13 minute read
Announcements/Releases
Manufacturing Engage 2021 — Registration Now Open
Oct. 26-29, 2021 — Old Alexandria, VA
Register now for Manufacturing Engage 2021 — this year’s event will build on NTMA’s long legacy of providing precision manufacturers and industry leaders with the invaluable experience of gathering together to network, learn and advocate for the advancement and future of the industry. Don’t miss the chance to connect and engage IN-PERSON in Old Alexandria, VA this October!
For more information, visit: https://web.cvent.com/event/514da3d5ea15-4065-b22f-390b6214c35e/summary
Mazak Distributors Announce Purchase Agreement
Longtime Mazak distributors Smith Machinery and Action Machinery have closed on an acquisition agreement. With the acquisition, Smith Machinery transitions to Smith Machinery Corporation, LLC and joins the Action Machinery group to ensure customers continue to receive the unmatched service and support that Smith Machinery has provided for 60 years.
With Mazak at its core, Action Machinery International, Inc. is uniquely positioned to serve both metal-cutting and fabrication customers in the Rocky Mountain region. Shared resources among the companies and economies of scale will enable the group to provide even higher levels of support while reducing overall operating costs.
Clark Smith, owner of Smith Machinery, will stay on at Smith Machinery Company, LLC for several months during the ownership transition. The company’s administrative, sales and applications staff will remain unchanged and provide customers and builders with continued support. Additionally, the company will maintain the longtime service relationship between Smith Machinery and Neotech. Tom Weaver of Action Machinery will assume responsibilities for day-to-day operations as the new General Manager of Smith Machinery Company, LLC. Randy Breitenbach, president of Action Machinery, will take an active role in financial management and leadership.
“The Smith business is an established and successful one,” said Breitenbach, “and the combined resources of our two companies will provide customers with an added layer of service and support in addition to Mazak’s own services. More importantly, it will preserve the highly respected Smith company name and its family’s stellar reputation in the industry.”
Smith sold his business in preparation for the second chapter of his life, so he could pursue new interests outside of manufacturing and spend more time with his family. “Our family has served the manufacturing community in the mountain states for 98 years and has had the good fortune to represent Mazak for the last 44 years,” said Smith. “The company has grown by understanding the benefits of advanced manufacturing technologies and successfully transferring that knowledge to ensure our customers – backed by superior applications and service support – make wise investments and continue to be competitive and profitable in this global market. The acquisition of Smith Machinery by the Action Machinery group adds the benefits of a larger entity to be even more responsive to customer needs. Our family wishes the Action Machinery group and its customers good fortune and continued success.”
“This is an exciting time for both companies,” said Dan Janka, president of Mazak Corporation. “Clark Smith, his company and family have been a part of Mazak for such a long time, and everyone here at Mazak appreciates all they’ve done for the success of the Mazak brand over the years. We wish them all the best.”
Action Machinery International, Inc. was founded in 1982 and has been under the ownership of Randy Breitenbach since 1994. The company expanded into the Utah market in 2003 and formed a new business called Action Machinery, LLC, in 2005 with Tom Weaver as partner and manager. The two companies built their business serving OEMs and job shops in Colorado and Utah, and both have long-standing relationships with leading equipment builders such as Mazak Corporation, Mazak Optonics, Accurpress
Press Brakes, Omax Corporation, Davi, Messer Cutting Systems, Amada-Marvel and others.
For more information on Mazak’s products and solutions, visit www.MazakUSA. com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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FABTECH 2021 to Reunite Manufacturing Industry with Robust Education Line-Up
FABTECH, North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event, is pleased to announce this year’s conference line-up is now live, providing attendees with targeted technical, operational, economic and managerial sessions to help improve productivity and increase profits. Set to take place in Chicago’s McCormick Place September 13-16, 2021, FABTECH is celebrating the return of inperson industry education with its lowest registration rates to-date.
