eMvoy Blog: What's New in US Manufacturing Competitiveness

Additional info about using eMvoy search and company rank

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:21:00 +0000

More about the eMvoy Score

The eMvoy Score is a new system that calculates a score for manufacturing companies by evaluating 24 different quality, reliability and stability factors. Companies are then assigned a ranking from one to five, which rates their competitive ability.

Industry professionals can use the eMvoy Score to quickly evaluate a manufacturer.

For more information, see our guide to the eMvoy Score.

What information is available on eMvoy.com?

The eMvoy Score

The eMvoy Score is used to quickly and easily evaluate manufacturing companies. Many companies are already rated with a score from one to five.

For more information, see our guide to the eMvoy Score.

Full-text searching

eMvoy.com features full-text searching. This means that our automated technology indexes the content of web sites that appear on our search results. Although we're a specialized score system and search engine for manufacturing, our technology is very robust and similar to major search engines in this respect.

You can search eMvoy.com the same way you search other search engines: by typing in your query. There are no complicated search forms or login requirements. Just type what you're looking for into the query box and click Search.

Score searching

You can use our How do they score? feature on the main page to type in a company name and find its eMvoy Score.

Editorial and Technical

eMvoy.com combines full-text searching technology with editorial know-how. In addition to the information we gather from your web site, our editors carefully choose keywords for your site, designate your company type, pick your Primary Products and ensure accuracy of our data.

The eMvoy Score is calculated based on 24 different quality, reliability and stability factors.

Company names

For most web sites, we display the company name as the clickable title in our search results. This important piece of information helps users find the companies they're looking for faster and easier.

You can also learn how to search by company name on eMvoy.

Primary Products

Our editors carefully select products and services that most closely match the main focus of companies in our system.

When you search, our ranking system automatically gives a small boost to companies that have your query terms in their Primary Products field. This helps our users find companies that specialize in a particular product or service more efficiently.

City and State

Most of the web sites in our database have a city and state information displayed in the search results. This is designed for users who find it helpful to know where a given company is located.

You can also learn how to search by city, state or zip code on eMvoy.

eMvoy's Big News: Coming November 1st

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:17:00 +0000

On Wednesday, November 1st, 2006, eMvoy will release the National State Rankings for Manufacturing Competitiveness.

The results to be released are part of the conclusions of a one year evaluation of 100,000 U.S. manufacturers. The findings include rankings of all fifty states.

Chicago-based eMvoy rated companies by assessing company stability, market penetration, technology and web presence. The research group performs large-scale evaluations of U.S. manufacturers as part of the services it provides to industrial purchasing agents.

More about eMvoy

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:08:00 +0000

About eMvoy

eMvoy is an independent technology and industry research company that provides market intelligence through in-depth analysis of US manufacturers. Utilizing comprehensive analysis backed by proprietary data, eMvoy delivers vital business information to a range of industry sectors. eMvoy is also the only service that integrates a full-text search engine with a rating system of US manufacturers.

Chicago-based eMvoy was developed by the founders of SearchEngines.com, an industry watch group. SearchEngines.com, founded seven years ago, is frequently cited as a primary source for authoritative search marketing information on search engines and has been quoted in media outlets in over 26 countries including:
?Crain’s / B2B
?CIO Magazine
?The New York Times Learning Network
?Continental Airlines In Flight Magazine
?ZD Net Australia
?Smart Business Magazine

In addition to the Chicago Sun Times and other daily US newspapers, eMvoy has also been chronicled in numerous trade publications such as:

?Automation World

?Manufacturing Business Technology

?Reliable Plant

?Modern Machine Shop

Craig Landy is the CEO of eMvoy and also directs SearchEngines.com. He launched his first internet venture in 1996. Mr. Landy has been involved in numerous other high profile Internet-related projects. Noteworthy examples include:

?An association with the BBC World Service on a panel of contributing experts for the educational series Knowledge on the Net

?Providing analysis and comprehensive statistical data for a series of articles about search engine technology published in the Wall Street Journal.

Robert Jordan, company director, is an Inc. 500 CEO. He is the founder of Online Access magazine, the first Internet-coverage magazine anywhere in the world.

