SME Announces New Initiative in Partnership with Community, Technical Colleges to Address Workforce Shortage, Skills Gap Crisis

The Manufacturing Imperative – Workforce Pipeline Challenge (MI-WPC) launches this fall and combines the industry and workforce expertise of SME with the educational programs and innovations of a select group of U.S. community and technical colleges. The initiative builds awareness of careers in manufacturing, optimizes workforce systems and accelerates the education and skill development needed to place individuals in jobs making family-sustaining wages.

“I am pleased to celebrate SME’s newest initiative, the Manufacturing Imperative – Workforce Pipeline Challenge to help address the national workforce crisis facing our manufacturing sector,” said U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary Amy Loyd. “We appreciate SME’s leadership and willingness to bring together the national voice of manufacturers alongside our nation’s community and technical colleges to address local and regional labor market needs and support efforts to invest in America and prepare youth and adults for good jobs.” 

Through the Workforce Pipeline Challenge, SME will work with schools to conduct a labor analysis of the local, regional, and state landscape; develop and expand sector strategies to attract new populations – particularly those under-served and under-represented in the workforce; and implement new programs, curriculum and applicable certifications to develop skilled individuals that are ready to hire for the vast array of growing, unfilled positions in manufacturing. 

Jeannine Kunz, SME’s chief workforce development officer, explained the key motivation behind launching the initiative: “SME, along with many other industry organizations, understands that manufacturing is a critical engine of America’s economic strength and national security, playing a role in almost every sector of our economy. It is our responsibility to support the development of a diverse and qualified talent pool by stepping up our efforts and investments to strengthen the manufacturing supply chain with technically skilled individuals. Only then can we ensure our industrial base remains resilient now and into the future.”   

The Workforce Pipeline Challenge isa three-year pilot program with a goal to attract 1,000 individuals at each of the initial 25 participating community and technical colleges annually, resulting in 75,000 or more qualified workers in pursuit of manufacturing careers. The estimated economic impact of growing the industry’s workforce in this way is $6 billion. Best practices identified throughout the program will be shared nationally to help other programs implement innovative solutions to grow local economies, reduce barriers to employment, and fill vacant manufacturing jobs. 

The partnership between SME and the initial institutions will leverage a strong alliance with the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC). Craig McAtee, NCATC’s executive director shares that “any advanced manufacturing, workforce development initiative led by SME is top-notch and impactful for education, students, and employers across America – NCATC is inspired to be a partner on the SME Manufacturing Imperative – Workforce Pipeline Challenge.”

“It is our pleasure to work with educational partners, specifically our community and technical colleges who are the workforce engines of our communities. Currently these institutions enroll more than 40% of all undergraduate students in higher education, as well as engage hundreds of thousands of adult learners in non-traditional programs,” stated Dr. Debra Volzer, government and workforce partnerships director for SME, who is leading this initiative. “We are excited and humbled that these institutions have accepted the challenge to work together in addressing the industry’s imperative. We will leverage the ideas and welcome the support from this dedicated cohort and others in our collective manufacturing community as we set out to solve our nation’s workforce crisis.”

Just a few of the institutions selected to participate in the challenge include Wallace State and Calhoun Community Colleges (AL), Daley College from the City Colleges of Chicago (IL), WSU Tech (KS), Grand Rapids and Schoolcraft Community Colleges (MI), Wake Tech Community College (NC), Columbus State and Lorain Community Colleges (OH), Tulsa Community College (OK), Greenville Technical College (SC), Pellissippi State Community College (TN), Lone Star Community College (TX) and Patrick &Henry Community College (VA). These colleges have committed to a specific set of requirements, demonstrating commitment to this national approach to pipeline development and to implementing innovative solutions to address long-standing industry challenges. Their collective voices will also inform legislation, policy and funding. Based on the program’s collective success, SME looks forward to expanding this initiative beyond the initial 25 pilot institutions as there are many outstanding programs throughout the United States making a difference every day. 

Dr. Sheree Utash, president of WSU Tech’s National Center for Aviation and upcoming chair of the MI-WPC President’s Council, expressed her excitement around this program. “WSU Tech is proud to support the Manufacturing Imperative-Workforce Pipeline Challenge in partnership with SME,” she said. “Creating an educated workforce to meet the needs of our manufacturing industries across the nation is a challenging issue and critical to our national security. We are proud to continue to engage in this work of building a qualified talent pipeline with others across the nation in this crucial initiative.”

