IndustryWeek Forums http://forums.industryweek.com These are the Weblogs, discussion boards and forums for IndustryWeek -- Leadership in Manufacturing en Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:51:05 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forums.industryweek.com/IWImages/misc/rss.jpg IndustryWeek Forums http://forums.industryweek.com Upcoming Online Training on Value Stream Mapping http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/IznHjagOjSE/showthread.php Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:39:31 GMT If you can't make the live event, your registration also allows one year of access to the archived event.

http://www.industryweek.com/webcasts...luestream.aspx


Online Training Program: "I've Completed My Value Stream Map...Now What?"
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sponsored by IndustryWeek, in partnership with BMGI

Times are tough, but if you want to make progress on Lean, you need to train your team! Send your team to IndustryWeek's 4-hour online training on value stream assessment.

Value stream mapping is an important tool for process improvement. But drawing data boxes, flow lines and kaizen bursts is easy, compared to the difficult task of actually implementing your value stream map. By attending this training, your team will learn how to create a workable improvement plan from start to finish. Led by certified Lean master Wes Waldo, this online training is an easy, affordable way to boost your Lean performance. ]]> News and Announcements Frank Chloupek http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9451 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9451 Cool Thing Of The Day: The iPhone Remote-Controlled (Real) Car http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/xVAi1IHXYcU/showthread.php Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:05:08 GMT Using a set of video cameras, lasers, sensors, a wifi network and a "drive by wire" system, an engineer at the Free University in Berlin has equipped a Dodge minivan with an iPhone remote control application called iDriver that looks like it actually works pretty well. (Warning: German-level bad music.)

]]> MFG 2.0 Brad Kenney http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9401 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9401 <![CDATA[Even Toyota's Paint Booths Are Energy Efficient]]> http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/a-AKe6swYRA/showthread.php Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:27:15 GMT In its continual search for ways to reduce energy, Toyota's paint booths are targets. The company used the continuous improvement process they created years ago - the kaizen-- to demonstrate a 25% reduction in energy costs in their paint booths at a plant in the UK. This translated into a 4% saving of the site's total energy consumption.

And if that's not enough, the ROI will come about in less than two years.

The company partnered with Honeywell which was able to optimize the plants' air supply units and deliver greater energy-efficient temperature and humidity control within the paint finishing spray booths.

By 2010 Toyota will use this solution in three of its European assembly plants.

Honeywell says Toyota is leading the charge and that these plants are the 'first application of its type anywhere in the world.'

Energy efficiency is a key strategy throughout Toyota. Earlier this year, the US EPA awarded Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA), with a 2009 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency and management.

Energy improvements at TEMA's manufacturing facilities include:

· Reducing total energy use by 27% per vehicle produced since FY2002

· Reducing water usage by 65 million gallons annually, the equivalent of 3,000 homes

· Reducing CO2 emissions by 750 metric tons, the equivalent of 54 homes by installing high pressure water systems in the Paint Shop.

Eight of TEMA's U.S. manufacturing plants have earned Energy Star Plant Awards. Energy improvements at these facilities have saved more than $600,000 annually and reduced CO2 emission by almost 12,000 metric tons. ]]> Manufacturing Savvy Adrienne Selko http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9391 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9391 Choosing Manual Labor over Automation http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/JPJX9gxdsX0/showthread.php Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:41:10 GMT I guess that's not the greatest title for my comment but it was the recent article about Katadyn that caught my eye.

It shows that there is more than one option when it comes to being able to compete on a global playing field. I realize that their products are probably specialized and not sold into an intensely cost competitve market but it should be a model that similar businesses could adopt.

Also think a minute about why how cost competitive markets arise. It's because we as a nation, knowingly or otherwise have chosen them. We tend to value cost over quality but where does that lead? To reduce costs means ever improving productivity which through three possible routes leads to fewer jobs in the nations manufacturing sector. Fewer jobs in manufacturing means that more jobs have to be created in non-cash generating sectors or unemployment rises. The amount of profit from manufacturing has to be able to pay for this or one or both of two things happen.