More about "The eMvoy Score" and how we ranked the states

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:00:00 +0000

Introducing the eMvoy Score

eMvoy evaluated 100,000 U.S. Manufacturers over a one year period. Data was compiled from a multiple sources and specific variables were identified to measure and calculate a company's attributes relating to reliability, quality and competitiveness. The results were derived from cumulative scoring of multiple factors, each having an applied qualitative weight. Algorithms were applied to normalize the combined scores. Companies were ranked based on their final score.

Obtaining Data

eMvoy evaluated U.S. manufacturers by assessing very large, representative and geographically diverse data sets. The evaluated companies were required to have a functional website and a Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code identifying them as a manufacturer with a substantial U.S. presence. eMvoy leverages its ability to analyze data from a wide range of sources. These include:

EDIS: Many factors for evaluation were collected using our proprietary Editorially Driven Indexing Spider (EDIS). This system uses Internet based automated bots to collect massive volumes of data. The process requires rule sets that are configured by eMvoy research staff.
Third Party Data: Third-party sources were utilized. For example, databases were acquired by eMvoy that contained the lists of U.S. manufacturers that are registered to the ISO 9000 type standards. Other data was utilized from industry-specific, independent product testing and certification authorities such as NSF International.
Company-Provided Data: We request manufacturers to provide additional relevant data to help our staff validate or augment data.

Processing Data

A range of factors such as company size, company history, U.S. manufacturing facilities, ISO certifications, product or process certifications, trade association memberships, technological innovations and website content were utilized as variables. Field research was conducted to determine which factors were relevant to key decision makers. For example, industry purchasing agents were surveyed to decide which variables directly impacted procurement decisions. Weights were applied to indicate the level of importance for each factor.

What is the role of advertising in the eMvoy Score?

Advertising plays absolutely no role in the calculation of the eMvoy Score.

How do you show the eMvoy Score?

When you search our web site for services or products, you will get search results with names and a graphical representation of the eMvoy Score.

Do all industrial companies in your search results have an eMvoy Score?

eMvoy aims to rate each company in our system. Since we use numerous factors to calculate the eMvoy Score, we sometimes can't properly rank a company that doesn't have enough information available.

If you notice that your company doesn't have an eMvoy Score, we encourage you to contact us and submit more information.

eMvoy to rank US States by manufacturing competitiveness

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 18:54:00 +0000

On Wednesday, November 1st, 2006, eMvoy will release the National State Rankings for Manufacturing Competitiveness.

The results to be released are part of the conclusions of a one-year evaluation of 100,000 U.S. manufacturers. The findings include rankings of all fifty states.

eMvoy quote related to upcoming November 1st Release:

"The public perception is that, overall, U.S. manufacturing is weak. After looking at 100,000 manufacturers, we found a more complex picture. Our data pointed to a complex, yet very optimistic picture of U.S. manufacturing. A group of states scored exceptionally high for competitiveness. Other states were predictably flat or below the average. We didn't expect to see such huge gaps between the best and worst states." said Craig Landy, CEO of eMvoy.

About eMvoy

eMvoy is an independent technology and industry research company that provides market intelligence through in-depth analysis of U.S. manufacturers. Utilizing comprehensive analysis backed by proprietary data, eMvoy delivers vital business information to a range of industry sectors. eMvoy is also the only service that integrates a full-text search engine with a rating system of U.S. manufacturers. Chicago-based eMvoy was developed by the founders of SearchEngines.com, an industry watch group.

Media Contacts
Jenifer Aiello Communications jenifer@emvoy.com 773-665-8865 or 888-881-2255	Joseph Tucker Public Relations joseph@emvoy.com 773-665-8865 or 888-881-2255

You can also send reach us by sending an email to press@emvoy.com.

The big news at eMvoy - Introducing the first national rating system for US manufacturing

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 02:49:00 +0000

We've been working hard over the past six months to launch the eMvoy Score, the first national rating system for US manufacturing. Last Tuesday, the eMvoy Score went live at eMvoy.com.

Here's our press release:

CHICAGO -- August 24, 2006 -- eMvoy today announced the eMvoy Score™, the first national rating system for US manufacturing.

