SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — The Obama administration has long heralded the potential of American factories to offer good, stable middle-class jobs in an economy that desperately needs them. But experts say there might be another advantage to expanding manufacturing in the United States: a more innovative economy.
A growing chorus of economists, engineers and business leaders are warning that the evisceration of the manufacturing work force over the last 30 years might not have scarred just Detroit and the Rust Belt. It might have dimmed the country’s capacity to innovate and stunted the prospects for long-term growth.
“In sector after sector, we’ve lost our innovation edge because we don’t produce goods here anymore,” said Mitzi Montoya, dean of the college of technology and innovation at Arizona State University.
These experts say that in industries that produce complex, high-technology products — things like bioengineered tissues, not light bulbs — companies that keep their research and manufacturing employees close together might be more innovative than businesses that develop a schematic and send it overseas for low-wage workers to make. Moreover, clusters of manufacturers, where workers and ideas can naturally flow between companies, might prove more productive and innovative than the same businesses if they were spread across the country.
A General Electric facility in upstate New York provides a test case. In a custom-built facility the size of four football fields, workers are casting into thin tubes a kind of ceramic that G.E. invented. Those tubes get filled with a secret chemical “brownie mix,” packaged into batteries and shipped across the world.
The plant sits just a few miles down the road from the research campus where G.E. scientists developed the technology. That allows them to work out kinks on the assembly line, and test prototypes of and uses for the battery, the company’s scientists said.
“We’re not thinking about just one generation,” said Glen Merfeld of G.E.’s chemical energy systems laboratory, showing off a test battery his employees had run into exhaustion. “We’re working on the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth.”
The idea is to knit together manufacturing, design, prototyping and production, said Michael Idelchik, vice president for advanced technologies, who holds a dozen patents himself. “We believe that rather than a sequential process where you look at product design and then how to manufacture it, there is a simultaneous process,” Mr. Idelchik said. “We think it is key for sustaining our long-term competitive advantage.”
Economists and policy experts are now researching whether such strategies offer the same benefits for other businesses — and examining how those benefits might show up in national data on innovation, productivity and growth.
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Suzanne Berger has helped to start the
Production in the Innovation Economy project to study the subject. “It is something that’s very difficult to establish systematically,” said Professor Berger. “You really have to be willing to look at case-by-case evidence, qualitative evidence. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Thus far, she said, the anecdotal evidence from about 200 companies has proved striking, with company after company detailing the advantages of keeping makers and thinkers together. That does not mean every business, she stressed. Companies with products early in their life cycle seemed to benefit more than ones with products on the market for years. So did companies making especially complicated or advanced goods, from new medicines to new machines.
“It’s the companies where the challenge of producing on a commercial scale requires levels of scientific activity that are just as complex as the original challenge of developing the technology,” Professor Berger said.
Economists said that while the link between making and innovating within individual businesses was not yet well established, the link between making and innovating between different companies was.
It is what they call a “spillover” effect: manufacturing companies near one another create a kind of commons. Workers exchange ideas over drinks and at baseball games. They switch jobs, taking their knowledge with them. They draw other companies, who compete to offer them goods and services. It all adds up to a more productive, more innovative economy.
For instance, the economist Michael Greenstone of M.I.T.analyzed what happened to towns after marquee manufacturing plants, like a BMW factory, moved in. Other factories in the town became more productive, he and his co-authors found. Wages rose, too. Such evidence has left many economists and other experts concerned about the overseas movement of manufacturing jobs and facilities over the past 30 years.
The bulk of those jobs, experts were keen to note, were jobs that the United States probably would not want back — like repetitive assembly positions. But many were more cerebral positions, where manufacturing workers were not simply following a schematic, but solving problems.
“Outsourcing has not stopped with low-value tasks like simple assembly or circuit-board stuffing,” wrote Willy C. Shih and Gary P. Pisano of Harvard Business School. “Sophisticated engineering and manufacturing capabilities that underpin innovation in a wide range of products have been rapidly leaving, too.”
That might have left the United States falling behind in some fast-growing areas of cutting-edge technology, like bioscience and nanotechnology.
“The manufacturing process itself is going through an innovation revolution,” said Stephen Hoover, chief executive of Xerox PARC. “It’s not four million people on an assembly line. It’s a small number of really highly skilled people.”
The White House has studied these arguments and evidence, and found itself convinced.
“A vibrant manufacturing sector is inextricably linked to our capacity as a nation to innovate,” concludes a White House report published this year. It has pushed for allocating billions of dollars to an array of policies to bring back manufacturing and keep it in the United States.
Experts and executives for manufacturing companies described the proposals as helpful, but too small to make a significant difference. When asked what might help rebuild the country’s manufacturing commons faster, they mentioned things like a larger immigration program for science, engineering and technology graduates; tripling government investment in basic research and development; hugely increasing export financing; and changing the country’s regulatory scheme.
“Other nations are competing intensely to create an attractive business and regulatory environment for manufacturing firms” said James Manyika
, dire
ctor of the McKinsey Global Institute, which recently published a report on manufacturing’s link with innovation. “The United States just hasn’t done this as aggressively as other countries have.”
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 11
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 11 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE (via Facebook) blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 12PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is over $800.
That’s over $800 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 12pm EST on 12/20. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 11
Foxconn Begins Manufacturing Amazon Smartphone
in UncategorizedDecember 18, 2012
Perhaps the most surprising part of the report relates to the price of the supposed device. The report claims that Amazon’s smartphone will be offered for a price somewhere in the range of $100 to $200. If true, such a low price point would be consistent with the company’s strategy of bringing customers into its e-commerce ecosystem over profit margins on its hardware. Despite the success of the Kindle line of devices, the company barely breaks even on every Kindle Fire $159.00 at Amazon device produced.
But, contrary to the high profit margin strategy of Apple, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos apparently believes in a different approach. In October, in a statement accompanying Amazon’s third quarter results, Bezos said, “Our approach is to work hard to charge less. Sell devices near breakeven and you can pack a lot of sophisticated hardware into a very low price point.”
