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South Rises Again?

No, I’m not referring to the former CSA, rather, south of the South’s border. This release came across my desk recently, and I thought you’d be interested.

An economist for the fabricating and metalworking industry predicts that Latin America, once thought as a growth area for manufacturing but overwhelmed by Asian competition, is poised for a significant manufacturing revival.

“The once formidable benefits provided by manufacturing in China, India and other Asian states are eroding, “says Dr. Chris Kuehl, economic analyst for the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA). 

“The most important factor is READ MORE                        

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The Right Time to Buy

Talk of economic troubles is at the top of the headlines almost every day, but manufacturing continues to buck the trend and show signs of quickly advancing technology in a growing marketplace. Because of the general economic conditions, though, shops are presented with a unique opportunity to take advantage of some governmental incentives to quickly increase near-term cash flow while investing in new capital equipment.

As part of the 2008 economic stimulus package, Section 179 has been revised to provide greatly increased tax breaks for companies who purchase capital expenditures and place them into service by December 31, 2008. If you plan to attend IMTS, consider not only the technology that can help your company, but that machines may be available there for delivery before the Section 179 deadline. This is a great time to invest in your business. READ MORE

Medical Edge: Thread Whirling

When my father slipped and fell on an icy parking lot 5 years ago and broke his hip, I would have never thought that someday I would be writing about how the screws surgically implanted in his hip bone were created on a metalworking machine. During the healing process, Dad had some irritation problems with the screws, and therefore had them removed. Strangely enough, he showed these four long bone screws to me, and I remember being in awe of how long they were and how strange it seemed that they were once “screwed” into his hip bone, but like most people, I didn’t think twice about how these pieces of metal were created.

Because the medical industry is one industry that is READ MORE