The new system, available at eMvoy.com, calculates a score for manufacturing companies by evaluating 24 different quality, reliability and stability factors. Companies are then assigned a ranking from one to five, which rates their competitive ability and their overall presence in the unsteady US manufacturing environment.

"With annual US industrial sales exceeding $1.5 trillion, the stakes are high," said Craig Landy, CEO of eMvoy. "The eMvoy Score is the essential missing piece for the vendor selection process. We condense relevant information about each company into a single icon to give our users an instant means of evaluating US manufacturers."

The number of professional purchasing agents has continued to decline, making the task of selecting reliable vendors a critical challenge for companies nationwide. "The eMvoy score is helpful at every stage of the process, especially in helping buyers narrow down a short list of potential suppliers," said Landy.

Users can search for industrial products and services and receive relevant lists of ranked manufacturers at www.eMvoy.com.

In the coming weeks, eMvoy will be releasing the Best Manufacturing States list with top ten states whose companies have earned the highest eMvoy Scores.

Craig Landy, who leads the Chicago-based team that developed the eMvoy Score, also founded SearchEngines.com, a popular online search engine resource.

You can check your company's score and search for other at www.emvoy.com

Emphasis on Supplier Diversity May Help, Not Hamper, Your Bottom Line

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 13:06:00 +0000

This via IndustryWeek:

Connecting with women- and minority-owned suppliers is often perceived as a costly, administrative hassle that doesn't offer any return on investment. A recent study conducted by the Hackett Group gives this perception the lie: their research shows that top-quality procurement organizations using diverse suppliers generate $3.6 million in revenue for every $1 million spent. The companies that earned the highest returns from diverse supply connections did so by trumpeting the fact that they use diverse suppliers. Apparently the good PR appealed to consumers and investors with a sense of social responsibility, driving revenues up. Sounds like good business all around to us.

Related Links:

National Minority Supplier Development Council
Women's Business Enterprise National Council
Business.gov (US Federal Government site, includes resources about diverse suppliers)

Monday Roundup: August 21

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 08:38:00 +0000

We begin the week, as always, with a look at the big-picture economy.

First, it's late August, and the various committees, finance bodies, and wonk councils that analyze trends and provide us with economic indicators are apparently just as susceptible to the dog days as the rest of us. All we'll get this week are the durable-goods orders and the July housing numbers. The housing numbers are probably not going to be great, according to the folks at MarketWatch. Experts anticipate a drop of up to 3% in new-home sales, which would bring sales to the lowest level in two years.

Couple slower housing sales with lower consumer confidence: the University of Michigan measures consumer sentiment, and its index reading for the month of August (so far) is the lowest number since right after Hurricane Katrina. Further completing the picture of consumer reluctance, the Wall Street Journal reports that "upscale" spending is finally getting pinched by higher energy costs: families with incomes as high as $75,000 a year are reporting plans to cut back on buying clothes, fashion accessories, home decor, and restaurant meals.

People are also planning to cut back on their summer vacations this year. According to the New York Times, 43% of people who responded to a Gallup poll said they had no plans to take vacations in the next six months. That is probably due as much to changing cultural trends-- anecdotal evidence suggests it's harder to leave work for more than a few days anymore-- but read the NY Times article and you will see plenty of people citing the cost of gasoline as the party pooper for their summer fun.

Speaking of the cost of gasoline, oil prices hit a two-month low last week after the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. Also helping drop the cost of a barrel o' crude was the revised hurricane season forecast: it will be nowhere near as bad as last year's record-breaking season (which we had already been told would be the case), and won't be as bad as originally thought. Meteorologists are only expecting three major storms now, instead of five to seven.

Is the drop in oil prices the start of a trend? Since oil costs are the number one negative drag on US manufacturing at the moment, we would love to hear that oil prices are indeed expected to slide for a while.

However, whether a few days of falling prices constitutes a trend is debatable, and economy wonks love a good debate. Some would like to argue that there's actually an oil-price bubble, and that when it pops we could see oil fall back to as low as $25 a barrel. The Wall Street Journal examines the oil bubble argument here (or here at South Africa's MoneyWeb, if you don't subscribe to the WSJ). We'll encapsulate it for you if you don't have time to read up just now: analyists who buy into the bubble argument say that high crude prices have more to do with oil investment tactics than with classic supply-and-demand issues like politics, weather, or increased need for fuel.