The Asia-based news source also claims the device is scheduled to be launched some time in the second or third quarter of 2013, which might allow the handset to compete, give or take a few months, with the release of an updated iPhone, assuming Apple hews to its usual release schedule.
Last month, Digitimes reported that Foxconn was producing phones for Amazon and Microsoft.
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 10
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 10 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
We are giving away an average of $500 worth of American made prizes daily for 12 days. All prizes have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors.
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE (via Facebook) blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 12PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is over $400
That’s over $400 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 12pm EST on 12/19. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 10
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 9
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 9 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE (via Facebook) blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 3PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is over $500
That’s over $500 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 12pm EST on 12/18. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 9
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 8
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 8 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE (via Facebook) blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 3PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is over $650
That’s over $650 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 12pm EST on 12/17. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 8
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 7
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 7 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
Keep entering, sharing, liking, tweeting, googling… well, you get the point. We are making a difference. This is what we need to do folks. Spread awareness! Let everyone know about us. Let’s wake people up from their slumber. American made products is where it’s at!! Let’s do this!
5 more giveaways to go. We are giving away an average of $500 worth of American made prizes daily for 12 days. All prizes have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors.
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE (via Facebook) blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 3PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is over $650
That’s over $650 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 3pm EST on 12/16. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 7
Chinese Firm Wins Auction for Battery Maker A123
in UncategorizedDecember 9, 2012
Navitas Systems, a Woodridge, Ill.-based company, has agreed to buy A123’s Ann Arbor-based government business, including all U.S. military contracts for $2.25 million.
The firms outbid others — including Johnson Controls — at a bankruptcy auction on Saturday.
“We are pleased with the result of the auction and believe that the selected bids from Wanxiang and Navitas maximize the value of A123’s assets for the benefit of our stakeholders,” said A123 CEO Dave Vieau. “We think we have structured this transaction to address potential national security concerns.”
But some members of Congress still raised concerns.
“I am very concerned by Wanxiang’s acquisition of A123. A123 maintains several contracts with the Department of Defense and given the thin line between Wanxiang and the Chinese Government,” said Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, in a statement. “I am concerned about the government of China having access to sensitive technologies being used by our military forces.”
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware will hold a hearing on the sale of A123 on Tuesday.
A123 filed for bankruptcy in October and initially sought approval to sell the bulk of itself to Johnson Controls Inc. in less than six weeks.
The startup — which has lost $900 million since 2007 and has 1,000 employees and contractors in Michigan — received $50 million in debtor-in-possession financing from Wanxiang.
A123 vowed to create 3,000 jobs by the end of 2012, but only has 1,300. The company won $249.1 million in grants from the Obama administration in 2009 to build battery plants in Romulus and Livonia, but has only spent $132 million. It also received more than $125 million in tax credits from the state of Michigan.
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner — who chairs the Committee on Foreign Investment, which reviews the sale of U.S. companies — Sens. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and members of the House raised concerns.
They said the deal may pose a “threat to U.S. national security.”
The Energy Department could seek to recover equipment purchased with the A123 grant if the plants aren’t operated. Or it could release the remaining $117 in grant funding.
A123 has 625 employees at plants in Romulus and Livonia and an Ann Arbor office, along with 348 temporary workers in the state.
The company is the latest in a string of advanced battery firms that have gone bankrupt despite millions of dollars in subsidies from state governments and the Bush and Obama administrations.
In January, New York-based Ener1 filed for bankruptcy protection. A similar filing was made in March by Canada-based Azure Dynamics, which has offices in Oak Park and installs the battery electric powertrain in Ford’s Transit Connect.
The Obama administration awarded $2.4 billion in stimulus grants in August 2009 for advanced batteries and electric vehicles, saying the awards would create thousands of jobs.
The president set a goal of 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015, but sales have totaled fewer than 40,000 since 2011. Many battery suppliers have created a small fraction of the promised jobs.
dshepardson@detroitnews.com
(202) 662-8735
High-Tech Factories Built to Be Engines of Innovation
in UncategorizedDecember 13, 2012
“In sector after sector, we’ve lost our innovation edge because we don’t produce goods here anymore,” said Mitzi Montoya, dean of the college of technology and innovation at Arizona State University.
These experts say that in industries that produce complex, high-technology products — things like bioengineered tissues, not light bulbs — companies that keep their research and manufacturing employees close together might be more innovative than businesses that develop a schematic and send it overseas for low-wage workers to make. Moreover, clusters of manufacturers, where workers and ideas can naturally flow between companies, might prove more productive and innovative than the same businesses if they were spread across the country.
A General Electric facility in upstate New York provides a test case. In a custom-built facility the size of four football fields, workers are casting into thin tubes a kind of ceramic that G.E. invented. Those tubes get filled with a secret chemical “brownie mix,” packaged into batteries and shipped across the world.
The plant sits just a few miles down the road from the research campus where G.E. scientists developed the technology. That allows them to work out kinks on the assembly line, and test prototypes of and uses for the battery, the company’s scientists said.
“We’re not thinking about just one generation,” said Glen Merfeld of G.E.’s chemical energy systems laboratory, showing off a test battery his employees had run into exhaustion. “We’re working on the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth.”
The idea is to knit together manufacturing, design, prototyping and production, said Michael Idelchik, vice president for advanced technologies, who holds a dozen patents himself. “We believe that rather than a sequential process where you look at product design and then how to manufacture it, there is a simultaneous process,” Mr. Idelchik said. “We think it is key for sustaining our long-term competitive advantage.”
Economists and policy experts are now researching whether such strategies offer the same benefits for other businesses — and examining how those benefits might show up in national data on innovation, productivity and growth.
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Suzanne Berger has helped to start the Production in the Innovation Economy project to study the subject. “It is something that’s very difficult to establish systematically,” said Professor Berger. “You really have to be willing to look at case-by-case evidence, qualitative evidence. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Thus far, she said, the anecdotal evidence from about 200 companies has proved striking, with company after company detailing the advantages of keeping makers and thinkers together. That does not mean every business, she stressed. Companies with products early in their life cycle seemed to benefit more than ones with products on the market for years. So did companies making especially complicated or advanced goods, from new medicines to new machines.