1) We have to rely on bogus, unsustainable sources of income such as trading in obscure derivatives and/or
2) We have to borrow money.

I know some will say that we can sell services but they are also a cost driven product (where's the person that answers when you call the help line?).

As Karl Marx observed in 1867 : 'Owners of Capital will stimulate the working class to buy more and more expensive goods, houses and technology, until their debt becomes unbearable. The unpaid debt will lead to bankruptcy of banks, which will have to be nationalised, and State will have to take the road that will eventually lead to communism'.

Sound familiar. Maybe it's time to seek a middle path (I'm no advocate of either communism or the free market. It's clear they are a Yin and Yang but that's a whole different thread). Maybe Katadyn have opened a crack in the door that might shed light on what a new way could be.

Rog ]]> Reader Talk-Back Rog http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9381 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9381 Twitter And Kaizen http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/OU2BTiGg6YI/showthread.php Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:47:32 GMT Guest blogger Valeria Maltoni has a post over at the Pistachio Consulting blog about how blogging has helped her "to practice kaizen, the art of continuous improvement for writing, ideas, and community-building."

According to Maltoni:
Beyond the obvious ability to have a fast dialogue or point of access with customers, they can learn to understand what to listen for, to help guide and connect people to resources, and connect to what’s next for ideas, trends, and executions.
She also makes the point that "Continuous practice of sharing and community building yields productivity improvements."

It does make a sort of sense -- the idea of an engaged community around a process, continually interacting, all empowered to pull the cord and stop the show. After all, isn't kaizen a way of crowdsourcing accountability?

Another interesting observation:

"One interesting application of the microsharing idea . . . is the polishing and improvement of stories by clustering – adding additional data points and resources from the network."

Although it still seems a tenuous connection (and although some might argue that Twitter is by its very nature a waste of time), between her points about continuously improving customer service, and improving internal storytelling and knowledge sharing (which can help in teambuilding, knowledge retention and collaboration) it seems like with a little continuous improvement of the #kaizenblog idea, Maltoni et al might really be onto something. ]]> MFG 2.0 Brad Kenney http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9361 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9361 <![CDATA[Why Lean Doesn't Work]]> http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/ymXdEz-L74I/showthread.php Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:47:51 GMT Just to be clear, I am a huge fan of lean. I am a huge fan of Toyota and have seen some great results from projects over the years. Lately it seems, though, that lean in the United States and Europe is turning into just another overused, misunderstood concept that everybody does but few actually... Just to be clear, I am a huge fan of lean. I am a huge fan of Toyota and have seen some great results from projects over the years. Lately it seems, though, that lean in the United States and Europe is turning into just another overused, misunderstood concept that everybody does but few actually do well.

Read more at http://corporatedeathspiral.blogspot.com ]]> Manufacturing Talk GStocker http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9351 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9351 Considering carbon emissions in supply chain decisions http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/GI2TTDxzzLo/showthread.php Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:26:25 GMT Kinaxis has just published its latest white paper: “PROVIDING CARBON FOOTPRINT VISIBILITY AND PLANNING CAPABILITIES ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN : WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT, AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IT” (http://info.kinaxis.com/content/providing_carbon_footprint) Carbon is challenging business in many... Kinaxis has just published its latest white paper: “PROVIDING CARBON FOOTPRINT VISIBILITY AND PLANNING CAPABILITIES ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN : WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT, AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IT”

Carbon is challenging business in many ways and companies will continue to be pressured to better manage their carbon emissions. Companies that get ahead of the curve will be rewarded by investors and consumers alike. Companies that lag the curve run the risk of losing investor confidence, consumer trust, and falling behind in product development.

It is estimated that between 40 and 60 percent of manufacturers’ carbon emissions reside in their supply chains. As such, new supply chain visibility and planning tools need to be adopted in order to be able to consider carbon emissions as an additional factor in the decision making process.