While we wait to see who's right, we will note that oil prices rose slightly today in international trading, largely because Iran tested some short-range missiles over the weekend. The Iranians are also expected to give their formal answer to the UN next week in regards to suspending their uranium enrichment program. How do you say "No" in Persian? Because that's what they're going to say.

Finally, while this week's Roundup probably hasn't put a smile on your face, we do want to note this: The US economy is still growing, and doing so at a decent clip. It's just not growing as fast as it was earlier in the year.

News Bites

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:54:00 +0000

Here are a few short updates on the day's headlines:

Ford has announced that its fourth-quarter production will be down 21% from last year, and that it will have to shutter plants in the USA and Canada. Bill Ford said more details would be announced next month. (AP via Yahoo! News)
Three days after announcing its recall of amazing flaming batteries, Dell revealed that its quarterly profits were down 50% and that the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the company's accounting practices. Ouch. (The New York Times)
Boeing's C-17 cargo jet program failed to win more orders from the Pentagon. Expect to hear an announcement soon about the end of that program, which employs 5,000 people in California. (Manufacturing.net)
The hazards of chocolate making: a worker at WI based Debelis Corp. waded into a tank of chocolate to clear a blockage and found himself waist-deep in a deathtrap of deliciousness. Police arrived and rescued him. (AP via Yahoo! News)
Machinists at Makino in Japan claim to have have made the smallest machined hole in the world. The tiny hole was made for a fiber optic part and measured 0.00044 of an inch. It beats the previous record set in Wales in 2005. (American Machinist, the Register)

Friday Off-Topic: August 18: Adventures in Search, and What Will The Astrologers Do Now?!

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 13:36:00 +0000

On August 9th, the New York Times published an article called "A Face Is Exposed for AOL Searcher 4417749". That article alerted the web media that AOL had accidentally released search information on almost 660,000 of its customers to a public website-- apparently a bad move by workers hoping to help academic researchers with some project or other. Since then, writers and technically fiddly types have had a field day copying, sorting, and sifting the data, trying to see what patterns emerge from the search data. What searches were most popular? How much does what you search about give away about your identity? What, in short, is America looking for?

As it turns out, mostly for dirty pictures. But we at eMvoy could have told you that: we have, after all, been in the search business for quite some time. We can also tell you this: Britney Spears is no longer the search-engine superstar she once was. We're not sure why.

Moving on from the search for... stuff, to the more ennobling search for new information about our solar system, the International Astronomical Union met in Prague this week to discuss the state of its science. One of the topics on its slate was how to define a planet, seeing as how recently there have been arguments about whether or not Pluto should be counted as one. They've come to a provisional agreement on that definition: a planet is a spherical body that does not orbit around another larger body (like our moon; that's a satellite), but has its own independent orbit around a star.

If adopted, this definition would raise the number of planets in our solar system to twelve. Pluto's "moon" Charon, a Pluto-like object technically called 2003UB313 but nicknamed "Xena", and the large asteroid Ceres (between Mars and Jupiter) would be added to the total, and there would suddenly be hundreds of other candidates available.

Forbes notes the effect this new definition (if adopted) will have on textbook publishers, model makers, and poster printers. The Guardian tries out a few new mnemonics for remembering all the names. But we want to know: what about the astrologers? How on Earth will this affect the business of casting horoscopes, if all of a sudden we've got three new planets to consider?

If you're in India and you follow Vedic Astrology, the answer is: not at all. If you're worried about your newspaper horoscope, the answer is... we're not sure. Some astrologers seem to shrug it off, saying that the new planets will have been influencing events all this time anyway, so it's just a matter of studying the planets movements in the past to understand their influences.

Personally, we think the astrologers should be hanging their heads for not having predicted this change ahead of time.

This Week In Blog: August 14-18

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:20:00 +0000

Here's what we've been reading this week in the manufacturing blogosphere:

Supplyexcellence.com: GM Drives Toward Cost Goals With New Supply Techniques. Riffing off this Reuters interview with GM's procurement chief, Supply Excellence looks at General Motors's cost-cutting crusade.