Dr. Vicki P. Karolewics, president of Wallace State Community College, added, “There is not a more critical time to be actively involved in igniting the manufacturing workforce pipeline.  Wallace State is actively engaged with SME and NCATC to redesign and expand programs and career pathways to develop, upskill, and retool the manufacturing pipeline of tomorrow. Industry 4.0 is creating rapid change in manufacturing environments, and community colleges are on the leading edge of developing the workforce of the future.”

“We are honored to partner with these forward-thinking educational institutions to address the multifaceted manufacturing challenges at the local, regional, and state levels,” said Dr. Timothy Wilson, SME’s research lead for the program. “Through this strategic collaboration, we aim to integrate SME's national insights with the invaluable local and regional expertise of the colleges and their community-based allies. Our goal is not just to enhance the workforce and its system, but to truly understand and uplift the unique strengths of each institution. By identifying, refining, and disseminating best practices, we hope to address a pressing national imperative: to cultivate and sustain a resilient manufacturing workforce.”

For more information, visit https://train.toolingu.com/MI-WPCPR.

US Motor Works to Build New $19M Fulfillment Center in Kansas City Metro 

The Kansas City Area Development Council announced that US Motor Works, a manufacturer and distributor of after-market automotive parts, is investing $19.2 million in a new, 167,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Liberty, Missouri.

"We’re excited to welcome US Motor Works to Missouri as it continues to grow its family-owned business across North America,” said Governor Mike Parson. “The strategic choice of Missouri underscores the significance of our state’s central location, well-trained workforce, and business-friendly environment, which collectively positions us as a premier logistics hub. Missouri continues to be appealing for companies searching for an optimal place to expand their business.”

The facility, which will be located at the Heartland Meadows Industrial Park, will allow US Motor Works to centralize distribution, expand capabilities and shorten delivery times. The company currently operates in six North American facilities, with headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California. The facility will also be the company’s first in the Midwest – US Motor Works currently operates out four facilities in California, one in Duluth, Georgia and one in Monterrey, Mexico, with corporate offices located in Santa Fe Springs, California.

“Being centrally located in the U.S. and specifically in the Kansas City area, our new facility will be three days away from 90% of the country by truck,” said Gil Benjamin, president and CEO of US Motor Works. “This new fulfillment center will not only allow us to serve our customers better, but it will also allow our products and brands to continue growing without space limitations.”

The Kansas City region is a leading North American logistics hub and key location for distribution, with abundant access to rail, air, water and road transportation. 

“The Kansas City region continues to attract major industrial investment, with companies like US Motor Works choosing the area as they strive to serve their customers better and faster than ever before,” said Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort. “With more than 70 million square feet of industrial development in the last ten years and more than 190,000 skilled workers, Kansas City has established itself as a leading center for distribution operations within North America.”

The facility is projected to operate at full capacity in January 2024.

For more information, visit www.usmotorworks.com, thinkKC.com, or www.KC.org.

Blum-Novotest Expands Into New North American Headquarters

Blum-Novotest, Inc. recently purchased and moved into a new North America headquarters. The move more than doubles its office, customer technical center and warehouse square footage. The new facility is just about a mile from the existing building and is located near the airport. The new Blum-Novotest address is:

Blum-Novotest, Inc.
1368 Cox Avenue
Erlanger, KY USA 41018

“North America is a strategic growth region for the Blum-Novotest Group, says Lilian Barraud, Blum-Novotest Inc. President / Regional Manager Americas. “United States is the technological showcase of the world. Manufacturing industries are constantly improving competitiveness with a high level of automation and by integrating state of the art measuring and testing technologies into their process. The Blum-Novotest measuring systems are ideally positioned to enable “lights out manufacturing” in harsh, high-production facilities.

“We expanded our footprint to better serve and support our customers growth and partners network development. With a larger technical and training capacity, our goals are to educate, train and demonstrate how Blum-Novotest technologies can support your industry specific measuring needs today and tomorrow. With our new classroom style space, we can host either virtual or in-person theoretical training as well as hands on training and testing with onsite CNC machines. Our warehouse space will also increase to improve inventory availability and decrease time to market.”