This paper provides a brief exploration of the current carbon landscape and will outline the attributes of an ideal supply chain carbon management application.

John Nafis is a business consultant for Kinaxis, provider of the on-demand RapidResponse service that empowers multi-enterprise manufacturers with collaborative and integrated demand-supply planning, monitoring, and response capabilities. ]]> 21st Century Supply Chain Lori Smith http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9341 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9341 Are you on the hook to deliver an SCM software implementation? http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/x7c9SBFaHCs/showthread.php Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:52:23 GMT Having spent many years selling and delivering services for a major ERP vendor, I can say with experience that just implementing a module (or suite) just because it comes as part of your ERP solution doesn’t always make sense. The ERP vendors are always selling the “vision” of single vendor... Having spent many years selling and delivering services for a major ERP vendor, I can say with experience that just implementing a module (or suite) just because it comes as part of your ERP solution doesn’t always make sense. The ERP vendors are always selling the “vision” of single vendor accountability to an organization and if you buy into that then it comes naturally just to implement all the software from that vendor. Generally speaking, this is not usually a problem if you are performing basic functionality such as Human Capital Management (HCM) or Financial Management, but where the breakdown occurs is when implementing software that is associated with the company’s strategic direction and competitive differentiation such as Manufacturing and/or Supply Chain Management (SCM) software.

During my tenure implementing the true ERP suite vision (everything included; HCM, Financials, SCM, Mfg, CRM, etc.) for a company, the company would always struggle during the SCM and manufacturing part of the project. This was generally because every manufacturer runs their company differently in order to maintain a competitive advantage and trying to fit a one size fits all product into a company doesn’t work. In addition, the ERP vendors would sell the company on a single platform for integration, and many times some of the SCM products were really acquired products that are more like bolt ons and the integration doesn’t necessarily exist. So, not only is there generally more work to integrate the product, but the functionality may not exist that the customer requires for their business. These were difficult customer situations to manage.

I believe that customers should really do a thorough vendor selection when looking to procure SCM or manufacturing software, and I don’t think I am alone in this belief. In an ErpPandit.com article entitled “Basic ERP Features” the author gives a primer on comparing mid-market ERP providers and when discussing SCM module states “Of all the ERP modules, SCM has the greatest variability between vendors: It is vast and varied, yet often adapted to the needs of specific industries.” If that is true (which I believe) then how can a company not do their due diligence when selecting software? Certainly you don’t want to be a food and beverage manufacturer and implement a product which is designed for the high tech industry.

This of course doesn’t mean that the SCM software from your ERP vendor won’t work for you, all I am suggesting is that it is worth the time to look at alternatives. Companies should not fall into the trap in assuming that just because the SCM software was part of an ERP solution that fits your company that the SCM software either works for your unique business or is tightly integrated into the back office ERP functions.

There is another post on the Adexa blog entitled “Cost of ERP vs. Best-of-Breed Supply Chain Planning Systems” which also does a nice job educating the reader as to what to consider when performing a software evaluation data integration, planning analytics and configuration cost. There is now a lot of evidence out there of failed SCM implementations and I personally don’t want to have to be on the hook to deliver an SCM software implementation for a company where the software doesn’t match the requirements.

Monique Rupert is vice president, professional services for Kinaxis, provider of the on-demand RapidResponse service that empowers multi-enterprise manufacturers with collaborative and integrated demand-supply planning, monitoring, and response capabilities. ]]> 21st Century Supply Chain Lori Smith http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9321 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9321 Union Rejects Ford Concessions Deal http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/muUqyYaSRfE/showthread.php Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:48:33 GMT Good morning, I saw this headline this morning and became a little disgusted. I think it is time for the UAW to go the way of the dinosaur. With the help of the UAW, we have decimated American Automobile manufacturing in this country. American Auto companies cannot compete against other... Good morning,
I saw this headline this morning and became a little disgusted. I think it is time for the UAW to go the way of the dinosaur. With the help of the UAW, we have decimated American Automobile manufacturing in this country. American Auto companies cannot compete against other brands with their legacy costs and inefficient labor practices.
American workers do not need a labor union that is self-serving and destructive. Labor Unions tie the hands of the companies they are suppose to serve. It is no wonder the Japanese brands are kicking our butts. How many union stewards do those companies have to deal with in order to build their cars. Unions create inefficient lumbering giants that cannot produce and eventually die. How many more people in this country have to lose their jobs? Do we need another example of Chrysler or GM?