The automaker has an ambitious goal to reduce costs by 2% before the end of 2006, and is looking to do that through it supply chain even as the costs of energy and raw materials continue to climb. Their two major methods? Using cheaper foreign suppliers (with an eye towards buying more from Mexico) and increased standardization of parts across car models (a great illustration: GM makes twenty-six different types of seat frames while Toyota makes two).

Shopfloor.org: Clamoring for Workers. The NAM has been shaking the federal government tree, trying to get some manufacturing education initiatives to fall out (and they've had some success). Here, the blog highlights a must-read article in the LA Times, "Factory Shift: Manufacturers Struggle to Fill Highly Paid Jobs".

In addition to looking at statistics about the decline of manufacturing and the number of high-skilled jobs left unfilled, the article tells the story of 21-year-old Daniel McGee. A graduate from a private high school, Mr. McGee opted out of going to college after high school in favor of technical college and a two-year metalworking apprenticeship, which is paid at $14 an hour and includes health benefits. When he's done, Mr. McGee will make $58,240 a year.

This article should be sent to every high school guidance counselor in the country: it's the antidote to the "dirty, dangerous, and dull" stigma attached to manufacturing jobs. We hope there will be more stories like it in the mainstream media soon.

Speaking of metalworking, over at The Fabricator's blog, Stephanie Vaughan talks to pipe welder Tracy Rumph, who is heading to the Middle East to work for a private contractor. Vaughan looks into the types of jobs available with Middle East contractors by browsing their websites.

We'd like to add that if you want to learn about what it's like to be one of these workers, you should listen to the radio documentary "I'm From The Private Sector and I'm Here To Help", a 2004 story from WBEZ-Chicago's This American Life. It's an excellent piece of radio, describing the lives of power plant workers and security personnel. If you don't have an hour to listen, you can also download a transcript (PDF document) by clicking here.

R&D Weekly: More Security Tech: The Cogito System

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:18:00 +0000

Last week we looked at cargo screening equipment that could be useful in determining whether what's in a bottle is harmless shampoo or half of a chemical explosive. This week we're looking at something even more advanced: a device that screens people, and then analyzes clues based on biometrics and cultural clues to determine whether or not they're a threat. It's called the Cogito1002.

The Cogito1002 is the mainstay product of Suspect Detection Systems, a company whose founders have experience with counter-terrorism in Israel. It has already been tested at border control points and airports. According to the Wall Street Journal (if you don't subscribe, there's a free reprint in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), recent tests of the system in Israel correctly identified 85% of officers acting as "bad guys" in an airport terrorism exercise, and incorrectly flagged 8% of innocent passengers as threats. The company says it aims to refine these results to 90% apprehension and less than 4% error.

So how does it work? It sounds a lot like an e-ticket machine, only with a polygraph attached:

"A passenger enters the booth, swipes his passport and responds in his choice of language to 15 to 20 questions generated by factors such as the location, and personal attributes like nationality, gender and age. The process takes as much as five minutes, after which the passenger is either cleared or interviewed further by a security officer."

With one hand placed in a sensor device, the passenger's physical responses to these questions are measured in a manner similar to a lie detector test. The questions themselves vary, depending upon the location of the device (an airport, a border control checkpoint) or intelligence about a specific threat, as well as the passenger's age, gender, and nationality.

That last attribute is important: the experts who developed Cogito1002 have researched cultural differences for a variety of nationalities or ethnic groups and choose words or questions that often provoke a physical reaction in terrorists from those groups. What happens if Cogito1002 picks up on a potential threat? It's not very dramatic: security officers will take the passenger to a back office for further questions. The new system was recently tested in Knoxville, TN, but the TSA and SDS did not give details about what was learned from the tests.

In addition to a machine that scans for "hostile intent", the TSA is also working on training security personnel to watch passengers' facial expressions and behavior to determine if a threat is present. This program, Screening Passengers by Observation Technique (SPOT) is currently only in use at a dozen airports, but after last week's excitement in the UK, the TSA is eager to train more of its 43,000 personnel to use the methods involved.

