Continuing Signs of Reinvention and Rejuvenation within the Industry
Walsh Manufacturing, an Ohio-based manufacturer, has always taken a creative approach to problem solving. This is also becoming more common in the industry as a whole. Over the last couple of quarters, the industry is demonstrating its own levels of continued advancement. These initiatives include collective problem solving coupled with significant investments in automation, advanced equipment and robotics. These additions allow manufacturers within the industry to improve efficiency including changing parts and reducing the number of set-ups.
Similar Initiatives throughout the Rust Belt
Actions such as those mentioned above are proving to be a much larger catalyst for once-depleted areas within the Rust Belt area of E. Wisconsin, LP Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and N. Illinois. A July article in Forbes magazine, authored by Joel Kotkin and Michael Shires, shared continuing good news regarding industry expansion. Citing U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics gathered from 373 metropolitan areas over the last ten years, the authors illustrated industry growth at 7.5 percent and the addition of 855,000 new jobs.
Regions Leading Manufacturing Growth
- Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, Michigan
- Warren-Troy-Farmington, Michigan
- Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Michigan
- Nashville-Davidon-Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Albany-Schenectady-Troy, New York
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon
Shifting things back State-side
While cheaper overseas labor costs contributed largely to significant devastation throughout the Rust Belt, a similar reason is bringing it back home to the U.S. With rising labor costs in China, more companies are looking to re-locate factories to areas with high concentrations of individuals with manufacturing skills in former industrial towns. Small towns are also receiving unprecedented attention for cheaper land prices and townspeople with a willingness to bring manufacturing leaders to the city or state.
The Ohio Connection
Within the Midwest, Kotkin and Shires cited Toledo, Ohio, with a 14.7 percent rise in industrial jobs. The state is helping to re-invigorate the industry with its openness to emerging technologies and innovative partnerships. Ohio is also one of 16 states earning recognition for manufacturing efficiency, as reported in the 2015 Manufacturing and Logistics Report prepared by the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University.
A Reason for Differentiation
Innovative thinking and a personal approach to problem solving are long-standing practices for smaller, family-owned manufacturers throughout the state. This approach to manufacturing remains a recipe for success at Walsh Manufacturing, for fifty years and counting. We believe personal consideration for each project by our team of metalworking specialists, mechanical engineers and computer control specialists is a big reason why Walsh Manufacturing can consistently deliver a cost-effective and innovative solution with unmatched technical support long after the initial sale. We believe these levels of customization will enable the manufacturing industry to continue its reinvention today and into the future.
About Walsh Manufacturing
Walsh Manufacturing is a Cleveland, Ohio-based manufacturing company with 50+ years of experience in machine design and metal fabrication. Over this time, we’ve built a reputation as a diversified manufacturer of machined components, subassemblies, alloy material, fabricated steel and machinery. If you’re looking for a cost-competitive, innovative, and reliable supplier with expertise in Parts Washing Systems, Automation Equipment, Metal Fabrication and Machinery Rebuilding, look no farther than Walsh Manufacturing.