Metalforming Matters

It’s been nearly nine months since the Trump Administration announced tariffs on steel and aluminum, and U.S. manufacturers are still struggling to remain competitive in a global market. In a  Wall Street Journal article titled “Trump Tariffs Pit Auto Companies Against Each Other,” reporters Chester Dawson and Mike Colias spoke with PMA member Clips & Clamps Industries. The article states: This summer, Jeff Aznavorian, president of Clips & Clamps Industries, a small Detroit-area parts maker with about 57 employees, sent one-page letters to about 15 customers proposing a cost-sharing arrangement for future contracts. Clips & Clamps was on pace to turn a profit this year, but rising materials costs have wiped out its margin. Two customers agreed. A few politely declined. One buyer from Canada wrote back, expressing sympathy. “They basically said: ‘I’m sorry your government is doing this to you, but what do you expect me to do about it?’” Mr. Aznavorian said. The...

President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and outgoing Mexican President Pena Nieto signed the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) at the G-20 meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina this morning.  The USMCA is intended to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that has been in force since 1994.  Today’s signing is an important step towards adoption of the USMCA, but much work remains to be done by all three governments before it is fully adopted and implemented. Unfortunately, the USMCA did not resolve the issue of 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. In November, PMA joined a coalition of 34 business groups in urging US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to remove the steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico once the USMCA was signed.  In the letter , the groups stated: "[T]he continuation of these tariffs with respect to Mexico and Canada will create impediments to Congressional passage of the USMCA implementing bill given...

Guest Blog Post Alex Paciga Communication Specialist APPI Energy In the energy industry, we talk about natural gas storage a lot. It’s a term that frequently comes up in articles, we include it every week in our APPI Energy Advisor, and power markets rise and fall based on the weekly report submitted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). However, we rarely discuss what natural gas storage actually entails, how it is measured, and who controls it. In this article, we’ll discuss what natural gas storage means, why it is important, and how APPI Energy utilizes that info to better serve our clients. The basic principle of natural gas storage is, at its core, the principle of supply and demand. We store natural gas during periods when demand is low (for example, when the weather is mild), to be withdrawn during periods of peak demand. However, these are not the only factors in play, when it comes to storage. Regulatory concerns, contractual obligations, emergency res...

Guest Blogger: Chip Eichelberger, CSP, Founder, GetSwitchedOn.com You have heard it said that everyone likes to buy but no one wants to be sold. Make it easier for people to buy and justify their purchase with this simple concept. Doing so will help you quickly increase your sales. Try to never let the price/investment be the first number that comes up in the conversation. In my business for example, it is common to get a request to see if I am available for a specific date and to inquire about my fee. I never reply with simply a yes/no and the price. I want to make sure to set up a call so I can ask questions to get information to properly frame the way they look at investing in me speaking at their event. I want to be a true partner and not just a “rental speaker.” I am not the low-cost provider in my industry. Some meeting planners are inexperienced and will get surprised when they hear how much a seasoned professional speaker costs. Framing the conversation is essential...

Allison Grealis, president and founder of Women in Manufacturing Association , and vice president of association services of PMA , has been inducted into the 2018 class of Crain's Cleveland Business Women of Note. She joined a conversation on WCPN 90.3 on July 18 to discuss obstacles and motivations, and to give advice to the next generation. Allison was joined by fellow women of note, Dee Perry, retired broadcaster from WCPN; Simirit Sandhu, executive director of supply chain management with the Cleveland Clinic; Magda Gomez, director of diversity and inclusion from Cuyahoga Community College; and Karen Kasler, Statehouse New Bureau Chief (ISDN). Listen here:   https://bit.ly/2NZq64q Crain's Cleveland Business Women of Note honors inspiring women who, due to the impact of their professional talents and unique perspectives, create positive change in Northeast Ohio. To view all 2018 honorees, visit: https://bit.ly/2NuIL70 .

Guest Blogger: Chip Eichelberger, CSP, Founder, GetSwitchedOn.com I don’t know about you but my business tends to run in cycles—the cycle of doing many events and the cycle of when the bookings for that new business comes in. The gap in between can be difficult to deal with, even for me. Sometimes the gap is impacted by people being on vacation and deferring decisions. Sometimes it can be related to current events such as 9-11 or the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) of 2008. Here are four strategies for when you have that GAP of new business coming in and you need momentum. Spend time on you, so you can be at your best! Get to bed a little earlier and read something inspiring before you shut it down. Get off your phone! Drink 12 oz. of water when you wake up. Get that morning workout in to start the day with energy. Use interval training to get your heart rate up and pumping. Get a fresh-green-based juice or make my Get Switched On Smoothie. Exercise and the right fuel will ...

The skills gap is a phenomenon that has frequently dominated conversations surrounding the manufacturing industry in recent years. As the most recent study from Deloitte suggests, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs are expected to open up over the next decade, and about 2 million of those jobs are projected to go unfilled. On July 8, Rachel Abbey McCafferty of Crain’s Cleveland Business published an article that looks at the choices manufacturing businesses could make to solve the problem. The article features the stories of small-to-medium manufacturing firms who are exploring new ways to holistically approach the skills gap and build their workforce. PMA President Roy Hardy is also quoted in the article about his views on the changing manufacturing industry. McCafferty notes the recently successful and better-known approaches to combating the skills gap, like  partnerships with community colleges and other preexisting training programs, as well as working to get students...