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Manufacturing coming back to USA story

A few furniture manufacturers closed in Canada just 1-2yrs ago if I remember correctly, I know a pretty big one was in QC.
Sure makes me wonder about the competitiveness, then again a few months ago I saw this thing on TV about a place in the US making chop sticks. Talk about a really chinese thing being made in the USA.

I just hope not too many of those projects are being subsidized by tax$ in one way or another to make up the difference.
 
Today's Chicago Tribune ran a article in the business section about Excel Foundry and Machine in Pekin, Ill wanting to hire machinists but is having trouble finding qualified people. They just hired over 30 people and want to hire more. The article goes not to say that fewer and fewer young people are being trained in manufacturing skills.

Tom
 
yea,

Excel is part of our FLSmidth group - We are into mining, minerals and cement plants. Mining is currently very active. Excel builds parts for cruhsers as well as some foundry parts for large hydraulic and rope shovels. Some major coal mines are located in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and they utilize alot of replacement components.

Glenn
 
Someone brought up Excell, which is owned by FL Smidth

Hence how it was brought up.

They make a good product though as far as those crushers go.
 
Gordon,

Speaking of "fine" northern European / (Scandinavian?) furniture - I worked a winter in Trollberget Norway on a Hydro Tunnel project and was present for the "longest night" celebration - I don't remember what they called it.

At any rate - a drinking game ensued where you downed a shot of aquavit and chased that with a beer - after two rounds, I bowed out and started passing my shots to others around me. After a bit of this - the party moved to the lounge area which was in a sunken area about 3 feet lower than the main floor surrounded by railings.

A fellow leaped the railing and landed butt first in a nice "lightly constructed" piece of furniture with nice seat cushions on it and it splintered all to hell. A big laugh by all and the kindling was used to start a fire in the fire place.

When I got up the next morning - not a stick of furniture remained in the lounge area - but there was a good pile of cushions with a few of the machine operators snoring away on them. And a fireplace full of ashes and metal hardware. Wound't have been able to have near as much fun with sturdy American made chairs and couches.
 
I brought up Excel because it also points to a pickup in manufacturing and also points out the lack of skilled tradesmen, at least those with machining skills. And yes, Excel Foundry and Machine is part of the Danish company FL Smidth.

Tom
 
We are busier than we have ever been and have hired 13 people since August - things are picking up in manufacturing for all of our customers except forest products - not much happening on the sawmill side of things.
 
Not much happening for saw mills here either, paper industry is in rough shape as well, many closed or shut part of the line. I get the feeling there was an over supply though, way too many got into it and I know lots of gov grants went into that. I'm definitely not printing quite as many drawings as before though.
 
I know shops must be having a hard time hiring skilled machinists because I have been offered several jobs and I am dyslexic I cant use numbers. I tell them this and they dont care all they are concerned with is that I know how to run large conventional machines and how to fix them. If you skip a generation all the skill is lost, it is going to be a bitch relearning everything.
 
Relearn nothing! Half the kids today don't anything about WW2, and even less about WW1 and the civil war? Why relearn ancient history when we have these marvelous computers? I have a feeling that what is being lost with the old timers will stay lost.

Tom
 
Relearn nothing! Half the kids today don't anything about WW2, and even less about WW1 and the civil war? Why relearn ancient history when we have these marvelous computers? I have a feeling that what is being lost with the old timers will stay lost.

The only thing that we learn from history, is that we don't learn from history.

Steve
 
Today's Chicago Tribune ran a article in the business section about Excel Foundry and Machine in Pekin, Ill wanting to hire machinists but is having trouble finding qualified people. They just hired over 30 people and want to hire more. The article goes not to say that fewer and fewer young people are being trained in manufacturing skills.

Tom


Or maybe, just maybe, only a complete dumbass would MOVE TO IL :-). History shows Machinists many of them go where there are jobs, but who in their right mind would go to IL ?
 
...The article goes not to say that fewer and fewer young people are being trained in manufacturing skills.

How many kids do you know that fix their own bikes? Worse, how many of their dad's can't fix them either. We got our bike from the dump because the dad couldn't fix a flat tire.

Saw this on ebay. This was disgusting to me:
Pinewood Derby Car Fast Speed Design With Video Documented Times | eBay

Yes, if you spend almost $400 you can win the Pinewood Derby.

My son spent more than 10 hours on his. Measuring wheel runout with a dial indicator, timing how long wheels spin (comparing the wheels and the axles), polishing nails (we did about 25 and picked the best 4), working on the body with the drill press and milling machine (he was really excited about the milling machine) and finally, doing test runs.

We took 1st by 0.007 seconds.

My son now believes that he can get what he wants with hard work.

The kid that ran that $400 car now thinks he can get anything with money.

Good lessons to be instilling in our youth.

Steve
 
My son spent more than 10 hours on his. Measuring wheel runout with a dial indicator, timing how long wheels spin (comparing the wheels and the axles), polishing nails (we did about 25 and picked the best 4), working on the body with the drill press and milling machine (he was really excited about the milling machine) and finally, doing test runs.

We took 1st by 0.007 seconds.
Back when my son was in Boy Scouts we did similar, I even turned wheels on a lathe so they would be near perfection. I figured in this town I was almost certainly the only one that did that. And yet damn if we still didn't come in second place ! Apparently there's more to it than perfect wheels and polished axles.
 
the company is located about 150 miles west of me. restarted by grandson. family owned furniture business that was sold when founder got old. new corporate owner milked it dry then closed the 60+ year old facility 10 years ago. grandson bought old facility, filled it with new machinery and has started over. when fully up, will employ about 1/2 the workers as when it shut down,(with same output) owner was interviewed for "The Story with Dick Gordon" produced by WUNC 91.5FM Chapel Hill, NC. Furniture looks wonderful. Bedroom set I saw was mid priced($3000), all pieces were made of solid wood and high quality hardwood plywood (made on the other side of my county). Feel good story, i hope they do well.
 








 
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