Archive: Oct 2016

The American Manufacturing Industry and Manufacturing Day

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The manufacturing industry is very important to the American economy.  It is a provider of jobs and goods that the country needs.  In recent years there has been a push to promote the importance of manufacturing and make sure that the youth of America know that it is a viable career option.  This first led to the creation of Manufacturing Day, which is held on the first Friday of October, which has then grown to celebrating the manufacturing industry all throughout the month of October!

Made in AMERICA

The goal of Manufacturing Day is to celebrate the modern manufacturing industry, and inspire the next generation of manufacturers.  Throughout the country events are held at manufacturing facilities where student groups and the public can come in and tour the facility.  On these tours they will get to see first-hand the manufacturing process in action, and learn more about what it takes to make a career in the manufacturing industry.  With there being a high demand for skilled workers in the manufacturing industry, these events help to show students the future jobs that are available to them.  With the population getting older, and more people retiring, it is important that these manufacturing jobs are filled with qualified candidates.  Manufacturing Day is one way to bring exposure to the availability of these jobs.

At Universal Polymer we are strong supporters of the manufacturing industry in the United States.  Based out of Middlefield, Ohio we manufacture rubber molded parts, rubber extruded parts, and plastic extruded parts.  Our products such as the GOLDLINE and SILVERLINE tarp straps are American made and used throughout the trucking industry.   Since our beginning in 1970, we have been committed to providing first-rate service, timely service, and quality every time.  For more information about our products and services, please contact us.

Mixed Signals in US Manufacturing

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Since the recession years of the late 2000s, the manufacturing industry in the US has been working to rebound.  In 2016, there are mixed signals and confusion over how the manufacturing industry is doing.  Articles and reports are coming out on a regular basis, talking about how this specific market is up, while another is down and even others that are staying flat.  Many of the stories seem to be written with a positive spin to show only positive numbers, looking for anyway to portray that manufacturing is as strong as it’s been in years.  At Universal Polymer we work with customers in a number of markets, and have seen firsthand the differences in the health of these markets.

Economic Uncertainty

A recent report from the Federal Reserve said that factory production dropped 0.4 percent in August, after an increase of 0.4 percent in July.  From a year ago factory output is also down 0.4 percent.  This after multiple reports showing strong gains in June and July this year that seemed to signal that the manufacturing industry was beginning to turn a corner.  Industrial output which includes areas like mines and utilities also dropped 0.4 percent.  U.S utility output fell 1.4 percent in August after 2 consecutive months of strong gains that reflected the seasonal use of air conditioning during the hot summer weather.  Mining production actually rose 1 percent, and is on a trend of increases after a long period of declines, but yet is still 9.3 percent lower than a year ago.

All of the numbers that come out in these reports seem to show that overall the industry is staying flat.  Headlines saying that manufacturing output stumbled or is slumping are using the most minimal changes in output to determine that.  Reporting every month does not give a truly accurate picture of the trends that are occurring in manufacturing if the difference is only 0.4 percent.  In a previous blog this year we explored how auto sales have been reported to be growing at the fastest pace since 2000 this year, while production numbers have been low and manufacturers have been facing scandals.  This is just another example of the mixed signals over the overall health of the auto industry, which may be considered strong or weak depending on the report you read that week.

At Universal Polymer we work with many different markets and industries and see the challenges that each is facing in today’s economy.  We work with our customers to find solutions to their rubber and plastic extrusions and rubber molding needs and are the only manufacturer of the world famous Gold Line Tarp Straps.  In an industry where the health and outlook seems to change every month, we are consistent in our desire to tackle new challenges and provide answers to our customer’s questions.