soon http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/9/Nowhere-to-hide Over the past 10 years or so, the big and growing fear among manufacturers has been the steady, unrelenting intrusion of globalization. One pundit described it as economic Darwinism, a nowhere-to-hide environment in which firms that are flexible, ada... [More] Economy Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:08:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/9/Nowhere-to-hide http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/7/A-recession-takes-no-prisoners It seems Paul Gordon of the Peoria Journal Star hit a chord last week. Two metal fabricators in Morton, Ill., southeast of Peoria, changed ownership on the same day: Friday, June 26. Morton Welding, previously owned by Michigan-based BHM Technolog... [More] Leadership Stamping Global Competition Change Management Manufacturing Employment Business Expansion Business Management Economy Fabricating Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:13:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/7/A-recession-takes-no-prisoners http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/2/Beware-the-business-books Got a note the other day that the FMA's Research Assistance Center acquired a new book that might be of interest. It's The 100 Best Business Books of All Time: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You by Jack Covert and Todd Satterst... [More] Business Management Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/2/Beware-the-business-books http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/1/How-green-is-a-green This blog post is rooted in a discussion my husband and I had yesterday regarding a news item I ran across about a 'green' race car that runs on vegetable oil and waste chocolate. I get vegetable oil, but where on earth does waste chocolate come from... [More] Automotive Industry Green Health and Safety Oil and Gas Industry Alternative Energy Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:46:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/7/1/How-green-is-a-green http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/29/Innovators-gumption-and-tenacity This country seems to be itching for the next big thing, those game-changing innovations that drag us out of our economic malaise. General Electric Co. CEO Jeffrey Immelt knows this, and it's why his company announced a $100 million investment in an ... [More] R&D New Business Business Management Economy Innovation Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:59:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/29/Innovators-gumption-and-tenacity http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/26/Maybe-they-like-Mr-Green-Jeans We are planning editorial for 2010 already around the offices of The FABRICATOR. We end up talking about trends, economic prospects, and requests from readers. Some of the ideas will emerge as features next year, and others will remain on the back bu... [More] Alternative Energy Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:37:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/26/Maybe-they-like-Mr-Green-Jeans http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/25/Whatever-happened-to-- News stories come and go. Todays topic of interest likely wont hold many readers attention tomorrow, so every day reporters pick up the hot topics and run with them after dropping any that are more than a few days old. Care to dust off a few a... [More] Current Events Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:48:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/25/Whatever-happened-to-- http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/23/Proud-to-build-the-building Oprah, I'm not. And I don't have a book club. But this morning, I read about a book in USA Today that I believe might appeal to thefabricator.com's visitors. In fact, I'm guessing many of you could have written it. I plan to read it; maybe you'll wan... [More] Article Feedback Skilled Labor Work Force Development Education Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:56:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/23/Proud-to-build-the-building http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/22/Of-popping-bubbles-and-economic-growth In the late 1990s I recall renting a VHS tape (remember those?) of a recently aired PBS series called "Triumph of the Nerds." It detailed the rise of the computer industry, from the garages of San Jose to the boardrooms of corporate America. It's ... [More] Manufacturing's Image Manufacturing Economy Fabricating Innovation Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:37:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/22/Of-popping-bubbles-and-economic-growth http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/18/Who-has-time-for-RD-You-do The R&D tax credit. Although its just a six-syllable phrase, it might strike more fear in the hearts of fabricators than any other phrase, including the shipment is late or the customer is demanding a refund. Heck, its probably worse than heari... [More] R&D Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:18:00 -0500 http://www.thefabricator.com/Fabricator-Blog/blog/client/index.cfm/2009/6/18/Who-has-time-for-RD-You-do