IndustryNet Blog

U.S. manufacturers are contending with a unprecedented number of uncertainties -- from tariffs, to concerns over supply disruptions at the US/Mexico border, not to mention Brexit. Additionally, finding skilled workers remains a big challenge. At the same time, 2019 might be described as a turning point for U.S. manufacturing, as more companies look to source supplies domestically, providing opportunity for industrial companies at home. Today, we're taking a look at what manufacturing executives are saying directly about business conditions and the road ahead.

President Donald J. Trump instigated a range of tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 that had direct and indirect impacts on the purchase of farm equipment. Even companies that choose to purchase farm equipment from American companies may experience price increase if the materials used in them come from China. That is particularly true in the case of equipment made of aluminum and steel. Many of the products used in manufacturing farm equipment are directly affected by the current tariff war, including belting, aluminum rivets and articles made from some of the most-used metals.

Construction machinery, by and large, is a capital-intensive investment. Despite the turmoil in world markets, it remains in steady demand by builders and municipalities nationwide. What follows is some information on the sector and things for buyers to consider when looking to acquire heavy equipment.

Every person in the United States is reliant on construction machinery to create the buildings and infrastructure that make up our cities and towns. The companies that manufacture these machines are currently in the midst of a challenging period as international trade actions ripple into their market. We will address some of these issues and explore how this important industry has weathered the storm.

Trucent announced that it has finalized the purchase of all the assets and rights relating to Advanced Separation Technologies (CentraSep) and AST Leasing, collectively referred to as CentraSep. CentraSep becomes part of the Trucent family of companies and will be known as Trucent CentraSep Technologies. CentraSep brings an additional leading technology and strong market presence to Trucent's portfolio: CentraSep centrifugal separators for liquid/solid separation. The company has a strong global presence in the solar panel production and glass grinding industries and is a market leader given the design, reliability, and overall fluid separation performance of its technology.

After rebounding several points in March, U.S. manufacturing activity expanded at a slower rate in April, as new orders, production and employment slipped, according the Institute for Supply Management's latest survey of manufacturing executives. U.S. manufacturing activity now stands at 52.8%, down 2.5% from March's reading of 55.3%. This means that while U.S. manufacturing is still in growth mode, the sector is expanding at a slower rate. April 2019 stands as the 38th consecutive month of growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector, and the 120th straight month of growth in the economy overall.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded in the first quarter of 2019, beating expectations and relieving concerns that the U.S. economy is slowing. U.S. GDP expanded at a 3.2% in the first quarter of 2019, following a 2.2% increase in the final quarter of 2018, bolstered by a surge in exports and diminishing imports as well as a boost in technology investments, including software, intellectual property, and R&D. Economists had expected a 2.5% rate in growth for the 1st quarter. It was the best quarter for the U.S. economy since 2015

The farm machinery and equipment industry is a significant industry in the agricultural sector. Agricultural operations cannot function without proper equipment and machinery. This industry, also referred to as the agricultural machinery industry, has been a part of farming throughout history, with many examples of farming equipment and machinery during the 19th century. The farm machinery and equipment industry is large, encompassing machines for tillage, planting, fertilizing, seeding, irrigation, pest control, haymaking, harvesting, milking, wool presses, windmills, and more, as well as tractors.

This week we received the exciting news that Carol Stream, Illinois-based cutting tool manufacturer CJT Koolcarb is celebrating 50 years in business. In commemoration of this special event, National Sales Manager, Les Frick, sent us a special announcement for IndustryNet readers, taking us through the history of the company and all that it has accomplished over the past half-century. We are proud to post their news today:

Miller Lighting Products, which is celebrating 44 years in business this summer, recently announced a new line of lighting products, strengthening their core offering of LED corn lights, LED paddle products, and angled garden light line with the latest higher lumen retrofits.

For the foreseeable future, the air and gas compressor industry will continue to grow, with sales and job creation remaining high. We will look at these factors along with the uses for compressors and recent innovations in the field.

U.S. manufacturing has grown at a record pace over the past few years, with the ISM index showing that the U.S. manufacturing sector has grown for 37th straight months. New plants and expansions are being announced every day, including number of foreign companies with new manufacturing ventures in the United States. From Baltimore, Maryland to Shelbyville, Indiana, here are just a few of the major manufacturer announcements made in April.

Oil free air compressors are relatively new on the market, because of their higher price point they've earned a reputation that they should only be used in niche situations where ISO class 0 air (defined by the end user AND less than .01 MG/M3) is required. As the market has matured and the technology has matured, the savings of switching from oil-flooded to oil free compressors are becoming viable in more and more applications. Don Layyous from Pye-Barker Engineered Solutions shares expert knowledge on the benefits of utilizing oil-free air compressors on the plant floor.

According to new data compiled by MNI, publisher of the U.S. industrial data that powers IndustryNet, New Jersey manufacturing employment climbed 1.4% over the past year, reversing the downward trend that has plagued the state since the recession. Employment gains were led by New Jersey's food processing sector, though growth was seen across a spectrum of key industries, helped by the state's highly skilled workforce and competitive business incentives. A number of new and expanding manufacturing facilities were announced over the year as well, laying the groundwork for future growth in the state.

Homeowners and major industries alike both rely on air and gas compressors to accomplish dozens of tasks. The air and gas compression industry is thus very large and very profitable compared to many other industrial sectors. In this article, we will take a look at the largest of these companies and the sector overall. Industry overall Buoyed by a robust domestic energy market and extensive construction, the air and gas compressor industry has seen a phenomenal year to year growth. According to MNI, compiler and publisher of the industrial data that powers IndustryNet, sales jumped from almost $17.5 billion to $20.2 billion in one year for an increase of 15.48%.

