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INDUSTRY GROUPS BACK CREATION OF 'MANUFACTURING CZAR' - Most say it's about time the federal government focused on manufacturing as a whole - When politicians have discussed ways to fix the economy, most of the dialogue has been directed at financial institutions, health care and energy. With the exception of the auto industry, manufacturing has largely been ignored by policymakers. "The most important part of this process is some recognition that manufacturing is important," says Mark Tomlinson, executive director and general manager of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. READ MORE

MANUFACTURERS ON THE UPBEAT - Despite the global economic recession, America's manufacturing sector reported increased activity. The Institute of Supply Management (ISM), based in Tempe, Arizona, is signaling a more optimistic outlook in its latest report. "New Orders and Production Indexes rose significantly above 50 percent, thus setting an expectation for future growth in the sector," ISM Chairman Norbert J. Ore said in a statement. "The miracle lies in U.S. innovation and manufacturing. After a decade of bankers gone wild, America needs to create real wealth by making things rather than selling complex derivatives in the markets," Mark C. Tomlinson, Manager of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), said in an article published on the IndustryWeek.com Web site. READ MORE

EXAMINING WAL-MART'S SUSTAINABILITY INDEX -SME's Robert B. Pojasek, Ph.D., gives his view on the retailer's initiative - Most of us know that Wal-Mart has been a big player in the "green" movement. The world's biggest retailer takes the whole "let's save the planet" talk very seriously. So it wasn't with much shock that in July the company announced a worldwide sustainability index initiative -a single source of data for evaluating the sustainability of products. The index will be introduced in three phases. First, the giant retailer will perform a supplier assessment through a survey to evaluate the suppliers' own sustainability. READ MORE

THE INTEGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING - As sustainability and renewability have become popular recurring themes in the media over the last few years, there has been a renewed interest into how these concepts will filter into the manufacturing world. How will manufacturers integrate sustainable design techniques into their daily practices? According to Terry Begnoche, member and industry relations manager for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) the answer is that they already are. READ MORE

SME ANNOUNCES 2010 ELECTION RESULTS FOR INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORS AND MEMBER COUNCIL - The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) announces the election of six new members to its Board of Directors and four members to its Member Council for 2010. All will be installed on November 14, 2009, at the SME Fall Board of Directors Meeting in Dearborn, Mich. Their terms officially began on January 1, 2010. READ MORE

MANUFACTURERS DETAIL RECESSION SURVIVAL STRATEGIES IN NEW SURVEY - Opportunities for Manufacturers Abound As Economy Improves - Manufacturers detail their recession survival strategies in a new survey conducted by the sponsors of the upcoming FABTECH® International & AWS Welding Show, including METALFORM, in Chicago. To survive what many view as the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, 69 percent of manufacturers indicated they reduced their workforce, followed by delaying capital expenditures (66 percent), negotiating with suppliers for better deals (48 percent) and cutting promotional activities (37 percent.) The survey of 1,046 past or prospective registrants of the FABTECH® event was conducted in late July. READ MORE

WILL YOU BE PREPARED WHEN YOUR OEM ASKS YOU TO GO GREEN? - SME Offers Affordable Solutions to Help Manufacturers Become More Sustainable - Going green has gone from the feel-good movement of the moment to something that is becoming largely demanded within industry. According to a recent IndustryWeek article, larger OEMs and retail giants like Wal-Mart are requiring that their suppliers and their supply chains get greener. And a recent survey of manufacturers by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers reveals that nearly 20 percent have been asked to provide "environmental footprint" information to their OEM. READ MORE

SME FORD PAS SCHOLARSHIPS VALIDATES DREAM OF ENGINEERING CAREER - Funding from the Ford Motor Company Fund supports the SME Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies Ford (PAS) and Henry Ford Academy Scholarships. - The SME Education Foundation awarded three students scholarships for $10,000 over four years allowing them to pursue their dreams of an engineering career through the SME Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (PAS) program and another for the Henry Ford Academy Scholarship program. Each of these academic high achievers met the standards established by Ford Motor Company Fund and the SME Education Foundation. READ MORE

SME AND PURDUE UNVEIL NEW GREEN CERTIFICATE PROGRAM - Program Offers New Skills and Hope for Manufacturing Jobs and the Economy - Much in the way the Works Progress Administration of the Great Depression put millions of Americans back to work, there is great hope that green jobs will do the same thing during these current tougher-than-ever economic times. What's more, CareerBuilder.com recently named green jobs as one of seven careers "poised for growth." But what are the skills needed to get one of these new economy jobs and just who will qualify for them? READ MORE

MANUFACTURING EXECUTIVES REPORT SIGNS OF IMPROVING ECONOMY IN NEW POLL - FABTECH® 2009 Provides Solutions to Survive Recession and Prepare for Recovery - Optimism about the economy is beginning to permeate among the ranks of recession-wracked manufacturers, according to a new poll conducted by the co-sponsors of the upcoming FABTECH® International & AWS Welding Show, including METALFORM, in Chicago. More than half (53 percent) of the manufacturing executives polled indicated they have seen or experienced signs that signal the start of an economic recovery. The survey of 1,046 past or prospective registrants of the FABTECH® event was conducted in late July. READ MORE

SOUTH-TEC EXPO OFFERS SOUTHERN MANUFACTURERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHEN THE RECESSION ENDS - Exhibition to be Held October 6-8 at the Charlotte Convention Center - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced earlier this year that he expected the recession to begin losing some of its strength by the end of 2009. But according to a recent Reuters report, the recession has only recently extended its long arm into several Southern states, including Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. In particular, the report revealed that North Carolina, which once boasted an "enviable" unemployment rate of 4.7 percent just two years ago, now has a rate in the double digits. READ MORE