Further reading:
"Faces, Too, Are Searched at US Airports", NY Times 17 Aug 2006
"A New Tack for Airport Screening: Behave Yourself", Time Magazine 17 May 2006

Big Buy: Looking for Harmony with RoHS

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:16:00 +0000

We're trying not to overdo the Reduction of Hazardous Substances story, but as it is the first environmental regulation to have an impact on global manufacturing, watching how companies cope with the directive is informative. It tells us a lot about current patterns of supply-chain management, and shows us how that's going to have to be handled as more and more companies are expected to be responsible for every component in their finished products. Designers and purchasers are the members of the company in the hot seat here, as manufacturers struggle to make sure every supplier knows what is and isn't allowed under the new rules.

On Monday, Forbes.com revisited the EU's RoHS directive and its impact on a few major electronics manufacturers, namely Apple, Palm, and Sony, who have had to pull products from the EU market due to unacceptable levels of lead or cadmium. Lead solder seemed to be a major stumbling block, in spite of the availability of lead-free alternatives.

The RoHS directive has been in place for six weeks, and while it doesn't yet seem to be wreaking havoc, it is causing considerable confusion and adding costs. An analyst quoted in the Forbes article says that companies could spend 2%-3% of sales, and up to 10% of their R&D budgets, on bringing products into compliance.

And they may be spending that money blind. According to recent research conducted by Arena Research and the Aberdeen Group, companies a) don't really fully understand the new regulations, and b) aren't investing in long-term compliance strategies. 83% of the 200 manufacturers surveyed by Arena Research would probably fail to have documentation proving RoHS compliance. Aberdeen found that two-thirds of companies it surveyed didn't have an in-depth knowledge of the regulations, and that 80% hadn't created a system for dealing with environmental compliance issues; they were treating EU RoHS as if it were a one-off deal. Those 80% need to get cracking to create a system for analyzing and documenting their supply chains for compliance, or their bottom lines will be in danger.

While they watch the ripples from the EU's RoHS, industry analyists have a weather eye on the wave of environmental regulations yet to come: China, Korea, and several US states will be enacting new environmental legislation over the next two years. The Chinese regulations in particular cover a broader range of products and materials than the European legislation. Most companies, on a board-member level, don't even seem to be aware of the Asian regulations in the offing. If you're in a position of influence at any company touched by these new regulations, spread the word.

Click, Click, KABOOM!: Laptops of Mass Destruction Prompt Dell Recall

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:50:00 +0000

There are 4.1 million of them, in our homes, schools, and offices. They're time bombs, waiting for the perfect moment to wreak fiery havoc. And one of them might be quite literally under your nose right now.

Dude, it's your Dell laptop. More specifically the battery. If your machine was made between April 1, 2004 and July 18th of this year, or if you ordered a replacement battery for an older machine during that time, Dell wants it back. Due to some high-profile explosions and even higher-profile media attention (especially in the blogosphere), Dell has issued a voluntary recall for the batteries, the largest such recall in the history of the computer industry.

The batteries are Dell-branded lithium-ion laptop batteries made by Sony at plants in China and Japan. If you're worried about your own machine you can go to www.dellbatteryprogram.com to see a list of relevant models and how to return your battery.

While we're sure Dell has lost some customers and will have to suffer jokes at its expense for a time, we're also certain they will ultimately absorb the blow and soldier on. After all, they didn't make the faulty batteries.

But what about smaller manufacturers with similar problems? How does one manage a safety or PR nightmare like this one and not suffer crippling expense or loss of business? If you've got a story about how your company had to own up to a mistake, discuss it in the comments. And if you're writing in on a Dell, make sure you're wearing your asbestos underpants.

Energy and Environment News: August 14-18

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:22:00 +0000

This week, it's all about recycling.

First, via Grist, we've learned that the auto industry is taking steps to reduce harm to the environment (and human beings) by ensuring that mercury switches will be removed from automobiles bound for the scrapyard. Mercury switches aren't used in new cars, but in cars made before the 2002 model year the switches are part of lighting and brake systems. When cars containing the switches are crushed or melted, the mercury leaks into the soil or evaporate into the atmosphere (which nearby workers then inhale). Mercury is a seriously potent toxin that primarily affects the nervous system in human beings.

Once removed from the scrapped vehicles, the switches will handed off to mercury recyclers who will find other uses for the metal. So it could still end up in the soil or the atmosphere-- it just won't be going there via cars in the scrapyard.