For more information, visit www.blum-novotest.us.

BiSN Awarded ISO 9001 Certification for Quality Management Systems

BiSN, a provider of permanent downhole sealing solutions, announced that it has been awarded the ISO 9001 Certification for Quality Management Systems by the British Standards Institution (BSI).  This internationally recognized standard for quality management underscores BiSN's unwavering commitment to delivering superior products and services to its valued customers while adhering to the highest standards of operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

The ISO 9001 certification is a testament to BiSN's dedication to continual improvement and its dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions within the oil and gas landscape. By undergoing a rigorous assessment of its internal processes and quality management systems, BiSN has demonstrated its ability to consistently meet and exceed customer expectations, while maintaining compliance with industry regulations and best practices.

Receiving the ISO 9001 certification represents a significant milestone in BiSN's journey towards excellence. It reinforces the company's core values of quality, reliability, and customer-centricity, which have been the driving force behind its success. With this prestigious accreditation, BiSN further solidifies its position as a market leader and a trusted partner for its clients.

“The ISO certification is one more demonstration from BiSN to follow a customer-centric approach to meet operator needs,” said Paul Carragher, CEO and founder of BiSN. “Our production and quality control teams have worked tirelessly to achieve the certification and we are extremely proud of their accomplishment.”

The certification demonstrates the commitment from BiSN to provide consistent quality of products, in addition to the following:

• Customer-centric Approach: The certification is a reinforcement of its commitment to meeting and exceeding customer needs.
• Streamlined Operations: As part of the certification process, the company has undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of its internal processes, resulting in improved operational efficiency.
• Culture of Continuous Improvement: This accomplishment is just the beginning, marking the start of a journey of ongoing refinement in BiSN’s quality management systems.

For more information, visit https://bisn.com.

Starrett Names New Strategic Accounts Manager for Industrial Products in North America

The L.S. Starrett Company has recently appointed Seth Downing as its new Strategic Accounts Manager North America, Industrial Products. The role was previously held by Michael Connor who was recently promoted to Sales and Marketing Director North America, Starrett Industrial Products.

“We are very pleased to welcome Seth to Starrett,” said Connor. “He brings successful industry sales and marketing experience to his new role, along with proven results when managing and growing large industrial national accounts such as MSC, Grainger and Fastenal.”

Downing has over 10 years of experience in tool manufacturing focusing on the industrial, retail, and automotive channels. His background spans roles such as industrial national account manager and channel marketing manager, and also includes experience in business development and sales management.

Downing holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He resides in Tennessee and will be based out of the company’s headquarters in Athol, Massachusetts.

For more information, visit https://www.starrett.com/.

US Cutting Tool Orders Totaled $217.3M in June 2023, Year-to-Year Total Up 23.5% From 2022

June 2023 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $217.3 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 3.2% from May’s $210.6 million and up 23.5% when compared with the $175.9 million reported for June 2022. With a year-to-date total of $1.24 billion, 2023 is up 17.4% when compared to the same time period in 2022.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals here represent the majority of the U.S. market for cutting tools.

“U.S. cutting tool orders continue to rise after rebounding from a soft April. Second quarter sales were strong versus 2022 sales for the same time period,” commented Jeff Major, president of USCTI. He added, “Hiring pressures appear to have eased, which aids in the reduction in backlogs and drives business. There is optimism that the remainder of the year will remain positive.” 

“The cutting tool industry continues to record strong sales growth compared to 2022,” stated Bret Tayne, president of Everede Tool Co. “Much of this may be attributable to certain durable goods sectors, such as transportation and defense, that are core drivers of cutting tool consumption. If some of the critical customer categories are outperforming the overall economy, the cutting tool industry may enjoy better-than-anticipated growth.”

The Cutting Tool Market Report is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production, and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process – the cutting tool. Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.

Historical data for the Cutting Tool Market Report is available dating back to January 2012. This collaboration of AMT and USCTI is the first step in the two associations working together to promote and support U.S.-based manufacturers of cutting tool technology.

The graph includes the 12-month moving average for the durable goods shipments and cutting tool orders. These values are calculated by taking the average of the most recent 12 months and plotting them over time.

For more information, visit www.amtonline.org.