Bell Flavors & Fragrances was on display and showcased their take on innovative culinary flavors during the 2019 Research Chefs Association (RCA) Expo in Louisville, Kentucky on March 14th. The team featured a unique set of flavor combinations for beverage, sweet and savory dishes creating an Aged Cider Mint Julep, Colonial Pound Cake, and Kentucky Rabbit Ricotta Toast.

New data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the U.S. added 196,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8%. However, employment in the manufacturing sector fell for the first time in more than a year, dropping by 6,000 jobs. Overall, the nation's manufacturing sector has been growing at a steady pace over the past few years. 2018 was the best year for manufacturing employment gains in the post-recession era, adding a record 284,000 jobs, while 2017 was also a notable year, with jobs climbing by 207,000. Manufacturing currently accounts for 12,821,000 jobs, or 9% of total U.S. non-farm employment. This stands at roughly the same level as in December 2008 (12,850,000).

In the early days of manufacturing, few components and processes were prone to hacking. Today, however, manufacturing is increasingly advanced and connected. Using the wrong software or application can pose a threat by giving unscrupulous individuals access to the network or data. The incorporation of the "internet of things" or IoT into manufacturing means that more devices are connected to the internet than ever before, offering easy access to hackers. Since historically, manufacturing never had to worry about cybersecurity, some companies may be slow to consider this concern.

After slipping several notches in February, U.S. manufacturing activity bounced back in March, led by a spike in new orders, hiring, and production according the Institute for Supply Management's latest survey of manufacturing executives.

Hydraulic power units are standalone systems that provide everything necessary to activate a hydraulic circuit. Consisting of a prime mover, reservoir, valve and a pump, hydraulic power units can range in size from less than 30 pounds in weight to several tons. Dozens of industries utilize hydraulic power units, and to serve them, dedicated companies exist all across the nation. Below is an overview of the hydraulic power unit industry and the top ten companies in that space.

From Durham to Detroit, here are just a few of the major manufacturer announcements made in March.

Hydraulic equipment and parts refer to the components of hydraulic systems that control and transmit commands and force. Actuators, valves and pumps are included in this category. Obviously connected to the overall hydraulic industry, hydraulic equipment and parts is a significant fraction of that industry's economic power.

Hydraulic equipment utilizes pressurized fluid to perform various machining operations. Hydraulic power drives numerous types of machine, such as diggers, bulldozers, cranes and other construction equipment. This power is also commonly utilized in industrial facilities, where hydraulics is incorporated into applications like robotic presses, lathes and arms. Without hydraulic equipment, companies specializing in hydraulic pumps or hydraulic hoses would not have the ability to manufacture their products. Hydraulic equipment suppliers comprise a significant portion of the hydraulics industry. Their average sales account for a huge percentage of the hydraulic industry's overall sales. With the position of the industry in mind, growth among hydraulic equipment suppliers becomes more relevant.

API has introduced its 6DoF vProbe, a hand-held tactile probing system, for use with its portable RADIAN Pro and Plus Laser Tracker range, extending their dimensional measurements capabilities to perform part inspections conventionally performed by large fixed coordinate measuring machines (CMM). The wirelessly-operated API vProbe allows measurement of intricate part features, including those outside the tracker's line-of-site, providing fast and accurate manual part inspections. The vProbe, combined with a laser tracker, can provide more measurement versatility than a portable arm CMM while being significantly more accurate and more suitable for larger parts.

New data released Friday by the Federal Reserve paints a more optimistic picture for U.S. industry. According to the Fed, U.S. industrial output edged up back in February, after falling a half percent at the start of the year. However, when measured on its own, manufacturing output actually declined, albeit to a lesser degree than January (down a half percent, as opposed to January's one percent). Taking a longer-term view, it should be noted that manufacturing output has in fact increased significantly across most sectors over the past year.

According to new data compiled by MNI, publisher of the U.S. industrial data that powers IndustryNet, Rhode Island manufacturing employment edged up over the past year. A number of new and expanding manufacturing facilities were announced over the year, laying the groundwork for future growth in the state. In this article we'll explore some of the key growth trends for the state and take a look at why Rhode Island is becoming a top destination for manufacturers.

Hydraulic systems depend on hoses in order to operate. Literally pumping the lifeblood of the system, hydraulic hoses have to be built to exacting standards to withstand the extremely high stresses placed upon them. Subject to the same external factors that the hydraulics industry overall experiences, the hydraulic hose sector is slated to expand in the coming years. Forecasts are predicting that construction will be the biggest driver in the growth of the industry.

Traditionally, manufacturing has been perceived as a male-centric profession. This is slowly changing as more women enter the manufacturing industry and take an active role in management and ownership. Look back at some famous women in manufacturing throughout history before exploring current trends and take a look at the fastest-growing women-owned manufacturers in the U.S. today.

In a new report released March 6th, the U.S. Commerce Department revealed the U.S. trade deficit of goods and services has reached its highest point in a decade, increasing by $9.5 billion to its current level of $59.8 billion. Total export of goods declined by $3.9 billion, while imports increased $5.5 billion. When measured in terms of goods only (the U.S. currently runs a trade surplus in services) the U.S. trade deficit has actually reached its highest point in U.S history at $81.5 billion

Hydraulic pumps are the mechanical devices that change mechanical power, converting it to hydraulic energy, and they play a crucial role in the larger industry of hydraulics. Hydraulic pumps have numerous applications, spanning nearly every industrial or mobile hydraulic machine. As such, they can be found on everything from lifts to mixers to dump trucks to cranes. To better understand the position of the hydraulic pump industry within the industry of hydraulics as a whole, consider some key statistics. While there are 99 companies in the hydraulic pump industry, hydraulics as a whole has 1,656 companies.