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Winning the Race with inflation: The Pricing Opportunity for Industrial Companies

Many industrial companies face a complex new array of challenges today, including a global pandemic that has driven radical shifts in demand, buying patterns, cost to serve, and perceived value across sectors and value chains, which in turn have led to sharp spikes in commodity prices. Inflation... Continue Reading

MTI Recognizes Leadership & Award Winners

MTI is excited to announce this year’s award winners during the 2021 Fall Meeting in San Antonio, TX. Service and volunteering is a true investment in the industry by any individual and company. Each volunteer commits their time and expense to participate on committees or the Board of... Continue Reading

Don Hendry Takes Gavel as 2022 MTI President

One area of strength for the Metal Treating Institute over the years has always been its line of leadership, and 2022 is no different. At the final night awards dinner during MTI’s Fall Meeting in San Antonio, TX, 2021 President Jim Oakes from Super Systems passed the gavel to the new 2022... Continue Reading

MTI Fall Meeting Huge Success - $45,000 Raised for MTI Educational Foundation

The Metal Treating Institute’s Fall Meeting, hosted October 3-5 in San Antonio, TX really hit the mark for all those in attendance. Many stated it was great to experience content so relevant to today’s challenges and opportunities, and the energy of the attendees was at an all-time... Continue Reading

Leadership Behaviors that Diminish Trust

What takes a long time to build and a short time to destroy? Trust. One of the greatest attributes a leader can acquire is the ability to build trust. Even though competency is part of the trust formula, trust isn’t gained by being the hardest worker, having the most seniority or being the... Continue Reading

How to Predict Disruption When There’s no Such Thing as Normal

Enhanced perception and thinking about risk in new ways can help leaders navigate tumultuous times. “We weren’t expecting that!” “It happened so fast.” “We never thought it would be this bad.” These are the kinds of comments one hears more and more... Continue Reading

U.S. Factory Orders Gain Steam as Manufacturing Keeps Humming

WASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - New orders for U.S.-made goods accelerated in August, pointing to sustained strength in manufacturing even as economic growth appeared to have slowed in the third quarter because of shortages of raw materials and labor. The Commerce Department said on Monday that... Continue Reading

Emotional Exhaustion is Rampant, and Returning People to the "Old Normal" Will Not Help

To what degree are team members treated with respect in your work culture? How often are they validated for their ideas, efforts, and contributions each day? Far too many work cultures -- and leaders -- dismiss, discount, and demean team members’ ideas, efforts, contributions, and concerns.... Continue Reading

How to Build a Transparent Relationship with Your Suppliers

Companies of all types have been affected by pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, but many of the operational challenges they’ve faced over the past 18 months were magnified by the pandemic, not caused by it. Those problems reflect a longstanding and fundamental shortcoming in how... Continue Reading

How to Find the ROI in Smart Manufacturing

Smart manufacturing can offer manufacturers a great return on investment (ROI), but that can only happen if they focus on the business benefits. Today’s manufacturers face many challenges and are having to adopt new ways of doing business to stay competitive. Smart people and smart... Continue Reading

Manufacturers Plan to Boost Wages at Record 3.5% Rate

Dive Brief: Manufacturers during the next 12 months plan to increase wages and full-time employment by 3.5% and 3.8%, respectively — record rates in quarterly surveys dating to 1997, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. They expect to push up capital spending by 3.6%,... Continue Reading

Long-Haul Trucking with Fewer Drivers

The economics are compelling, but technological challenges abound that are unique to this market. The trucking industry is betting heavily on increasing levels of autonomy and electrification to reduce the cost of moving goods and to overcome persistent problems. The economics of autonomous... Continue Reading