June 2023 Orders of Manufacturing Technology Reach $411.3M

New orders of manufacturing technology totaled $411.3 million in June 2023, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. June 2023 orders increased 12.6% over May 2023 but fell 1.7% below orders in June 2022. This brings total orders through the first half of 2023 to nearly $2.5 billion, about 13% below the total for the first half of 2022.

“Orders of manufacturing technology have continued their downward trend since peaking in the second half of 2021; however, for perspective, they remain above historical averages,” said Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT. “Even in non-IMTS years, the majority of orders tend to come in the second half of the year. Despite some headwinds, including fears of a recession, it would seem reasonable that manufacturing technology orders could outperform some of the more pessimistic expectations if we return to that historical trend.”

Job shops, the largest customer segment, only increased spending by 4.2%, well under the industry growth of 12.6% from May to June 2023. They also decreased the number of units ordered, while the industry remained about flat.

“Job shops tend to be smaller to medium-sized businesses, and the effects of economic uncertainty, coupled with higher interest rates, have begun to take a toll, causing some to delay capital investments,” said Woods.

There was one surprising bright spot despite high interest rates and the ever-looming fear of a coming recession: Manufacturers of automotive transmissions have been noticeably increasing investment in manufacturing technology.

“Investments on this scale show how manufacturers are preparing for a prolonged transitional period from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles,” said Woods. “Moving toward electrification means facing numerous supply and logistical hurdles, from the sourcing of elements to grid reliability. Auto manufacturers recognize that until these challenges are overcome, demand for internal combustion engines will justify further investment.”

Year-to-date orders for manufacturing technology from the automotive transmission and powertrain parts manufacturing sector are at the second-highest level since the first half of 2015.

The United States Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) Report is based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program. This report, compiled by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, provides regional and national U.S. orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

For more information, visit AMTonline.org.

Evident Corporation Appoints New CEO, COO

Evident Corporation (“Evident”) announced the appointment of William Wesley “Wes” Pringle as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Hiroyuki Yoshimoto as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Effective immediately, Wes takes over for Evident’s interim CEO Eric Anderson.

Wes has an impressive 30-year career driving growth and business transformation across a variety of industries, including consumer, industrial, healthcare and software-enabled businesses. Prior to joining Evident, Wes ran several companies for Danaher including Fluke Corporation (a global test and measurement leader), which he led for almost 10 years. As president of Fluke, Wes oversaw a period of significant growth and market expansion. More recently, he served as Head of Portfolio Operations at the private equity firm Onex Corporation, where he helped over a dozen portfolio companies accelerate performance. “I am honored to join Evident and help lead this 100-year-old business through a new phase of growth. By unleashing the passion and talents of this organization, I believe we can deliver exceptional growth and market changing innovations for our customers.”

Hiroyuki is an experienced leader with a proven track record of leading global companies headquartered in Japan and the USA. Prior to joining Evident, Hiroyuki had several senior leadership roles at global manufacturing companies such as Nissan Motor Corporation Group and Nidec Corporation. He led significant business growth by expanding market share and providing hands-on leadership for operational excellence. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President and Japan Representative at American Express, where he led the business on a remarkable growth journey. “By working as one team, I am convinced that Evident can create sustainable growth while continuing its mission of pioneering innovations that make society healthier and safer. Our commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction, along with fostering strong relationships with business partners and stakeholders will be the cornerstone of our progress.”

With this new leadership team, Evident will realize its next chapter by further strengthening its commitment to delivering world-class solutions to our customers.

For more information, visit www.EvidentScientific.com.

SAEKI Emerges From Stealth with $2.3M Funding Round for Robots-as-a-Service

The architecture, engineering and construction industry has undergone significant changes in recent years yet one major challenge they face is the slow and costly manufacture of large components as part of their installations. Enabling the industry to move faster and efficiently, SAEKI has launched from stealth with a $2.3M seed funding round to create fully automated plants with industrial robots using 3D technology to create anything from wings for aircraft to construction site installations. 

The funding round was led by Wingman Ventures including participation from Vento Ventures, Getty Capital and angel investors. Founded in 2021 by Andrea Perissinotto, Oliver Harley and Matthias Leschok, SAEKI works with the architectural design, engineering design and construction services industry to turn complex designs into reality, save concrete and CO2 having developed a new method to produce custom concrete formwork cost-effectively. They achieve this by combining 3D printing, milling, with large industrial robots that can print formwork up to many meters in length, very efficiently and when it comes to design complexity, the opportunity is unlimited. 

