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Our June issue will feature the story, "Roush Manufacturing: Fueling Growth," which will provide an  in-depth look at the operations, core competencies and business strategies of one subsidiary of Roush Enterprises: Roush Manufacturing. Other subsidiaries include Roush Industries, Roush Performance Products, Roush Life Sciences and Roush Fenway Racing. The reason for this sneak peek is to let you know that a special keynote at amerimold next month on June 14th will be from Gary Jurick, VP & GM of  Roush Performance Products, titled “Vertical Integration: Designing and Manufacturing the 2013 ROUSH Mustang”.  So be sure to Register Today!

While the keynote will focus on Roush Performance Products it serves as a nice compliment to the June feature story that examines the specialty of Roush Manufacutring--designing and building tooling for automotive applications. Its market offerings are complemented by the comprehensive development services offered by Roush Industries. “We are flexible and focused, and at our best when we’re challenged to think outside the box—critical traits when our success depends on how quickly we can take our customers’ visions from the sketchpad to the showroom floor,” states Business Development Director, Brian Weiler. “Our wide range of in-house capabilities and flexible processes allows us to develop solutions specifically tailored to each customer’s unique requirements. In addition to our extensive tooling, molding,and assembly services, we have seamless access to Roush’s team of design, styling, engineering and testing specialists.” Be sure to look for June's feature story and register for amerimold today to hear Roush live ... and see the 2013 Mustang in person!

As MMT heads to the AMBA Annual Convention next week in Grand Rapids, MI, we are excited for its new format and to meet up with some old and new industry friends. While all of the conversation taking place at events such as these is invaluable, much revolves around shared strategies and solutions for success, and the current state of business. So, it seems timely that the AMBA just released its Spring 2012 Business Forecast (member survey), which reveals that business conditions remain quite good for most mold builders. In fact, ‘Excellent’ current business conditions jumped 11 percentage points to 36 percent in the Spring survey, from 25 percent in the Winter 2012 survey.                   

 

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) just released a report that details the decline and output in the U.S. manufacturing sector over the last decade … and exposes flaws in productivity assumptions. It is very timely industry reading.

The National Council for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM) has published an Executive Summary of the report that contains some points that will be discussed at NACFAM’s Annual Policy Conference on April 25^th at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, VA. 

The entitled Worse Than the Great Depression: What the Experts Are Missing about American Manufacturing Decline, debunks widely held myths about productivity gains, restructuring, and a manufacturing renaissance and reveals the stark reality of a historic decline in U.S. competitiveness and unprecedented deindustrialization. The report explains what the United States is experiencing is not merely another boom and bust cycle but a structural decline more akin to what Britain experienced in the 1960s and 1970s when it lost its industrial leadership.

Read the entire report here.

The Publisher of MoldMaking Technology attended ChinaPlas in Shanghai, China,  in support of U.S. manufacturers exhibiting there last month.  The U.S. pavilion, consisted of 37 exhibitors mixed with moldmakers, molders and technology suppliers.  There were a few other U.S. suppliers exhibiting in their own space as well throughout the more than 20 halls. He visited the booth of the U.S. Consulate General Shanghai, which is offering help to any U.S. Manufacturer wanting to do business in China. Lisa Tang, Commercial Specialist, lisa.tang@trade.gov and Sara Fox, Commercial Officer, sarah.fox@trade.gov. If you or any of your colleagues which to expand your business into China, please feel free to touch base with them!

 

There is an increasing amount of attention on the natural gas industry in the U.S. As well there should be. The price of natural gas is currently very low while the price of crude oil is quite high. Throughout most of history, the ratio of the price of a standard crude oil contract to the price of a natural gas contract has been in the range of 10 to 1. This is because there is about eight to 10 times more energy per contract in crude oil than there is in natural gas. This 10 to 1 relationship between the two markets remained very consistent until about three years ago. Then the two markets diverged dramatically.

At the present time, the ratio between the price of the two contracts is more than 50 to 1! Put another way, at the current price for natural gas in the U.S., the price of oil should be less than $20 per barrel if oil and gas were perfect substitutes. Most cars do not burn natural gas, so obviously these commodities are not perfect substitutes. But my guess is that very soon this will change.

At the current price levels, it makes economic sense not only for many types of cars and trucks to convert to using natural gas as a fuel, but also all home heating systems that currently use heating oil should also convert to gas. And in the plastics industry, most resins that are currently made from crude oil-based derivatives will soon be made from gas-based derivatives.

The markets for electricity, motor vehicle fuel, heating fuel, and plastics resins are likely to all be based on the natural gas market in the not-too-distant future. This will push the price of gas up and at the same time it will pull the price of oil down, and the 10 to 1 ratio is likely to re-emerge in the coming years. This shift will represent many opportunities for U.S. manufacturers. And moldmakers who can take advantage of this shift at the early stages will have an advantage.