Author: Fastener News Desk

Stopping the flood of steel imports is crucial for national security Nearly every military platform and weapon system in our nation’s arsenal is dependent on steel produced in America; much of our nation’s critical infrastructure relies heavily on steel. But the domestic steel industry is under attack from repeated surges in imports of dumped and subsidized steel from numerous countries around the world. Several trade associations claiming to represent a number of American industries that buy steel recently wrote a letter to the president opposing any imposition of restraints on imports of steel for national security reasons (the administration’s...

In the most recent data, manufacturers contributed $2.18 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2016. This figure has risen since the second quarter of 2009, when manufacturers contributed $1.70 trillion. Over that same time frame, value-added output from durable goods manufacturing grew from $0.87 trillion to $1.20 trillion, with nondurable goods output up from $0.85 trillion to $1.00 trillion. In 2016, manufacturing accounted for 11.7 percent of GDP in the economy. (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis) For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another $1.81 is added to the economy. That is the highest multiplier effect of any economic sector. In addition,...

BY BETH COLBERT  SEPTEMBER 6, 2017  op·por·tu·ni·ty äpərˈt(y)o͞onədē, noun, a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. When we think of champions of manufacturing today we tend to think of some of the big companies such as IBM, 3M, Johnson & Johnson, P&G and Dow Chemical. But companies don’t form themselves, and patents don’t automatically mean innovation – people do. Not all companies have inventors. However, all companies can, and probably do, have innovators. An invention is a product or process that has been created and then documented legally. There are many patents granted and then nothing...

Most of us, regardless of our age, have heard the song popularized by Sophie Tucker and Eddie Cantor after World War I: “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?).” According to Wikipedia, “The lyrics highlight concern that American soldiers from rural environments would not want to return to farm life after experiencing the … life and culture of Paris.” Now we face a similar challenge: getting skilled workers to stay in or relocate to the small and mid-sized towns and cities where U.S. manufacturing is making its biggest comeback. That may be one...