In early March, UAW officials met with workers from Nissan Motor Co.’s assembly plant in Smyrna, TN, to lay the groundwork for a third union representation vote. Plant employees turned down the UAW by a 2-to-1 margin in 2001. A 1989 attempt to organize the plant also failed.

Over the past decade, Polystar has grown in both size and chemistry complexity. Simultaneously, so has the need for the company to more closely control product consistency and safety.

Today’s global marketplace requires manufacturers to profitably respond to the dynamics of market demand in a timely manner.

We’ve all been there: You spent hours researching a new identification, tracking or data collection system. Just when the allocated funds have been spent and the scanners and management software systems are installed, you think: “Just one small task left to finish this huge project—pick a label.”

Carbon-fiber reinforced composites are popular in the aerospace and marine industries as a lightweight alternative to aluminum, steel and other metals. The material is also used to produce railcars, wind turbine blades and sporting goods.

Industrial fabric curtain walls are growing in popularity. In assembly plants, two of the fastest-growing applications are for lowering noise levels and controlling dust.

Mennie precision-machines transmission and fuel-system parts and assemblies used in mission-critical applications. Customers include Caterpillar, Bosch Rexroth, Saur-Danfoss, Eaton Hydraulics, Poclain Hydraulics, Allison Transmission, American Axle and Cummins.

Unfortunately, like many OEMs, Northwest Regulator Supply was struggling by the start of the 21st century.

Assemblers must work quickly while meeting strict quality requirements.

For example, according to the Precision Metalforming Association, 69 percent of U.S. metalworking companies have job openings. However, 91 percent of those companies are experiencing challenges finding qualified employees, and 42 percent describe that difficulty as “severe.”