Outlook for U.S. Trade

For the first time in five years, the U.S. trade agenda is taking on a new focus.  The shift comes after large bipartisan majorities in Congress approved the long-debated free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama on October 12, 2011, marking the successful culmination of a long fight by the U.S. Chamber and other supporters of the deals.  Click here for entire article.

American Machinist: Nordex Contracted to Build 35 New Wind Turbines

Nordex USA Inc. will be supplying a total of 35 wind turbines to be located in Iowa for RPM Access LLC, a wind farm developer and operator.  Click here for more.

Industry Week: Rockwell Automation CEO Talks Policy, Pipelines and Football

Rockwell Automation Inc. CEO Keith Nosbusch echoes a sentiment shared by many leaders of large multinational firms that U.S. manufacturers are overburdened with regulatory costs that put the nation's industry at a competitive disadvantage.  Click here for more.

Spirit Fitness Breaks Ground on New Building

Spirit Fitness, based in Jonesboro, Arkansas, is a well-respected manufacturer/distributor of home and light commercial fitness equipment.  Spirit Fitness has been in business for close to 30 years and markets products under Spirit Fitness, Esprit Fitness and Xterra Fitness to specialty retailers around the world. Click here for story and photo.

Regulations, Corporate Taxes 'Strangling' U.S. Manufacturing

 A forthcoming national manufacturing strategy developed by the Council on Competitiveness will urge Washington to address policies that 'are very unfriendly to 21st-century manufacturing in America,' council CEO says.  Click here for entire article.

Safety: Foundation for Continuous Improvement

World-class companies have adopted a safety-first approach that puts a healthy workforce at the top of all corporate objectives.  Click here for entire article.

Centers of Excellence Deliver Value

U.S. manufacturers like Alcoa, Greatbatch and GE have introduced 'centers of excellence' to improve competitiveness at home and around the globe.  The common elements of a manufacturer's center of excellence typically include a formalized structure; people and/or assets with expertise ande a focus around a specific process or product; a shared business goal; and a focus on developing and sharing best practices.  Click here for more.

Powerful Ideas for Business & Education Collaborations

It's a dilemma that confounds executive leadership to plant supervisors, human resource managers to team leaders: How can our job postings go unfilled yet the national unemployment rate is hovering around 9%?  Growing the right set of science, math and technical skills may be the answer.  Click here for entire article.