“It’s the companies where the challenge of producing on a commercial scale requires levels of scientific activity that are just as complex as the original challenge of developing the technology,” Professor Berger said.
Economists said that while the link between making and innovating within individual businesses was not yet well established, the link between making and innovating between different companies was.
It is what they call a “spillover” effect: manufacturing companies near one another create a kind of commons. Workers exchange ideas over drinks and at baseball games. They switch jobs, taking their knowledge with them. They draw other companies, who compete to offer them goods and services. It all adds up to a more productive, more innovative economy.
For instance, the economist Michael Greenstone of M.I.T.analyzed what happened to towns after marquee manufacturing plants, like a BMW factory, moved in. Other factories in the town became more productive, he and his co-authors found. Wages rose, too. Such evidence has left many economists and other experts concerned about the overseas movement of manufacturing jobs and facilities over the past 30 years.
The bulk of those jobs, experts were keen to note, were jobs that the United States probably would not want back — like repetitive assembly positions. But many were more cerebral positions, where manufacturing workers were not simply following a schematic, but solving problems.
“Outsourcing has not stopped with low-value tasks like simple assembly or circuit-board stuffing,” wrote Willy C. Shih and Gary P. Pisano of Harvard Business School. “Sophisticated engineering and manufacturing capabilities that underpin innovation in a wide range of products have been rapidly leaving, too.”
That might have left the United States falling behind in some fast-growing areas of cutting-edge technology, like bioscience and nanotechnology.
“The manufacturing process itself is going through an innovation revolution,” said Stephen Hoover, chief executive of Xerox PARC. “It’s not four million people on an assembly line. It’s a small number of really highly skilled people.”
The White House has studied these arguments and evidence, and found itself convinced.
“A vibrant manufacturing sector is inextricably linked to our capacity as a nation to innovate,” concludes a White House report published this year. It has pushed for allocating billions of dollars to an array of policies to bring back manufacturing and keep it in the United States.
Experts and executives for manufacturing companies described the proposals as helpful, but too small to make a significant difference. When asked what might help rebuild the country’s manufacturing commons faster, they mentioned things like a larger immigration program for science, engineering and technology graduates; tripling government investment in basic research and development; hugely increasing export financing; and changing the country’s regulatory scheme.
“Other nations are competing intensely to create an attractive business and regulatory environment for manufacturing firms” said James Manyika
, dire
ctor of the McKinsey Global Institute, which recently published a report on manufacturing’s link with innovation. “The United States just hasn’t done this as aggressively as other countries have.”
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 6
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 6 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
Keep entering, sharing, liking, tweeting, googling… well, you get the point. We are making a difference. This is what we need to do folks. Spread awareness! Let everyone know about us. Let’s wake people up from their slumber. American made products is where it’s at!! Let’s do this!
6 more giveaways to go. We are giving away an average of $500 worth of American made prizes daily for 12 days. All prizes have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors.
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE (via Facebook) blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 3PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is $575
That’s $575 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 3pm EST on 12/13. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 6
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 5
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 5 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
7 more giveaways to go. We are giving away an average of $500 worth of American made prizes daily for 12 days. All prizes have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors.
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE (via Facebook) blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 3PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is $563
That’s $563 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 3pm EST on 12/12. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 5
Sears Accused of Misleading Public on Craftsman Line
in UncategorizedThat issue is at the forefront of a claim that the company snookered consumers into believing that its famous Craftsman tools were made in the U.S. Sears has beaten back the lawsuit for now, but the battle appears to be far from over.
A California judge rejected an effort late last month to certify the suit as a class action. In his 42-page decision, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr argued that there were “serious problems” with the case and that it would be a “nightmare” to manage because there are 40 million potential class members, according to the National Law Journal.
Sears, which registered the Craftsman trademark in 1921, cheered the decision. But Barbara Hart, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, said the ruling will be appealed. In an interview with MSN Money, Hart said that her clients will seek certification under a narrower class definition.
“We are pleased with the court’s ruling but as the matter is still pending, we decline to comment further,” Sears spokesman Larry Costello wrote in an email.
Costello declined to say how many Craftsman tools were made in the U.S. and Hart, who filed suit against the retailer in 2004, isn’t sure either. After the suit was filed, Sears took Craftsman tools off the shelves and blacked out the words “Made in America,” she said.
Sears will not share records about where its Craftsman tools are made, but Hart said the company utilizes more than 130 Chinese manufacturers for the Craftsman line.
Craftsman has been one of the few bright spots for Sears in recent years as the retailer has struggled to compete against larger rivals such as Wal-Mart and Target. The stock has slumped more than 20% in the past year. Sears not a bargain for investors, trading at more than double its average 52-week price target of $17.83.
According to a recent report in the New York Times, the “Made in the USA” label has grown in popularity because it is a “signifier of old-school craftsmanship.” It’s also hard to find in today’s global economy. The U.S. trade deficit with China alone is about $232 billion.
The Made in America Movement
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 4
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 4 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
8 more giveaways to go. Each day we will be giving away over $500 worth of American made prizes. All prizes have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors.
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE (via Facebook) blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 3PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is over $565
That’s $565 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 3pm EST on 12/12. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 4
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 3
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 3 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
And too think we are just getting started. There are 9 more giveaways to go. Each day we will be giving away over $500 worth of American made prizes. All prizes have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors.
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here… ;-)
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!!
(3) SHARE blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 3PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is over $540.
That’s $540 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required, the Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 3pm EST on 12/11. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 3
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway – DAY 2
in UncategorizedWelcome to Day 2 of our Fabulous
12 Days of Christmas & Holiday Giveaway
So…. we had a brief hiccup on our Facebook page. Luckily we are a team that bounces back immediately! Our giveaway will now begin at 3pm EST daily, and winners will be posted at 6pm.EST Rules have changed slightly. But, there are more chances to win!
Rules for each day/entry:
(1) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(2) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but its really quite easy.
(3) Are you on GOOGLE+? Give us a “+” up on the right hand corner of this blog. Not necessary to enter, but while you’re here…
It will help us rank higher on GOOGLE!! ;-)
(3) SHARE blog link on your wall.