“By returning to in-person sessions after two years, we could not be more excited to offer FABTECH’s lowest conference rates ever,” said John Catalano, SME senior director, FABTECH. “FABTECH is thrilled to be providing companies of all sizes the opportunity to prioritize training. As the industry looks to address key issues like managing steel prices and advances in automation, we believe education is critical to finding solutions. FABTECH is dedicated to providing a platform for learning that aims to prepare attendees of all experience levels with the resources and support to accelerate their careers.”
FABTECH’s solution-based, transformative content will take attendees beyond the show floor, exploring answers to today’s biggest challenges with industry thought leaders and subject matter authorities set to lead collaborative discussions and presentations. Proving that FABTECH has always been the place to exchange best practices and explore the latest technology and advancements, its conference tracks will include 3D/Additive Manufacturing, Automation, Cutting, Finishing, Forming & Fabricating, Job Shop, Laser, Lean, Management, Marketing & Sales, Smart Manufacturing, Stamping, Welding and Workforce Development.
Noteworthy sessions include: Meeting Changing Buyer Expectations Through Digital Transformation; Leveraging A.I. in Industrial Manufacturing; Estimating Software to Manage the
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Announcements Continued
Job Shop; Ensuring a Successful Product Launch; Strategies to Create a Workplace Culture That Works; The Art of Assertive Communication; and more. Click here for a complete schedule-at-a-glance.
Save on conference sessions with early bird registration open now through July 31. For more information and to register, visit fabtechexpo.com.
AMT: Manufacturing Technology Orders Nearly Double Year-Over-Year
AMT President Woods said 2021 is shaping up to be a historic year as the bounce back from the pandemic continued.
U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders totaled $448 million in May, which were nearly double that of May 2020, according to the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report published Monday by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. May orders were up 11% when compared to April’s orders.
Total orders for 2021 topped $2 billion two months before that milestone was reached in 2020. far, 2021 is shaping up to be a historic year,” said Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT. “In only three other years since 1998 have orders surpassed $2 billion by May. Manufacturers across the industry have expressed broadly positive sentiment, so we would expect the remainder of the year not only to return to the pre-pandemic trend but also to exceed previous forecasts.
“Despite the general optimism felt across manufacturing sectors, one common impediment to growth is the inability to find sufficient labor. Manufacturing employment is still about half a million jobs below pre-pandemic levels, and the current number of open positions in the manufacturing industry is double the February 2020 level. Growth with fewer employees occurs regularly during manufacturing recessions, according to work done by the Brookings Institution. Studies have found that manufacturers in a position to do so will leverage a slowdown to invest in greater automation and more sophisticated production
Announcements Continued equipment. The result is a more productive in-place workforce, but continued growth is dependent on a larger, more skilled manufacturing labor pool.
Woods said metal valve manufacturers, whose products are used as components in nearly every part of manufacturing, increased orders by staggering margins in May, suggesting that U.S. manufacturers are shoring up supply chain risks by turning to domestic sources.
“Now, and during the recession, our members have reported that automation and new-tech sales continued to grow or barely saw a pause in order levels,” Woods said. “Without these investments, growth in recovery would have been more susceptible to supply chain disruptions. We have seen industries with modest domestic capacity increase investments in production capacity by multiples of pre-2020 levels By: Mike Robuck.
Gene Haas Foundation Awards $17,500 to Front Range Community College
tudents at Front Range Community College will have increased financial support as they pursue manufacturing education and training. arships and machining and manufacturing engineering program needs. The funds will be used for their Manufacturing Program and it is the second grant received by the School for Manufacturing Scholarships by the Foundation. FRCC received their first check back in 2015, bringing the total awarded by the Foundation to date to $118,500. A BIG check was presented to Instructor George Deeb on June 23 by Chad Wadsworth of MMT Productivity, the local Haas Factory Outlet in Denver.
As part of their Integrated Manufacturing Program, Front Range Community College offers training in Machine and Metal processes, instructor George Deeb states.