Thank you ]]> Labor Issues mikebsit http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9311 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9311 invitation for International Concept Car Design Contest http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/-Cg8xVp-3eU/showthread.php Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:21:45 GMT :)Hello, Ladies, gentlemen:
First of all, please accept our sincere greetings form Beijing, China.

We are the Organizing Committee of The First “Science & Future” International Concept Car Design Contest. We hope to invite you or your friends to attend this gala.
This contest is jointly hosted by The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA）and FOTON, is the most authoritative and has the most international influence in the mainland by far.

The jury is composed of famous experts from all over the world, including: Fabrizio Giugiaro, Vice-president and Director of Design Center of international top auto design unit Italdesign-Giugiaro; Carlos Hinrichsen, President of International Council Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid); Orazio Fusetti Daldosso, Executive Advisor on Design and Technology of Italy TESCO Auto Design Corporation; Umberto Palermo, Chief Designer of I.de.A Design Institute; Liu Guanzhong, Chief Designer of Systematic Design Office of Department of Industrial Design, Academy of Art & Design, Tsinghua University, Chief Responsible Professor of Academy of Art & Design, Vice-director of China Industrial Design Association;Wu Xuebin, Chief Designer of FOTON and President of China Automotive Engineering Research Institute, etc.

This contest is endorsed by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid). All the certificates will bear a logo of Icid. The Organizing Committee will strictly adhere to the rules in executing the contest to provide a fair and professional competition environment for contestants both home and abroad.

The contest has one Great Award, 12 Single Awards and 20 Nominee Awards. The winner can be awarded USD 10 thousand in cash, at the same time, he will win the chance of displaying the entry model in “2010 11th Beijing International Auto Exhibition”.

The car sales volume in Chinese markets has been among the top ones in the world and Chinese own brand has witnessed rapid development. The contest is held in the hope that Chinese car designs can be understood by the world, Chinese car industry can learn from the world first ranking concept and technologies in car design and also, the world potential car designers can be known by the Chinese market.

This contest has been widely by and participated by many renowned colleges, car design institutions and enthusiasts. It is undoubtedly a great gala in the auto design field of China and the world in terms of organization, scale and social concern.

We are great delighted and honored at your participation. We firmly believe that participation in this contest will be a wonderful experience and memory.

Best wishes!

Organizing Committee of The First “Science & Future” International Concept Car Design Contest

Please log on the website for more information about the contest.
www.science-future.com.cn
The time for overseas registration has been prolonged to 17:30 pm, November 30th, 2009. (Beijing Time) ]]> Non-manufacturing Topics science-future http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9301 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9301 <![CDATA[The First “Science & Future” International Concept Car Design Contest]]> http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/dRTIOWMly-U/showthread.php Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:15:51 GMT The First “Science & Future” International Concept Car Design Contest

Jury: World Design Masters
Endorsement: International Authority
Top award: Ten thousand dollars
Opportunity to display the works: 2010 Beijing International Auto Show

[Website]
www.science-future.com.cn

[Organization]
Organizers: FOTON & The Industrial Designers Society of America(IDSA)
Endorsement: The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design(Icsid)

[Awards]
The Great Award: 1
The winner can be awarded USD 10 thousand in cash, at the same time, he will win the change of displaying the entry model in 2010 11th Beijing International Auto Exhibition.

