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March U.S. cutting tool orders up almost 1% from February

U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $189.8 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration, was up 0.9 percent from February's $188.2 million and down 9.8 percent when compared with the $210.4 million reported for March 2019.

Manufacturers battle COVID-19

Cleveland - Members of the National Tooling and Machining Association and Precision Metalforming Association are stepping up to meet the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and leading the way in displaying the true American spirit of joining together to make a difference. In addition to producing -- without disruption -- the tooling, machinery and parts that make up the backbone of the manufacturing supply chain and are essential to restarting America’s economy, member companies are working to help communities, first responders and the medical community in the fight against the virus.

Prepare for the new normal in 2020

In 2020, companies in the industrial supply sector should be neither bullish nor bearish but remain status quo. Consider the mixed U.S. economic performance in 2019 that benefited from an unexpected rise in the employment labor participation rate and corresponding lower unemployment rate but from a gross domestic product standpoint saw a dip compared with 2018.

USCTI Fall 2019 Meeting: The Millennial and The Mentor

Terry Iverson, author of Finding America's Greatest Champion, discusses manufacturing careers with a millennial who attended the Fall 2019 meeting of the United States Cutting Tool Institute.  Terry, who has been involved in manufacturing since 1980, serves as president and CEO of Iverson & Co., a machine tool distributorship and rebuilder in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Among the goals for his book, which was published in 2018, Terry set out to help the industry address the shortage of skilled labor. In his words:

Has Trump delivered on his promise to revive U.S. manufacturing?

Most political analysts agree that Donald Trump won the presidency on the backs of long-suffering blue-collar workers in industrial states. His campaign was propelled by a promise to revive manufacturing through trade, tax and regulatory policies. After nearly three years in office, the results are unfortunately tepid in terms of engineering a real boom in this sector, and the trends in recent months signal spreading weakness. Nonetheless, manufacturing is stronger than it was when he took office, and policy support is still in place for growth. Headwinds from trade policy and political uncertainty, however, are restraining a more robust growth path.

Why manufacturing leaves China but doesn't return to the U.S.

The cumulative stress of President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war is leading to if not an irreparable breach between the U.S. and China, then certainly a significant fraying. Trade talks notwithstanding, the rising cost of the tariffs is already inducing some U.S. manufacturers to exit China. But in most instances, they are not returning to home shores.