Currently, to develop a lightweight carbon fiber element, or to build a topologically optimized concrete floor slab, buyers would have to wait months and spend vast sums of money to receive a first sample and only then build a prototype, let alone consider reiterating for any flaws. With SAEKI this bottleneck is removed, enabling buyers to rapidly innovate, grow their services and offerings in ways they have not been able to before. Indeed, for large scale items, this has not been previously possible.

Andrea Perissinotto, Co-Founder of SAEKI, commented, “From what we build underground, to what we build on earth, to what goes to space, from the construction to aerospace industries, there is a need for large, one-off (custom) components, that are mostly used once a couple of times at most, then scrapped. Manufacturing these parts, from the molds to make concrete elements to the tooling required to build composite rockets, is labor intensive, has long lead times, and is very expensive. Moreover, these factors delay hardware iteration to get to the final product.”

“For vast swathes of industry it’s not practical to own and manage robots that can create what you need quickly. We are at the forefront of addressing this and democratizing access to the best tools and creating productive, sustainable and effective outcomes for industry. Long lead times for large components will be a thing of the past and we can provide faster and cost effective iterations. Our comprehensive approach sets us apart - it's not just about being faster or cheaper; it's about providing a complete solution that caters to the entire spectrum of challenges, which is resonating well with our customers.”

The production hub will offer industrial robots built by SAEKI. The robots will combine multiple digital manufacturing methods, from 3D printing, milling, inspection to creating an all in one low waste production process and recyclable materials. The robots will act as microfactories; self-contained units able to do all the manufacturing steps, easily deployable for localized manufacturing. Additionally, SAEKI will offer a quoting platform tailored to the customers' own business needs to remove the complex opaque approach currently in the market. 

Edouard Treccani, principal at Wingman Ventures, commented, “We're thrilled to join forces with SAEKI as lead investor of their pre-seed round. Their groundbreaking approach to distributed additive manufacturing has the power to revolutionize sectors from aerospace to construction through disruptive tech, local production and sustainable materials. We look forward to supporting them as they embark on their mission to create yet another deep-tech champion from Switzerland.”

SAEKI is building a platform that will allow our customers to transcend the limits of traditional manufacturing, where size, complexity, and efficiency are no longer obstacles but catalysts for progress. In doing so, SAEKI envisions a network of decentralized, robot operated production hubs around the world. 

Matthias Leschok, co-founder at SAEKI ,added, “In 10 years from now SAEKI envisions lights-out factories filled with SAEKI microfactories autonomously producing complex, material and weight saving formwork for the construction industry, fixtures and tooling for super-sonic jets or composite moulds for the next generation formula one cars. SAEKI’s mission is to empower design freedom to be efficient and sustainable - irrespective of the final product.”

For more information, visit https://saeki.ch/.

Tooling Tech Group Announces ITAR-Compliance Across All Facilities

Tooling Tech Group (TTG), a provider of custom tooling and automation solutions, has announced the company’s ITAR-compliance across its 12 facilities. This has been accomplished through its company registration with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls of the U.S. State Department, in combination with establishment of compliance programs and training of all applicable personnel in the ITAR control processes at all locations.

Tooling Tech Group has been a long-time supplier to the aerospace and aviation industry, with a high focus on quality. This commitment to ITAR compliance procedures can provide further confidence to its customers and expand the company’s ability to serve the defense market.

In addition to ITAR-Compliance, various TTG facilities hold ISO9001:2015, AS9100, IATF 16949:2016 and DD23454 certifications.

Tooling Tech Group is the largest provider of tooling in the United States with 600+ employees, 12 modern facilities and over 1-million square feet of manufacturing space across five states. Organized into four division -- Automation, Compression and Thermoforming, Die Casting, and Stamping and Die Design, it provides custom tooling for a variety of applications, as well as secondary equipment and automated solutions for a variety of industries including automotive, appliance, lawn and garden, agricultural, aerospace, marine, and off-road vehicle industries, among others.

For more information, visit www.toolingtechgroup.com.