Posted By Industrial Web Solutions Marketing Team on December 10, 2009

A couple of days ago a colleague passed on to me this very positive article by Associated Press writer Mike Baker, Manufacturing areas lead surprising comeback in jobs, and I just had to share it with you.

Mr. Baker states that “Counties with the heaviest reliance on manufacturing income are posting some of the biggest employment gains of the nation’s early economic recovery.” The article goes on to tell the story of a local Conover, NC medical furniture manufacturer who experienced a 10% growth in sales this year and has had to hire a half-dozen more people. An RV-manufacturer in Middlebury, IN, who was forced to lay off some 200 workers, has now hired them back and is playing catch up to the recent growth in sales that has left his inventories at an all-time low. Some companies are learning they may have cut too many jobs initially and are now increasing their labor force again.

In a blog post I made not too long ago, How Manufacturing Can Get Ready for 2010, I quoted from the Innovation Report the concept of “innovation as an iterative process.” I elaborated on that point to say everything is an on-going process subject to refinement and renewal. Well the manufacturing community, unlike some other business communities, has demonstrated a willingness to “refine and renew” in order to survive and grow. Baker points out that some of the furniture manufacturers were able to turn things around by refocusing “on specialties – such as high-end upholstery or quick turnarounds on custom furniture.”

Times are different. Good times will come again but it truly depends on your willingness to be honest about the way you do things. Cutting your workforce by too much may prove to hurt your business in the long run. Maybe you would benefit from the knowledge of an objective professional who can help you to “refine and renew” in ways you may not have thought of. Your experiences are confined to your business and the way in which you have done things. A professional consultant offers you vast knowledge and experience across many industries and businesses.

Fresh thinking and new ideas give you more ways to expand your growth potential. And with growth you are able to provide more jobs, contribute to economic growth, and provide more opportunities for families to have a happy new year. You are very important. I have always regarded the manufacturing industry as a major force in this country. Call me sentimental but when ordinary people get to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay I feel good. Things are definitely looking up!

Categories: industrial marketing
Tags: industrial marketing, manufacturing