Articles relating to the recycling effort:

Chicago Tribune, 12 August 2006: "Automakers Pull Switch on Mercury"
Kansas City InfoZine, 13 August 2006: "Little Switches Add Up To Big Cuts In Mercury Pollution."

Here's another story from the city without local beer. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review covered an EPA-Carnegie Mellon University conference dedicated to what could be the biggest recycling challenge of all: redeveloping industrial sites. It's called brownfields redevelopment; "brownfields" refers to an abandoned or obsolete industrial site that is contaminated by industrial pollutants. Brownfields redevelopment gives these old buildings new life.

After the company has pulled up stakes, leaving behind an empty, contaminated shell, developers and environmental scientists move in, deal with the pollutants, and turn the former eyesore into something new: a shopping mall, a conference center, or a housing development.

As you'd imagine, the Pittsburgh waterfront is absolutely thick with brownfields sites. Through private-public partnerships, they've managed to turn some of these eyesores into vibrant city attractions. The old LTV Steel plant, for instance, is now the SouthSide Works, a shopping/residential/office complex. In an effort to spread the redevelopment knowledge, Carnegie Mellon University's Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center opened in March. It's meant to be a resource for environmental organizations, developers, and community officials interested in re-developing these unsightly but potentially useful sites.

Other states and municipalites are devoted to brownfields redevelopment, particularly in the Rust Belt. Here are a few resources and stories we found, including companies listed with eMvoy that provide brownfields redevelopment-related services:

Environmental Protection Agency: Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
eMvoy.com: "brownfields" search
State of Massachusetts Brownfields Development
State of Florida Brownfields Development
Michigan State University Newsroom, 3 August 2006: "Brownfields may turn green with help from Michigan State research"

Monday Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 11:41:00 +0000

News late last week was dominated by the foiled Heathrow Plot, but today has been a slow news day so far. Take the time to catch up on some other stories important to manufacturing and to the business world at large.

First, the US trade defecit went down-- down-- in June. While the $64.8 billion defecit-- the fifth largest monthly defecit on record-- isn't anything to cheer about, the three-tenths of a percent reduction is. Boffins expected the defecit to climb from May to June, but sliding dollar values helped pump up US exports to record highs, even as imports from China climbed. Here are two analysis articles for your reading pleasure, looking at the facts behind the numbers and ramifications for the currency market, and one contrarian story from the European press, just for the sake of balance:

Forbes.com: "U.S. Trade Defecit down 0.3% in June"
Bloomberg.com: "Dollar Gains Vs. Euro as U.S. Trade Defecit Shrank in June"
Guardian Unlimited: "Oil Prices Keep US Trade Gap Close to Record Highs"

Aviation security issues continue to hold top spot on the headlines, including this unnerving story via the Chicago Tribune about firearms vanishing from checked baggage at O'Hare. But in happier, aviation-manufacturing related news, Russia says "Da!" to Boeing: the aviation giant has entered into a joint enterprise with the world's largest titanium producer, Russia-based VSMPO-Avisma.

The two companies will share 50-50 responsibility for machining titanium components for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Boeing has orders for more than 400 of the new passenger jets. Rough machining will take place in Russia, and component finishing will be handled at Boeing's plant in Portland, Oregon. An added bonus of the agreement is that it will reduce waste from titanium forging: any leftover machine turnings will be recycled by VSMPO-Avisma. Read Boeing's press release here.

From titanium to copper: as Chilean miners carry on their strike into a second week, copper prices continue to climb to ludicrous heights. In the European markets this morning copper for November delivery had risen almost 2%, to $7,700 per metric ton. The Escondido mine produces almost 9% of the world's copper. Labor and management are scheduled to meet tomorrow, but even if Escondido's issues are solved, there may be other labor-related disruptions to the copper supply. Mines in Canada and Peru will be conducting wage negotiations later this week.

Sugared-drink company update: Coca-Cola continues to watch its trade secrets theft case unfold: the judge in the case has asked the three suspects to give voice samples to be matched against phone conversation recordings offered as evidence. PepsiCo appointed its first female CEO, Indra K. Nooyi, who will take over from Steven Reinemund. PepsiCo has had a good run recently, due to diversification of products and less focus on its flagship soda pop.