Single Awards: 12
Best Advanced Technology Award
Best Creative Future Award
Best Harmonious Beauty Award
Most Popular Award
Best Organization Award
Note:
the winners of the three Gold Awards will also have the change to display their models in 2010 11th Beijing International Auto Exhibition.
Gold Award: USD 2,000
Silver Award: USD 1, 500
Bronze Award: USD 800

Award for Nomination: 20
The winners of Nominee Awards can get the Award Certificates signed by international top auto designer personally and Trophies.

[Members of Evaluation Committee and introduction]
Fabrizio Giugiaro (Italian): Vice President and Styling Director of Italdesig Giugiaro S.p.A..
Carlos Hinrichsen (Chile): President of International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), industrial designer
Orazio Fusetti Daldosso (Italian): Design & Technical Executive Advisor of Italian TESCO Auto Design Company
Umberto Palermo (Italian): Chief Designer of IDEA
Wu Xuebin (American): Chief Designer and President of Automotive Engineering Research Institute of FOTON

[Theme of the Design—“Science & Future”]
The entries should display both technology integrating knowledge and innovation and future driven by the needs of human instinct, and finally taking the advanced technology and future as concept, create a harmonious future of “human .car. life”.

Design Background:
In the next 5 to 20 years, what kinds of change will be happened about “human.car.life”? Facing the future, all of us have a common dream: mutual harmony of “human, car, nature and future”.

Design Target:
Please design a car for the “QUICK” group (people who are between 20 to 28 years old and just step into the society) to meet their inner demands against the background of future.

[Contest Process]
The first phase Campus road performance and entry register: from Sep. 1 to Nov. 30, 2009

The second phase Preliminary entries submission: from Dec. 1 to 20, 2009

The third phase First assessment; From Jan. 4 to 12, 2010

The fourth phase Finals: from Jan. 15 to the end of Jan, 2009.

The fifth phase E-TEST network test: from Mar. 1 to Apr. 10, 2009.

The sixth phase Car mode submission: from April 1 to 10, 2010

The seventh phase Award ceremony and exhibition: from April 23 to May 2, 2010 ]]> Non-manufacturing Topics science-future http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9291 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9291 International Cultural News from CultureWizard Digest http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/BfU__Upv4Lw/showthread.php Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:48:31 GMT A compendium of current news and headlines with commentary providing unique cultural insight into global affairs, business and daily life around the world. *Click here to read* (http://rw-3.com/CWD/Issue19.htm) the latest issue of the CultureWizard Digest from RW3 CultureWizard. A compendium of current news and headlines with commentary providing unique cultural insight into global affairs, business and daily life around the world. Click here to read the latest issue of the CultureWizard Digest from RW3 CultureWizard. ]]> Sdubberke http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9261 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9261 Is the supply chain finally being recognized as a strategic capability of a company? http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/WTcW4cRhZjo/showthread.php Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:57:50 GMT Supply chains are getting good business press lately. On a daily basis, I come across quotes like the one in a recent BusinessWeek article stating, “The ones [companies] that manage supply chains best will come out ahead as the recession eases.” Is the supply chain finally being recognized by the mainstream as a strategic capability of a company, rather than merely a function to execute? And is there agreement that it’s not just a cost center, it can be a revenue generator too?

In this particular article, it quotes the Chief Executive of Nokia as saying “We would have sold more phones in the third quarter without the capacity constraints.” Because production was lowered dramatically during the recession, some companies - in consumer electronics in particular – are now seeing spot shortages due to unexpected demand increases. As the article points out, “ The coming months could be tricky…Manufactures must gauge demand accurately among economic uncertainty.” Therein lies the rub: How to balance the opportunities to capture all demand while mitigating against the risks of excess and/or obsolete inventories.

