As we close out 2017 and look back on the year, it is hard to argue that the domestic manufacturing sector has certainly enjoyed a resurgence. Since Q4 2106, the manufacturing sector real output has been steadily gaining ground and is approaching the historic high levels last seen in 2008. It is undeniable that we now live…
In navigating our current hyper-political world and 24-hour cable news cycles, it is often difficult to separate the politics from the policy. As a manufacturing organization, it is far more important to understand the policies that are being discussed, vetted and implemented than in the politics that often take front stage. Consider a sampling of headlines from…
In our last edition, we discussed the vibe in the manufacturing world immediately following the Presidential election in November. There was certainly a shift towards optimism in the manufacturing sector with the expectation that a commitment to domestic manufacturing was to be one of the primary policy focus points for the new administration. Fast forward 90…
In our last edition, we posed the question “so what should be on our election wish list this time around?” We added a recommendation that we all start with advocating for policies that recognize and value the role that Manufacturing has had in the building and sustaining of our great nation. With the 2016 Presidential…
It’s hard to believe that 2016 is rushing past us and that we are on the cusp of 2017. What happened to that 2016 manufacturing recovery that many of the macroeconomic prognosticators envisioned? For those whose long term success is tied to a strong and sustained US Manufacturing economy, we feel as of late like the perpetually…
Looking at the trends in steel pricing for the 1st six months of 2016, it is hard to miss the direction and magnitude of the price increases that the market is seeing. The generally referenced pricing indices that many in the manufacturing sector follow have trended upwards in the arena of 60% since January 1. This…
A vibrant domestic manufacturing sector is a key contributor to the economic engine of our country. At Sko-Die, we are firmly committed to the strength and expansion of our domestic manufacturing sector. For nearly 70 years, we have served an array of markets and customers that are all affected by the relative strength or weakness of several…
The broad topic of Energy Efficiency touches our lives and our industry in many ways. Cost savings and stewardship of our planet’s natural resources are but a couple of the many drivers of the actions being taken across the manufacturing sector to address this topic. More than half of all electricity consumed in the manufacturing…
Sko-Die is a proud member of several industry associations that are committed to the advancement of our industry and a strong overall Manufacturing economy. The TMA (www.tmaillinois.org) is one such association with which Sko-Die is strongly aligned. The TMA was in the news recently as one of our fellow association members was named to the US Commerce Department’s…
In early November, AK Steel reported that The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has reached a positive final decision that illegally dumped imports from six nations have materially harmed the domestic industry producing non-oriented electrical steel (NOES). These petitions were originally filed by AK Steel in September 2013 and had preliminary rulings issued earlier this…