The more you share this link, the better your chances are to win.
Giveaway begins at 3PM EST
Giveaway will run for 24hrs only
One winner will be chosen at random.
Name of winner will be posted at 6pm EST.
Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us;
otherwise prize will go to runner up.
Today’s retail value of all prizes is over $560!
That’s $560 worth of potential American Made gifts you won’t have to spend a dime on!
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a LOT of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes required, the Twitter follows, are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win.
This giveaway will close at 3pm EST on 12/10. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email.
Now, let’s have some fun and win some prizes!!!
Thank you for your patience.
12 DAYS OF PRIZES
DAY 2
Apple's Next Macs Will Be Made in The USA
in UncategorizedDecember 06, 2012
“This iPhone … the engine in here is made in America. And not only are the engines in here made in America, engines are made in America and exported,” Cook said. By engine, Cook was referring to the “A5” processors that power the phone, which are manufactured by Samsung in an Austin, Texas, facility.
“Mr. Cook is correct: Corning does produce Gorilla Glass for Apple from our Harrodsburg, Ky., manufacturing plant,” Dan Collins, vice president of communication for Corning, told FoxNews.com in May.
Apple is clearly already well on the way: Some of the latest iMacs from the company carry a sticker labeled “Assembled in America.”
A quick tour of the Apple store in New York’s Grand Central Station Wednesday revealed one new iMac with just such a sticker, brought to the location a week ago, a store employee told FoxNews.com, and likely one of the first produced iMacs. A sticker on a second, identical iMac says “Assembled in China,” however.
Sources within the FTC told FoxNews.com they had heard that Apple was “in the process of getting approval to set up a plant in California in connection with these products,” but could not confirm the information.
Members of the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce did not return FoxNews.com phone calls.
Cook did not provide any additional details about where the manufacturing facility would be located, how many jobs it would create. But in an interview with Businessweek, Cook said the company would invest more than $100 million in the new project.
“We wanted to do something more substantial. So we’ll literally invest over $100 million. This doesn’t mean that Apple will do it ourselves, but we’ll be working with people, and we’ll be investing our money.”
Not all of the company’s plans for America will be in California, however. Eve Richter, economic development and emerging technologies coordinator for the Austin, Texas, Chamber of Commerce, told FoxNews.com the company is planning to expand a facility in that city, known for its high tech and manufacturing industries.
“Apple is building an office, an ‘Americas Operations Center,’” Richter told FoxNews.com. While that plant will create more than 3,600 jobs, she said, it is not a manufacturing facility.
“This project that I’ve talked about, where we’ll do a Mac in the United States next year, this is a really good ‘nother step for us,” Cook told Williams. When asked whether manufacturing in the U.S. will add to the cost of products, Cook deferred the question, instead arguing that the real issue was about the labor pool.
It’s not so much about the price as it is about the skills, etc. Over time, there are skills associated with manufacturing that have left the U.S.,” Cook said.
“It’s not a matter of bringing it back, it’s a matter of starting it here,” Cook said.
Policymakers Must Support the Mantra 'American Made'
in UncategorizedGeneral Vice President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
First, policymakers must a make a deal that saves the country from the “fiscal cliff.” It’s estimated that falling over the cliff would lead to 9.1 percent unemployment — and potentially send the country back into recession.
The threat of political inaction on the fiscal cliff has paralyzed U.S. industry, causing businesses to put plans to hire and expand on hold. If nothing happens, the Department of Defense would have its budget slashed nearly $500 billion over the next decade under sequestration. This would not only threaten our national security at a time of continuing global uncertainty, but it would also cost good U.S. jobs and stifle innovation.
We cannot allow this to happen — and most reasonable lawmakers agree. But whether or not our leaders in Washington will actually take the action needed to avert the sequester is an open question.
One segment of our economy that could be hit if sequestration occurs is the aerospace industry. A strong aerospace sector is critical to our national security and domestic manufacturing base. U.S. aerospace companies directly employ more than 600,000 Americans including highly-skilled engineers and well-trained mechanics. And, according to the Commerce Department, aerospace supports more U.S. jobs through exports than any other industry, leading to $85 billion in export sales in 2010.
While we all would like to believe the rosy predictions that project the industry continuing to grow and flourish, many see danger ahead.
Washington Senator Patty Murray warned her colleagues and the nation that, “[w]ithout a clear national strategy, [aerospace] companies risk being stagnant just as their foreign competition flies ahead, and we cannot let that happen.”
That absence of a clear strategy has caused marquee American aerospace companies to make tough decisions. Wichita, Kan. alone, frequently referred to as the “Air Capital” of the world, has lost between 13,000 and 14,000 aviation jobs since 2008. The impact of a lack of a national strategy will also be felt beyond Wichita by companies like Lockheed Martin in Texas, the Boeing Company in Missouri and the state of Washington, as well as thousands of suppliers across the U.S.
Leaders in this country must place the needs of Americans first. We need to create jobs and boost our own economy. And there may be legislative opportunities to do just that. Senators Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown, for instance, introduced the Invest in American Jobs Act that would give American manufacturers priority when competing for taxpayer-funded contracts.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that others in Congress or leaders in the Defense Department understand what’s at stake.
The first indicator is the current debate about slashing the defense budget. High-skilled, high-paying manufacturing jobs are at risk, jobs that reach into the small business supply chains in communities all over the country. Estimates have this budget cut affecting more than one million jobs across the nation.
A second warning came when the Department of Defense (DoD) disqualified American company Hawker Beechcraft from the Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft contract competition. If successful, Hawker’s bid would have created more than 1,400 U.S. jobs, with 600 in Wichita alone. But, their still unexplained disqualification left the Brazilian company Embraer as the winner of the $336 million U.S. taxpayer-funded award, essentially by default. And while this contract would have been a boon to the Brazilian economy, it would have resulted in only 50 new U.S. jobs.
