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Sko-Die E-Newsletter - December 2016
As 2016 winds down, on behalf of myself and the Sko-Die employees, I want to thank all of our customers for their business and continued loyalty. I hope we have met our goal of exceeding your expectations and we will continue striving for that in 2017. 2016 was a very successful year with the first half revenues showing a steady year-to-year pattern and the last half is increasing at a very good rate. Sko-Die started the year with the acquisition of the fineblanking and metal stamping operations of Harig Manufacturing. This included the installation in our present facility of four Feintool fineblanking presses, and two deburring systems that were supported by two new experienced operators. New equipment upgrades for 2016 included the installation of a Brother Speedio R650x1 in the Production Machining center and a Doosan Lynx 300M precision turning center to increase the efficiency in our Shaft Machining area. In the operations area, we continued our Lean Manufacturing 5S training, upgraded the OSHA required aisle marking and furthered the development of the Safety Committee. In 2016 Sko-Die’s trade show crew exhibited in May at the EMCW (Electrical Manufacturing and Coil Winding Expo) in Milwaukee, WI and in July at HydroVision International in Minneapolis, MN. We also attended the industry events; MCMA Technical Conference, Industrial Manufacturing Technology Show and CWIEME-Chicago. I attended Fabtech and found the exhibits and the educational sessions to be very helpful in seeing new equipment and hearing about the present and future state of the manufacturing industry. In looking ahead to 2017, I am confident that Sko-Die will again see increasing sales. Towards the end of 2016, tooling orders were up, and that translates to new 2017 business. The post-election economy is predicted to be rising and in particular the oil and gas market is set to open up which drives many of the accounts we proudly serve. I already have plans to upgrade our fineblanking presses, press controls and will purchase a new 300 ton, short stroke press. We will also add personnel to our account services and engineering departments. Thank you again to all of Sko-Die’s loyal customers. We will always strive to earn your trust in supplying what you need, when you need it. 2016 was a great year because of you, and if there is anything we can do to make 2017 even better please give us a call. Happy Holidays, Patrick Steininger
Industry NewsWhat a difference a couple of months (and an election) makes. 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 election having now been decided, we certainly have reason for optimism on the Manufacturing front for 2017 and beyond. The manufacturing economy tends to transcend politics and to rise and fall based on the most basic economic principles that exist. As a manufacturing company our success and the success of our customers is, at its core, based on the core principle of supply and demand. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) estimates that for every dollar spent in manufacturing, somewhere in the area of $1.80 - $3.60 is added to the overall economy. Put another way, every manufacturing employee drives demand for 2-3 workers elsewhere, fueling the expansion of the overall economy. All too often we see the simplest of things get mired down in political rhetoric. So, on the heels of this historic election, are the pieces now in place to support the manufacturing expansion and optimism for which we have been advocating? When developing future business plans, capital investment strategies and resource planning for 2017 and beyond, we all ask the most basic of questions --- what will the demand for my product or service be and how can we best meet that demand? As we look at some of the foundational sectors of the manufacturing economy like Motors, Transformers, Generators, Aerospace, Housing, Automobile, Railroad and Appliance, they appear to be poised for strength in the coming year(s). This drives our optimism that our customers and the customers that they in turn serve will experience the manufacturing boom that the macroeconomic prognosticators have been speaking of for the last several years. On the supply side of the market, it appears that that the market has turned decidedly bullish on the Steel sector in the wake of the election results. Steel is an economic building block of sorts in the manufacturing economy. Its overall demand is driven by a wide range of markets and products that touch the lives of every citizen. Focusing on the infrastructure repairs and improvements that have been talked about for over a decade, the belief seems to be that the new administration will address that need with specific actions that will benefit manufacturers across the board. A real commitment to rebuilding our U.S. infrastructure will most certainly drive demand for many of our customer’s products and services. And though it is certainly too early to tell for sure whether the policies and direction that were voted for in November will materialize and take root, we have put ourselves in a strategic position to capitalize on this opportunity for growth. As we put our specific plan in place for 2017, we are eager to support all our customers’ needs as we all look forward to a strong 2017 for manufacturing. As we close 2016 we would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers and suppliers for your ongoing support throughout 2016. We wish you health and happiness this holiday season and continued success in 2017. And remember, at Sko-Die, we are ---
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For any questions or inquiries, please contact: Bob Blecha, Marketing Manager, 800-486-4756 X 106, bob.blecha@skodie.com OR Michael McGuire, Director of Sales, 800-486-4756 X120, michael.mcguire@skodie.com |
Sko-Die Inc.| 8050 Austin Ave. - Morton Grove, IL 60053
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