As governments warn about more cyber threats due to the Ukraine crisis, it's time to follow published guidance and take common-sense precautions. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently issued a Shields Up advisory in response to the evolving Russia-Ukraine... Continue Reading
He didn’t have the ability to heat metal to thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, but Henry Ford understood a challenge every heat treatment business faces. He famously said when giving advice to leaders, obstacles are the frightful things seen when we take our eyes off a goal. That advice is... Continue Reading
U.S. business activity regained speed in February as the drag from the winter surge in COVID-19 infections diminished, but higher prices for inputs remained a burden amid lingering supply constraints. Data firm IHS Markit said on Tuesday its flash U.S. Composite PMI Output Index, which tracks the... Continue Reading
I’m enthralled with a high-tech meditation headband that measures five different brainwaves while I meditate — providing me with real-time biofeedback on the effectiveness of my effort. The accompanying app plays a raging storm with wind gusts and pelting rain. The more deeply I... Continue Reading
Bring a bigger bat’ won’t work during this supply chain crisis, says one CEO. [Editor's note, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Producer Price Index, a monthly read on what suppliers are charging their customers, after this story was posted. With a 1% gain in January,... Continue Reading
There’s an old saying in business: “We’re only as valuable as our last mistake.” It’s normally used when referring to client relationships; and as we well know in heat treatment, one mistake can ruin an entire batch of a client’s materials and destroy years of... Continue Reading
It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of Bill Cleary from Surface Combustion. William "Bill" Joseph Cleary passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 61, surrounded by loved ones, on February 7, 2022 after a courageous battle with cancer. Bill was a very active... Continue Reading
Fresh, unique and valuable insights about how to get ahead are available to you — if you get out into the field with customers. Business leaders need get out of their offices and get into the field to glean customer insights. When did you last spend time with a customer? You personally,... Continue Reading
How to attract the talent you need in the new year. Your hiring strategy for 2022 faces a host of challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, talent has never been so essential and so elusive. The December JOLTS reported 10.9 million job openings in December, and 4.3 million quits, both near... Continue Reading
Surging prices of the raw materials needed for your refrigerators, automobiles, window frames, and plumbing show no signs of abating as America’s supply-chain crisis spills into another year. John Gillespie is seeing the issues continue to mount across the country. The commodity manager... Continue Reading
The chaos at ports, warehouses and retailers will probably persist through the year, and perhaps even longer. With the havoc at ports showing no signs of abating and prices for a vast array of goods still rising, the world is absorbing a troubling realization: Time alone will not solve the Great... Continue Reading
R.J. Watson anticipates a busy year. But the Alden manufacturer knows it could be tough to find more employees to hire to share the workload. In addition to advertising job openings and offering referral bonuses to its employees, the company is exploring whether to invest in robotics as a way to... Continue Reading