The disqualification is especially troubling considering Hawker Beechcraft’s long history of manufacturing high quality military aircraft for the United States. Hawker Beechcraft’s T-6 trainer has been flown by every current US Air Force a U.S. Navy fixed-wing pilot. This general sense of familiarity surrounding the T-6 makes the new attack version very popular among those who would fly and service it. The Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 is the first propeller aircraft to employ laser guided rockets, further evidence that the AT-6 is the more capable choice for the Light Air Support contract. Additionally, the LAS award will become a template for similar foreign military sales across the globe and the winner will have a significant advantage in those competitions.
Fortunately, after an internal investigation into the award, the Defense Department threw out the initial award to the Brazilians and reopened the bidding process allowing Hawker Beechcraft to again compete. A decision on who will build the aircraft is expected in February 2013. One can only hope that the DoD will recognize the critical nature of the work to U.S. security and to the U.S. economy and award the contract to a U.S. company.
In a speech at the Brookings Institution, the AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka said, “Revive American manufacturing and stop exporting good jobs overseas.” Later he explained that Americans “can’t afford to replace trickle-down economics with trickle-out economics.”
We must invest in the American workforce and continue to fund research to stay ahead of our competitors — and our enemies. Our leaders must look at the big picture when making contracting decisions between American and foreign companies. The only way America will continue to lead in the aerospace industry is if we continue to stay ahead of our global competitors.
Bodacious Cases 100% Made in America iPhone case to be on ABC World News
in NewsOwner/Inventor at Bodacious Cases
ABC World News says that if each American spends just $64 on American Made gifts this Holiday and Christmas season that we can create 200,000 jobs! Lets wrap a new job this holiday season and buy AMERICAN MADE!
Follow them on social media:
For information on how to become a member, drop us an line! info@themadeinamericamovement.com
The Insourcing Boom
in ReshoringRead more
Education and an Economic Future for America are Linked Together
in UncategorizedDecember 3, 2012
In the Colonial period American education followed the European – particularly British – model, with education reserved for the elite: the hereditary gentry and the higher echelons of the merchant and military establishments.
Its purpose was not limited to instilling the knowledge needed by the sons of the ruling elite to be competent leaders. It was also teaching them the essence of the culture and social order, so as to assure national stability. This was done through study; shared discipline; and close acquaintance and friendship resulting from participation in common activities. The product was a networked group with a shared concept of national destiny and an implied duty to perpetuate the status quo.
Early American education was patterned on this model, which still lives within the circle loosely defined as the “Ivy League”. Eastern elite universities still perform the function of training the networked elite prominent in finance, law and government.
The other pole of our system could be defined as “mass education”, and is a typically American invention. Immigrants to the United States were well aware of the value of education – in their home countries accessible only to the privileged few. A different system was thus created by popular demand and local initiative, growing in stages reflecting national economic life.
The first phase was the village schoolhouse, providing the basic knowledge a farmer, shopkeeper or craftsman needed to attain prosperity. Such schools were unknown in Europe at the time.
The second phase, covering most of the 1800’s, was the creation of urban high schools, which catered to the needs of merchants and professionals. Funded by local tax levies or church donations, open to all, high schools and village schoolhouses made America the most literate nation in the world. General literacy allowed for the ubiquitous development of newspapers and pamphlets which fed our political life.
The following phase was the foundation of land-grant colleges. These “Agricultural and Mechanical” schools provided the mass of technical personnel – surveyors, pharmacists, veterinarians, engineers, attorneys – required by industrialization and Western settlement. “A&M’s” were the educational foundation of America’s rise to industrial power, spurring growth, innovation and the building of world-class corporations.
The last educational wave grew out of the unique advances generated by the WWII industrial build-up. In the war years our economy made huge strides in applied science, technology, management and productivity. A vast expansion of higher education – initially fueled by the G.I. Bill – was the foundation on which the post-war boom was built.
While our two educational concepts – elite and mass – tend in practice to blend into a continuous spectrum, they are different in concept and operation. “Elite” education looks at the present through the lens of the past, seeking to preserve an existing order. The “mass” system sees the present through the lens of the (perceived) future, to build is seen as the next wave. One is limited to a selected few. The other invites everybody in.
Historically the mass educational system has responded to demand born of economic advances. It works best when a future can be discerned. In a time of economic stagnation or decline it will be the first to suffer.
Such is its situation today. Our once stellar educational establishment is not failing because students are lazy, or teachers incompetent. It is declining primarily because we see no economic future.Excellence is being lost because there is no demand – no visible field to deploy talent and initiative, and thereby reward those who excel.
We should ask not why our schools are losing ground, but why we are, as a nation going backwards economically. The two are intimately linked. America educates best when the promise of the future is at hand.
'Made in America' Tech Not An Impossible Dream
in UncategorizedConventional wisdom is an ass.
Matt Burns at TechCrunch reports that the backs of some new ultrathin iMacs identify the machines as assembled in the United States. Apple has yet to comment on the findings, but there’s no denying the cost of labor in China is soaring.
Business Insider just published a graph that shows hourly manufacturing costs in China are up 23 percent this year compared to last year, and The Economist quotes an American contract manufacturing expert in China as saying, “Labor costs have surged by 20 percent a year for the past four years.” In fact, the price of labor is increasing so quickly that many Chinese firms are experimenting with production facilities outside of China to take advantage of lower labor costs.
Michael Kan at PC World reported in February, “For workers in Shenzhen, a major manufacturing base for Foxconn, the increase raises monthly salaries to between 2200 yuan ($350) and 2500 yuan.” (Foxconn, based in Taiwan, is the largest electronics assembly company in the world, with a client list that includes Apple, Microsoft, HP, Nokia, Sony, and many other household names.) Extrapolating at the current rate, by early next year a typical Foxconn worker in Shenzhen, China, will be making $420 a month or more. Granted that’s substantially less than a typical worker in the West, but the gap’s narrowing quickly. Transportation costs are rising. Long supply chains mean stores run out of stock more readily. Manufacturing in the United States has a host of advantages, not all of which are economic.
If the iMac was truly assembled in the United States — and FTC rules are strict about making that claim — it begs the question, where? TechCrunch cites a 50 percent workforce increase at the Apple campus in Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento, Calif., as being the possible location of a secret Apple assembly plant.
