Metalforming Matters

 The United States manufacturing and energy sectors employ more than 16 million U.S. workers directly and creates millions more jobs in related industries.   But U.S. manufacturers are struggling with the problem of the "skills gap"—employers looking to hire, but unable to find qualified, skilled workers.   Adding to the problem, three million employees are expected to retire in the next decade.   What:   A National Press Club (NPC) Newsmaker, a news conference that is open to all credentialed press, members of the National Press Club and their guests, and all National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) and Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) members who are in Washington, DC for the One Voice legislative conference Who:     Panelists will include: Jody Fledderman, Chairman, Precision Metalforming Association Ted Toth, Chairman, National Tooling and Machining Association Steve Nowlan, American Jobs for America's Her...

Associated Press writer Paul Wiseman recently wrote that US manufacturing numbers are heating up with the rising springtime temperatures. A number of reports, Wiseman notes, showed a slow in manufacturing growth during the especially cold and difficult winter.  But those figures are turning around as the weather improves. Wiseman explains that one factor helping to drive the growth is a recent increase in manufacturing.  He points to Federal Reserve data which shows that factory production climbed 0.5 percent in the month of March.  Wiseman concludes that US manufacturers are expecting more growth to follow. To illustrate the improvement, Wiseman offers PMA Chairman and Batesville Tool & Die president and CEO Jody Fledderman. “We feel like the auto industry is all the way back from before the recession,” the article quotes Fledderman as saying, “The numbers we see are fully recovered from then. We expect to see 4 to 8 percent increases in the industry overal...

On April 16, PMA member company Weiss-Aug had some high profile visitors. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and several members of his staff along with East Hanover Mayor Joe Pannullo, East Hanover Police Chief Stan Hansen, and West Caldwell Mayor Joe Tempesta stopped by Weiss-Aug to discuss the Leveraging and Energizing America’s Apprenticeship Program (LEAP) Act, which was recently introduced in Congress. Senator Cory Booker visits with Weiss-Aug apprentices The LEAP Act provides a tax credit to employers to help increase the number of registered apprenticeships in the United States, put more people to work and help fill the 4 million job vacancies across the United States. The U.S. Department of Labor recommended Weiss-Aug for Senator Booker’s visit and his legislative kickoff. The visit included a tour of Weiss-Aug’s modernized manufacturing plant.  Moving through the facility, the tour showcased metal stamping, insert/injection molding and assembly processes. A grou...

"There is a quiet crisis upon us with a shortage of young Americans pursuing careers in manufacturing and the skilled trades, and in order to combat it and prosper as a country, we must work together to encourage young people to enter these fields." - Josh Mandel, Treasurer of Ohio Josh Mandel, Treasurer of the state of Ohio, has recently unveiled the Ohio Strong Award, which is now being given to men and women throughout Ohio who are excelling in caeers in manufacturing and the skilled trades.  By highlighting the accomplishments of these individuals, Mandel and his office hope to raise public awareness of Ohio's need for more workers in the manufacturing sector and of the promising careers available in the field. And a PMA member is among the Award's first recipients! John Incorvaia of Toledo Metal Spinning Co. in Toledo, Ohio was given the Award on Monday.  During the presentation, Mandel said, "My hope is that if young people throughout the Toledo area...

Kevin Harberts PMA Member Kevin Harberts testified yesterday before the House Small Business Committee Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access.  The hearing was titled, Made in the U.S.A.: Small Businesses and a New Domestic Manufacturing Renaissance , and it was held in order to determine whether re-shoring is currently occurring, what factors might be influencing this trend, and what a growth in American manufacturing could mean for small businesses. Check out our press release about the hearing and follow the link to read Mr. Harberts' full testimony. Precision Metalforming Association Member Kevin Harberts Urges Congress to Bring Manufacturing Back Home Kryton Metals President and CEO Testifies Before House Small Business Subcommittee Washington, DC - Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) member Kevin Harberts called on Congress today to support industry efforts to bring manufacturing back to America—for good.  Harberts, president ...

Our latest Business Conditions Report is out and it shows that metalforming companies and expected improvement over the next three months.  Read more below - Business Conditions Report: March 2014 CLEVELAND, OH — March 14, 2014 —According to the March 2014 Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report, metalforming companies expect a slight improvement in business conditions during the next three months. Conducted monthly, the report is an economic indicator for manufacturing, sampling 117 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada. The March report shows that 38% of participants predict that economic activity will improve during the next three months (up from 32% in February), 54% anticipate that activity will remain unchanged (compared to 60% last month) and 8% believe that economic activity will decline (the same percentage reported in February). Current average daily shipping levels also improved modestly in March. Forty-eight perce...

We're pleased to announce that we've elected a new chairman for 2014!  Read the press release below to learn more about Chairman Jody Fledderman and the rest of the newly elected PMA leadership. Batesville Tool & Die President and CEO Jody Fledderman Elected PMA Chairman of the Board CLEVELAND, OH — March 10, 2014 —The Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) announced today that Jody Fledderman, president and CEO of Batesville Tool & Die (BTD) in Batesville, IN, was elected 2014 chairman of the PMA Board of Directors.  PMA also announced that Bill Smith, president of Termax Corporation in Lake Zurich, IL, will serve as PMA Board first vice chair, and Ron Lowry, CEO and owner of Dayton Rogers in Minneapolis, MN, will serve as Board treasurer. “I’m honored to be elected Board Chairman and thank 2013 PMA Chairman Bill Adler for his great leadership and all that he accomplished over the past year,” said Fledderman. Fledderman announced that his theme of his on...