Tag Archives: Skills

The Sorrow of a Plant Closing – Part 3

“A ship without a rudder.”

I often heard this plant called that.

And while the last part explored what’s possible when things seem bleak, the power of inertia commands respect.

Heed the warning in this next installment.

The Sorrow of a Plant Closing – Part 2

Not every failure is a total loss. Especially when you find something worth fighting for.

And in the midst struggling through the challenges, learning how to fight is a valuable lesson.

Learn more about those lessons in this 2nd installment.

The Sorrow of a Plant Closing – Part 1

Three minutes.

That’s what it took to find five positive differences in a similar package made overseas.

But the culture that plowed through those differences to just “work harder” sank an American icon.

Is there anything the shop floor can do about it?

Find out in the first part of this series.

My interview on “Best Practices” podcast with Jared Wall

Reshoring won’t happen. Not for manufacturing.

Skilled labor is dying off. None of the investment will come in time. And Gen Z just wants to be influencers.

At least that’s the common refrain of the mainstream press.

But I don’t think so.

Learn more about the opportunity in manufacturing in this podcast.

Manufacturing versus Money Supply

There’s a manufacturing renaissance on the horizon. But some think there’s too much currency to make it work.

Those contradictions make it more important than ever to revisit history.

Here’s the money supply paradox nobody’s talking about.

Need Inspiration to Execute?

I inherited a maintenance department. It wasn’t the first time I had run one. But inheriting this maintenance department was different. The previous maintenance manager was fired after an operator suffered a lost-time accident. The reason: not fostering a culture of safety. The maintenance planner had stepped in the role at first. However, it overwhelmedContinue reading “Need Inspiration to Execute?”

Can Small Business Solve Problems Better with Process Flow?

Is it ever a good day when your safety devices leak poisonous gas? I had been working with a team for at least 4 years. Several different departments were adding their input for long-term changes. If we were successful, we would be exempt from new EPA regulations. But every time we got together, one departmentContinue reading “Can Small Business Solve Problems Better with Process Flow?”