Google’s ill-fated Nexus Q, the wireless home media player that couldn’t quite decide what it should do, was manufactured in Silicon Valley. The Huffington Post quotes a Google senior director as saying, “We wanted to innovate fast… We wanted to see if we could do fast [design iterations] rather than having our engineers fly across the world.”
The TechCrunch article concludes that “there has to be a way to show Apple that Americans prefer computers assembled by Americans.”
What they forgot to mention is that people outside America frequently prefer devices assembled in the United States. “Made in the USA” is a strong drawing card, worldwide. Perhaps the world is changing once again.
The New iMac: Designed By Apple In California, Assembled In USA
in UncategorizedDecember 3, 2012
The publication noted that Apple’s American assembly has been a topic on the company’s Support Communities forum since 2006, with most threads concluding the markings are limited to the addition of extra components in an original order, or for refurbished products. However, the most recent post regarding the matter shows a standard iMac SKU purchased from authorized reseller B&H Photo bearing the “Assembled in USA” marking.
A new iMac purchased by a Fortune reader from the San Jose, Calif., Apple Store as well as the unit torn down by repair firm iFixit have identical labels.
As part of its duties, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission regulates manufacturers’ “Made in USA” and “Assembled in USA” assertions, pointing out that that latter cannot be a simple “screwdriver” assembly where parts made overseas are bolted onto a near-finalized product.
From the FTC regarding the “Made in USA” standard (emphasis of example added):
As for Apple’s future plans with domestic assembly, Cook said at the D10: All Things Digital conference in May that he wanted more American-made Apple products, but noted workforce limitations when compared to China.
“We will do as many of these things [in America] as we can do,” Cook said, “and you can bet that we’ll use the whole of our influence to do this.”
Walmart Wants You To Know That Their Workers 'Love Their Jobs'
in Uncategorized11/30/2012
Michael Bender, president of Walmart West, wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday that “the overwhelming majority of Walmart associates who love their jobs deserve a voice, too.” He claimed that 86 percent of Walmart hourly workers said in a survey they agree with the statement “I really love my job.” He did not specify the survey’s response rate.
“Our associates know the truth: We typically pay as much or more than the competition, the majority of our associates work full time, and entry-level pay often exceeds that of union hires,” he wrote. “We also offer careers, not just jobs.”
Warehouse Workers Move To Name Walmart In Wage-Theft Lawsuit
in Uncategorized“Walmart’s name does not appear on any of these workers paychecks, and the Walmart logo does not appear on the t-shirts they’re required to wear,” Michael Rubin, the workers’ lawyer, said on Friday. “But it has become increasingly clear that the ultimate liability for these workplace violations rests squarely on the shoulders of Walmart.”
While Walmart directly manages much of its distribution network, the company outsources the operation of some of its largest warehouses to third-party logistics firms, which in turn hire low-paid temporary workers to perform the heavy lifting. These warehouses have become the target of a union-backed organizing effort through the groups Warehouse Workers United and Warehouse Workers for Justice, and several of them have been hit with employee lawsuits and labor-law violations.
In the case amended Friday, six workers at a Walmart-contracted warehouse in Riverside, Calif., sued a series of subcontractors last year, claiming they were paid less than the minimum wage, required to work in excessively hot conditions and retaliated against by superiors as they loaded and unloaded trucks and containers. Although the workers said the products they handled were destined for Walmart stores, the mega-retailer was not originally named in the suit.
Worker advocates have argued all along that Walmart, as the top company in the contract chain, is morally responsible for the working conditions at the warehouses its goods pass through. By trying to bring Walmart into the lawsuit now, they hope to prove that the company is legally and financially responsible as well, arguing that Walmart controls the operation and serves as the ultimate beneficiary of the work.
“I know that Walmart is responsible for all of this, even though they say they have nothing to do with us,” said one of the plaintiffs, David Acosta, speaking in Spanish on a call with reporters Friday. “The boxes say Walmart, the containers say Walmart — everything belongs to Walmart.”
Acosta said he and his colleagues, many of them Latino immigrants, worked 12 to 16-hour days, earning roughly the minimum wage without overtime pay. He said they received a lunch each day but no other breaks. “Our dignity was thrown to the floor,” he added.
The success or failure of the suit could have broader implications for workers who try to sue subcontractors. As HuffPost reported last year, much of the retail sector’s supply chain is now predicated on a system of outsourcing, where larger, brand-name players subcontract the work to smaller, little-seen players, who ultimately hold the legal liability for workers’ well-being. A similar arrangement now persists in many food-processing and manufacturing operations as well.
According to Rubin, the workers are seeking class-action status for their lawsuit, which could involve up to 1,800 affected workers. Rubin argued Friday that the workers are on sound legal footing in suing Walmart, even though the company does not directly employ workers at the facilities.
“Walmart controls the warehouses and everything that happens inside of them,” Rubin said. The retailer, he said, pays “extraordinary attention to details” in the warehouses, including tracking where every truck and container is and what every worker is doing and how much time it takes them to do it.
“[Walmart] owns or leases each of the warehouses at issue in this litigation. It owns all of the equipment and supplies used in those warehouses, from the forklift to the shrink wrap,” he continued. “We allege Walmart has turned a blind eye to systemic violations of worker rights.”
A Walmart spokesman said the company would not comment to The Huffington Post, although the company has said repeatedly that the warehouses involved in the suit are operated by other parties and that the company takes the allegations seriously even if it isn’t responsible for them. Several workers at the warehouses in California went on strike ahead of the high-profile walkouts and protests at Walmart stores on Black Friday.
The suit filed in California last year included among its defendants the Walmart contractor Schneider Logistics, which has been named in similar suits filed by workers in Illinois. Many of the employees were employed by a firm contracted by Schneider, working for “piece rate” — being paid according to how many containers they loaded or unloaded.
The lawsuit alleged rampant abuse, claiming warehouse employees “spend their workdays performing strenuous, unskilled physical labor in an environment where the temperature often exceeds 90 degrees,” where management “routinely responded with threats of retaliation and actual retaliation, including by sending the inquiring workers home without pay, refusing to give them work the next day … and imposing other forms of discipline on them.”