The Gene Haas Foundation’s primary goal is to build skills in the manufacturing industry by providing scholarships for CNC machine technology students. For High Schools, a portion of the funds may also be used to support the school’s participation in student competitions such as FIRST or VEX
Companies Are Overpaying Millions On Utility Bills. But They Don’t Have To.
If you’re a business owner, chances are you’re overpaying on one—or maybe all—of your utility bills. And if you think your utility providers are going to correct the bills for you, think again. It’s up to you to find the errors and track down those savings yourself.
But you’ve got a business to run. You don’t have time to comb through complicated electrical, waste, water, and natural gas bills—or decipher all your charges. That’s when it’s time to call in the experts. Smart business owners look to billing and utility analysts to identify those savings opportunities for them.
The most efficient analysts don’t tell you how to cut consumption or increase efficiency. They simply analyze your bills and figure out how to help you stop overpaying for what you use. Some of the ways they find savings might include answering the following questions.
Are you being billed accurately?
Local tariffs and regulations change constantly. Auditors who are familiar with the nuances of local utility providers can ensure you’re paying the right rates for the right usage.
Are there errors in your bill?
human or system errors, often finding one or both. And billing errors are often perpetual so you’re paying for the error over and over again. Identifying and eliminating the errors results in savings every month.
Are there refunds, rebates, or savings you’re missing out on?
Utility consultants know how to request refunds on your behalf and are up on all the latest rebates that you may not know about. They can let you know which ones you qualify for and complete the paperwork for you.
If you’re thinking of utilizing a utility consultant—and you should—there are several out there. Look for one who charges no upfront fees or retainers and who doesn’t require an investment in equipment. There are even consulting and auditing businesses who will audit your bills for free and if they can’t identify any savings, you don’t pay.
In short, the best utility auditors are as interested in your financial success as you are. They simply want you to pay the lowest utility rates available, so you bring more money home at the end of the day. Partnering with them is smart for your business and your bottom line.
Interested in cutting costs and raising profits? Utilitem can help. In fact, 87% of our utility audits result in savings for our customers.
Visit www.UtilityAudits.com to learn more and to schedule your free audit today.
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Announcements Continued Robotics, SkillsUSA and Supermileage programs that highlight their manufacturing programs.
The Gene Haas Foundation was established in 1999, by Haas Automation, Inc., Founder and CEO Gene Haas, to support the needs of the local community, through grants to such local charities as the Boys and Girls Clubs, Food Share, Rescue Mission, and others.
Seeing a growing need for skilled manufacturing employees industrywide, the Foundation expanded its mission to include support for manufacturing training programs throughout North America and beyond. By providing scholarship grants, sponsoring individual and team CNC competitions, and partnering with the very best CNC training programs in the world, the Foundation helps expand the availability of high-quality manufacturing technology training worldwide.
The Gene Haas Foundation donates millions of dollars every year to manufacturing education and the community. In 2020, the Gene Haas Foundation provided more than $17 million in grants, bringing the total since inception to more than to $100 million.
Infrastructure Package Moving
The Senate will be taking the first votes on a bipartisan $579 billion infrastructure plan this week while negotiations continue on the separate $3.5 trillion tax and spending package. No final agreement or legislative language has been reached on either plan, but this initial vote sets the wheels in motion. Insufficient and failing infrastructure restricts growth and reduces the competitiveness of U.S. businesses. America continues to rely on outdated roads, bridges, waterways, airports, railways, transit, and internet while our competitors around the globe make significant investments in their infrastructure, putting American businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
One Voice is working in Washington to urging Congress to prevent major tax increases on manufacturing while fixing America’s infrastructure. Instead of investing overseas, One Voice is calling on Congress and the White House to invest our tax dollars here at home. Our members report outdated roads and bridges increase delivery times and cause inefficiencies around the country not faced by competitors in developed countries such as across Europe.
We encourage you to ontact your members of Congress and ask that they pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill that invests in America’s surface transportation without raising taxes on U.S. small businesses manufacturing in America.