Demand planning is going to be key without a doubt, but equally important will be demand responsiveness – acting quickly to the unexpected - and overall supply chain agility. Even before the recession, companies struggled with demand volatility because of increased competition, decreasing customer loyalty, constant new product introductions etc. But in today’s grave economic climate with major demand swings and declining spending overall, planning for future demand based on historical data is now virtually impossible. With inventories at an all time low, retailers and suppliers will need to respond rapidly to actual demand. Companies need the ability to detect demand trends early so that they can ramp up production accordingly in order to avoid the situation Nokia described in the article.

Solving the rapid response challenge will require:
  • accurate and timely demand sensing to quickly understand demand shifts
  • collaboration: both with customers to gain consensus on true demand, and with internal colleagues and supply partners to develop and analyze resolution alternatives; and
  • decision support that drives profitable responses through shaping demand and allocating finished goods supply as appropriate

I believe achieving excellence in responding to changing customer demands has become the number one challenge facing enterprises today and can represent the largest opportunity for companies to increase customer service, enhance margins and attain more predictable revenue across the entire value chain.

Trevor Miles is director of industry and applications marketing for Kinaxis, provider of the on-demand RapidResponse service that empowers multi-enterprise manufacturers with collaborative and integrated demand-supply planning, monitoring, and response capabilities. ]]> 21st Century Supply Chain Lori Smith http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9191 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9191 <![CDATA[Health Care & Manufacturing]]> http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/e1-V8cC2-u0/showthread.php Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:22:56 GMT Many European countries have public option health care systems that function adequately if not better than that of the US. These countries also have manufacturing economies on a par with the USA per capita. The benefit of a state run healthcare system is that it frees the employer of the need to... Many European countries have public option health care systems that function adequately if not better than that of the US. These countries also have manufacturing economies on a par with the USA per capita. The benefit of a state run healthcare system is that it frees the employer of the need to provide it and thus reduces manufacturing costs. In the UK and many other European countries one can choose to have private health care if one wants and can afford to. It is often given as part of a package to managerial and executive positions but most employers do not provide healthcare support for the bulk of their employees who are covered by the state scheme.

Let's be clear about one thing the government is not dictating the cost of health care to manufacturing, the 'for profit' health insurance companies are. Instead of railing aginst pending legistalation should the manufacturing industry representatives not be dicussing with the government ways to reduce the burden on manufacturing? Of course that probably means challenging the staus quo of the current healthcare system. ]]> Reader Talk-Back Rog http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9161 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9161 <![CDATA['U.S. Can't Depend on Trading Obscure Financial Products to Support its Economy']]> http://feeds.penton.com/~r/IWCompleteForum/~3/HWg7T0S61nE/showthread.php Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:23:56 GMT So says, Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers. Today is he speaking at the New Economy Conference in D.C.

He is calling for a "new American industrial revolution—specifically, a 21st century burgeoning of green manufacturing in the United States."

Manufacturing windmills and solar cells is where it's at according to Gerard. Relying on Wall Street didn't work. " As the Wall Street debacle that pushed this country into the Great Recession last year showed, the United States cannot depend on trading in obscure financial products to support its economy. To survive, America must be able to manufacture products of intrinsic value that can be traded here and internationally."

And the numbers support his claims. In the past 10 years the U.S. has lost 40,000 manufacturing facilities. Since Dec. 2007 2 million jobs were lost, putting the manufacturing unemployment rate at 12.4%.

And the trade deficit sits at $7 trillion.

Gerard isn't too happy about where U.S. dollars are landing.
" This is fine with countries like China, Japan and Germany that base their economies on making goods for export. Their factories are humming; their citizens are working and saving. By contrast, U.S. factories are closing; our citizens are borrowing on credit cards and against the value of their homes to buy imported products. And the U.S. government is indebting itself to China to cover its trade shortfall. It’s an unsustainable debt cycle. "

What does Gerard want? "The United States needs a coordinated industrial policy like every other major First-World Country to end that cycle and direct development. Focusing on green-energy development is the way to go—to create jobs, clean the environment and reduce reliance on imported oil." ]]> Manufacturing Savvy Adrienne Selko http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9141 http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=9141