Schneider has denied the allegations in the suit.
Prior to the lawsuit, the California labor commissioner filed a number of labor-law citations against temp companies operating within the warehouse, saying many workers weren’t given complete paystubs for their work. The commissioner, Julie A. Su, told The Huffington Post at the time that the alleged violations epitomized broader problems with subcontracting in the low-wage economy.
“Warehouses are one example of the ever-increasing contracting out of labor. It’s difficult for enforcement, and in many instances it’s a deliberate effort to avoid compliance,” Su said.
Study Shows US College Students Suck At Math
in UncategorizedWhen the students were asked whether a/5 or a/8 was greater, only 53 percent answered correctly. The authors believe that many of the participants could’ve been just guessing, since 36 percent were unable to explain why one was bigger.
The researchers said that since much of math education is just following formulas, students are incapable of tracking problems only slightly different than ones that they have encountered.
A student was asked in the study whether it was possible to check if 462 + 253 = 715. The student correctly answered that you could subtract 253 from 715, but when he was asked whether one could also do 715 – 462, the student “did not think so.”
Another set of questions checked to determine whether students would take advantage of relationships between problems to find easy solutions. These students were asked to solve the following problems: 10 × 3 = ; 10 × 13 = ; 20 × 13 = ; 30 × 13 = ; 31 × 13 = ; 29 × 13 = ; and 22 × 13 = .
Once problem two is solved, the third becomes easier by simply multiplying the answer by two. However, 77 percent of the students never took advantage of those relationships, and simply did the multiplication for each problem.
The researchers found that 77 percent of the students believed that math was not something that could be figured out, or that made sense. Instead, the students believed math was a step of procedures and rules to be memorized.
The team believes the results suggest that U.S. students may be able to do a lot better in math if they can develop a basic conceptual understanding.
“This finding helps make sense of the community college students’ lack of conceptual understanding,” Nate Kornell wrote in “Everybody is Stupid Except You,” published in Psychology Today. “They have been taught in a way that deprives them of the chance to work through the concepts they are being taught. No wonder they see math as an exercise in memorization.”
“The concepts are learnable. On the other hand, teaching mathematical concept is deceptively difficult. Teachers need high quality training, and more research (and funding) is needed to make that happen,” Kornell concluded.
Growing Demand for ‘Made in U.S.A.’ Apparel and Textiles
in ApparelDecline of U.S. Apparel Manufacturing
By 2007, 95% of apparel bought in the U.S. is imported from abroad. It’s primarily a combination of political, economical, and social factors with lower prices as a major driving force. Apparel manufacturing rose shortly after World War II when retailers met the demand from an increasingly affluent American population with the same mass production processes used to make military uniforms for the war.
When Japan and Asian countries came into the picture offering a competitive advantage of cheap labor on mass-produced apparel, the industry started to decline. By the 50s and the 60s, mass retailers were highly dependent on Asian labor to produce clothing designed in the U.S. By the mid-1980s, bulk of American apparel production has been moved overseas.
An economic downturn in the 70s, the emergence of branded labels that sourced from foreign contractors, and a demand for synthetic fibers readily available from Asia eventually led to the almost complete disappearance of clothes Made in U.S.A. In 2005, apparel imports from China rose to almost 100% after import restrictions on textiles and apparel expired in 2004.
Stamping the ‘Made in USA’ Quality
Despite the market’s heavy reliance on mass-produced clothes, there have been calls to improve quality and to bring back manufacturing in our own backyard. The textile and apparel sector is also at the forefront of the current administration’s National Export Initiative aimed at doubling U.S. exports by 2014. At present, the industry directly supports 400,000 jobs and the ‘Made in America’ initiative is designed to promote even more.
In August, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the first ever ‘Made in L.A.’ Pavilion at the Sourcing at MAGIC tradeshow, held in Las Vegas in the same month. The announcement came alongside a string of initiatives aimed at promoting L.A. as a major garment and apparel center in the global market; one of which was a city-wide ‘Made in L.A.’ logo design contest.
The Sourcing in the Americas Pavilion was also featured for the second time at the largest apparel sourcing tradeshow in North America. ‘Made in the Americas’ was the central theme of key discussions of the Sourcing at MAGIC’s lineup of seminars.
“Building on the huge success we had last year, we felt it critical to return with another Americas Pavilion and Summit to highlight Made in America products. As the largest textile and apparel event of its kind, this forum provides American businesses with a unique opportunity to highlight Made in America products to a global audience,” Commerce Under-Secretary for International Trade Francisco Sánchez announced then.
In the upcoming edition of Sourcing at MAGIC to be held in February next year, the ‘Made in L.A.’ Pavilion will yet again be highlighted. It will capitalize on a bigger-than-ever demand for Made in U.S.A. products and offer countless opportunities for local manufacturers to promote the quality of homemade garments and to come face to face with thousands of attendees, major retailers, and top design companies in L.A.
Currently, the Department of Commerce is also working with Los Angeles in developing an online registry that will make it easier to look for apparel, textile, and footwear manufacturers in the U.S. While sourcing from abroad is not likely to end anytime soon, this and all other government initiatives will hopefully be the start of an increased global awareness and recognition of American competitiveness in the clothing and apparel sector.
In light of a recent study which showed that three in four Americans believe that buying local is important – even if it costs a bit more – it could certainly be said that America is on the right track.
76 Percent of Americans Say Buying American Made Apparel is Important
in NewsNot that brands and retailers shouldn’t explore the opportunity to “build and sell more American product,” Cohen continued. “The companies that are building product in the U.S. and those selling those products need to exploit it; and those who aren’t sourcing here or using product sourced here need to explore it. Who can overlook the opportunity to address what might be even a 20 percent level of greater passion about the products they’re offering?”
A growing number of Americans say they’re ready to buy American even if it costs more.
