By Rachael Pfenninger, project manager AMBA One of the primary challenges facing today’s manufacturers is workforce development, which includes the hiring and retention of capable employees. A critical component of retaining strong employees actually can begin, however, with a smooth onboarding process. In Roy Maurer’s article, “New Employee Onboarding Guide,” Maurer argues … [Read more...] about The Impact of the Onboarding Process on Employee Retention

By Liz Stevens, contributing writer The American Mold Builder AMBA recently published its New Employee Onboarding Checklists Report for 2019, based on a survey of 39 mold manufacturers in 13 states across the nation. The report includes a summary of the respondents’ geographical locations, annual sales levels and number of employees. The report also presents statistics on the … [Read more...] about A Deeper Look at Onboarding Checklists

By Liz Stevens, contributing writer The American Mold Builder Marijuana now is legal, in some form, in 33 US states. Marijuana use still is illegal at the federal level, but attitudes and laws are changing. That’s partly because medical marijuana is being used legally in many states for the treatment of a variety of conditions, with pain topping the list. And, lawmakers in … [Read more...] about Workplace Implications for Marijuana Use

The 2019 Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Summit was held in July in Columbus, Ohio. The event was the largest to date, with more than 100 attendees gathering to share leadership and safety best practices with other manufacturing professionals. With a focus on world-class safety, more than 25 industry safety speakers provided implementable ideas that attendees could use … [Read more...] about EHS Summit Emphasizes Preparedness

By H. Alan Rothenbuecher, partner Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP Supply agreements serve as the lifeblood of many manufacturing companies. These agreements outline the terms and conditions controlling the supply of goods and services between various parties. Without this framework, many businesses could not meet the pressing demands of the modern-day … [Read more...] about Five Steps to Better Supply Agreements

By Laurie Harbour, president and CEO Harbour Results, Inc. As you know, the manufacturing industry is facing a great deal of uncertainty. From tariff and trade agreements to a (potential) looming recession, many tool and die shops are experiencing challenging times and finding it difficult to see what’s in store for the future. Although these factors are out of a shop … [Read more...] about Four Key Attributes that Deliver Lead Time Reduction