Business Development

This afternoon, MFG.com CEO Mitch Free appeared on Fox Business News discussing backshoring, outsourcing and the costs and decisions associated with determining the right strategies. Mitch's response - it depends. Some work won't come back to the US, some will. And we must acknowledge what is right and act on it.

Watch the video here:

In July 13, 2010, Microsoft will officially end product and security support for Windows 2000, Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems. There are several articles available online covering this end-of-life event, many dating back to last year.

Not only is this a great video of a fine US manufacturer doing it right, it's fantastic that the mainstream media is picking up on the importance of machine shops and plants like Adex.

About time, we say - this is what American manufacturing needs: an accurate portrayal of manufacturing careers and the professionalism it takes. "The New Face of Blue Collar," indeed.

There is often an overlooked byproduct of change, as markets shift and new technologies are developed - that which was once specialized is now commoditized. Take printing, for example.

Harry Moser was just interviewed on a local Chicago TV station regarding the reshoring (

An article titled "Bettin On Sunnier Days At Matouk & Co." by Mark Patinkin ran in The Providence Journal the other day (Hat tip: Bill Waddell).

MTConnect is the open-source set of standards that aims to create a common platform upon which controls, devices and software interconnect and communicate with each other. Think of the standardization of thread sizes and its impact on our economy and manufacturing in the early 20th century, and you'll understand MTConnect's potential to turn all aspects of manufacturing on its ear.

The February‘10 Metalworking Business Index (MBI), published each month by Gardner Publications and Modern Machine Shop, showed the industry showed significant contraction from January after 6 months of expansion.

Whatever you  call it these days - reshoring, inshoring, bac