Whether they’ll put their wallets where their mouths are remains to be seen, but Americans say that they’re ready to buy American even if it costs more. More than one in five respondents—21.4 percent—said they’d pick a U.S.-made shirt or blouse over a comparable import as long as the price wasn’t 25 percent higher. Another 17.3 percent said they’d choose the domestic option if the price was no more than 10 percent more expensive than the alternative. Three in 10, or 30.4 percent, would buy American only if the prices were approximately the same, while 21.8 percent would buy American “under any conditions.”
“Consumers are telling us that they’re willing to pay at least a bit more, and occasionally quite a bit more,” Cohen said. “The tolerance [for higher prices on American products] is there and the consciousness is there, but so far there hasn’t been a move in that direction.”
“Made in America” is a more attractive sell because of intangibles such as social responsibility and national pride, Barbara Kahn, director of the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, told WWD. “People are more likely to pay for ‘Made in America’ if there was a value proposition tied to it,” she said. “The Italians have done that, and in that kind of a trade-up, people are willing to pay extra money for something. You can market to the economic recovery, the need for more American jobs and social responsibility, but it takes on greater meaning if it’s coupled with emphasis on quality, as some of the premium denim brands have seen.”
Americans may disagree about the premium they’re willing to pay for U.S.-made clothing, but if money were no object, nearly three-quarters—74.2 percent—approve of incentives to rebuild garment and textile production in the United States. Support for new trade barriers to discourage imports was less certain, with 55.7 percent of respondents in favor, 14 percent opposed, and 30.3 percent undecided.
President Obama Touring K’NEX Manufacturing Facility at The Rodon Group
in Consumer Products, Domestic Sourcing, Jobs, Made in USA, Manufacturing, ToysWhen President Obama comes to Montgomery County on Friday, he will speak in front of a two-foot-tall toy helicopter, a toy roller coaster, a toy grandfather clock, a motorized toy carousel, and an American flag made of 49,000 K’Nex pieces.
Read more
Treasury Declines to Brand China a Currency Manipulator
in UncategorizedNovember 27, 2012
Critics blame Beijing for holding down the value of its currency, the renminbi, in order to boost China’s competitiveness in international trade at the expense of other countries.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney vowed during the campaign to brand China a currency manipulator, a potential step towards trade sanctions. The Obama administration, however, has avoided this designation.
he Treasury Department said in its report Tuesday that the renminbi has appreciated by 12.6% against the dollar when adjusted for inflation since June 2010. Nevertheless, it added that the renminbi “remains significantly undervalued, and further appreciation… against the dollar and other major currencies is warranted.”
Treasury said that for China to secure sustainable growth going forward, it needs to increase domestic consumption. Additional renminbi appreciation is a “critical part of this process,” the report said, as a stronger currency increases the purchasing power of Chinese households.
The oft-delayed report was originally scheduled to be published last month.
At Work: Manufacturing Jobs Returning To U.S.
in UncategorizedBut they are.
And that’s not all. Other jobs in manufacturing now seeing a revival that had major job losses in the recession include metal pourers and casters. These people “operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or ingots,” according to BLS.
Also rallying are jobs for computer-controlled machine-tool operators for metal and plastic production and engine and machine assemblers. The resurgence is highest among computer-controlled machine tool operators, which has even more workers now than in 2007.
One thing is clear: These jobs are related to the types of industries tied to energy, production, technology and transportation.
You can find these jobs at such employers as iron and steel mills and steel product manufacturing and machine shops. They are at manufacturers who make machinery for mining, agriculture, engine and turbines, and plastic and rubber as well as manufacturers that make equipment for companies that make cars, motor vehicle bodies and parts, railroad stock and aerospace.
Yes, the country is “predominantly a service economy,” writes Professor Farok J. Contractor of Rutgers Business School in YaleGlobal Online Magazine. “But the nation is still the world’s biggest manufacturer,” he says, with “unrivaled productivity in terms of manufacturing value-added per employee or per hour worked.”
Among the factors cited for the resurgence is that “jobs once offshored are now returning in industries including automobiles and even unlikely areas like furniture and televisions.”
One of several factors that could inhibit the resurgence is U.S. companies’ lack of an apprenticeship system, he says.
The study also looked at other industries where new jobs have accelerated the most. They are in markets tied to health care and consulting.
Overall, job growth has increased by double digits in the past two years in these industries:
• Internet publishing and broadcasting and Web search portals — a 30% growth.
• Drilling of oil and gas wells, up 29%.
• Electronic shopping, up 23%.
• Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction, up 21%.
• Temporary help services, up 21%.
• Machine shops, up 18%.
• Marketing consulting services, up 13%.
• Computer systems design services, up 12%.
• Specialized freight, up 11%.
• Home health care services, up 10%.
I know it’s not easy to pick up and move. But if you are wondering where these jobs are, the survey found that the 10 areas with the most job growth are in some surprising places hard hit in the recession such as Detroit and Phoenix.
The other areas are Austin; Dallas-Fort Worth; Houston; Oklahoma City; Raleigh, N.C.; Salt Lake City; San Francisco; and San Jose.
After a depressingly negative election campaign season in which we were led to believe that the automobile industry was our last vestige of manufacturing and that the rest of our manufacturing had been outsourced to other parts of the world, statistics suggest otherwise.
In fact, they seem to indicate that we indeed are still No. 1 in the world. And that products — and jobs — are still made in America.
Career consultant Andrea Kay is the author of Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 steps to get out of your funk and on to your future, www.andreakay.com orwww.lifesabitchchangecareers.com. See an index of Kay’s At Work columns here. Write to her: andrea@andreakay.com. Twitter: @AndreaKayCareer.
Aldermen Say – City Should Buy Milwaukee-Made Goods
in UncategorizedProducts are defined as Milwaukee-made if they are manufactured, mined or produced in the city of Milwaukee, “and the cost of the components made in Milwaukee County used in the production of the good exceeds 50 percent of the total cost of all the components.”
According to the ordinance, if a Milwaukee-made or Milwaukee County-made good is not available for purchase, the next choice should be an “American-made good.”
The ordinance states that taxpayer funds should maximize the creation of American jobs “and restore the economic vitality of the community.” It mentions the fact that Milwaukee has a high unemployment rate, which “negatively affects the city’s property tax base, revenues and expenditures for city services.”