This seemingly benign, progressive story about PepsiCo's new CEO has cynics buzzing. Ms. Nooyi is a native of Madras in India, and critics see her ascent to the top spot as a P.R. move: both Pepsi and Coca-Cola are in trouble in Ms. Nooyi's homeland. The soft drink giants are trying to defend their products' reputations in India, where several states have banned sales of the colas in schools and hospitals, claiming they contain pesticides. Both companies claim the product sold in India is made to EU standards-- claims recently supported by test results from an independent lab. There are fears within the Indian business community that foreign investment could suffer if the bans gain further momentum.

And finally, news from the gas station: while fuel prices hit a record high last week, relief may be in sight. Gas prices declined today on news of the cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon (Hezbollah is claiming victory over Israel), as well as on the good news that BP will be able to continue some production at its troubled Prudhoe Bay, Alaska oil field.

R&D Weekly: Cargo Screening Technology

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:31:00 +0000

This week in not-so-cool R&D, we're reacting to the headlines regarding the aviation terror plot that was foiled by UK police and Scotland Yard today, and which has global air travel tied in knots.

First, a look at what the 24 suspects-- most of them under 30, [link is to BBC list of 19 names released by banks] born and raised in the UK-- were apparently trying to do. The foiled scheme seems to be a near-carbon-copy of the 1995 "Bojinka" plot (masterminded by Ramzi Yousef, currently in custody in the US): attackers, carrying explosive chemicals in innocuous bottles, would mix and then explode homemade bombs in-flight, using electronic devices like watches or alarm clocks to provide the detonation charge.

If you subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, you can read their excellent article "Menace In A Bottle" explaining how such bombs can be devised. If you don't get the WSJ, you can read this edition of Slate's Explainer column, which describes the different chemicals used in homemade bombs, and what would happen if a potential terrorist were asked to drink them in front of airport screeners (not that this would have affected any of the arrested suspects-- their bottles of sports drink had false bottoms for the explosives).

Both Bojinka in 1995 and the Heathrow Plot were foiled well before any would-be Jihadis reached the actual airport. Still, thoughts have naturally turned to the security check-ins at a departure gate near you. Is there any technology out there that can reliably detect liquid, as opposed to solid, explosives?

But of course, and much of it is made right here in the United States. Several news outlets are carrying discussions of this issue today, and probably one of the best is the New York Times, in an article called "Liquid Threat is Hard to Detect".

Rapiscan Systems makes the massive hold-baggage scanners you've seen at your local airport: these are not merely x-ray or metal detectors, but machines with the ability to fire radio waves at an object, analyze the vibrations produced, and then decide whether it's a block of C-4 explosive or a copy of, say, Thomas Pynchon's 1200-page doorstop novel Mason and Dixon.

According to Rapiscan's website, their detection systems work via density and mass analysis: shampoo apparently has a different density than TATP explosive fluid, and the computer is programmed to make calculations about density based on the apparent size of containers. Adaption of these hold baggage screeners for security checkpoints could mean that transportation authorities will let you carry a bottle of water and a book on a flight again someday (liquids were also banned on flights in '95 after the Bojinka plot was uncovered). But that doesn't seem likely to happen soon, as the Department of Homeland Security has been concentrating on providing funds for human screeners and other security personnel, according to the NYT.

They are investing in "puffer machines". The NYT explains:

The department has been moving ahead with the installation of one proven technology, so-called puffer machines, which blow a small amount of air on passengers to look for traces of explosives. To date, the machines have been installed at about 30 airports around the United States, including in New York and Washington.
But these devices may not sound an alarm if a terrorist has been extremely careful in preparing the liquid explosive, meaning no traces are left on the container or the person or bag carrying it.

There are also upgrades to traditional x-ray machines available. Guardian Technologies, Inc. has a software program called Pinpoint Threat Identification Software. Pinpoint scrutinizes images produced by baggage x-ray machines, examining each individual pixel to analyze item densities. Apparently the software has a great track record for detecting "threat items" that have been cleverly hidden. One wonders if a Pinpoint-equipped machine would have spotted the false bottoms in the bottles. We'll only find out if we adopt the technology. You could always write to your congresscritter, and let him or her know you want the DHS to pay more attention (and devote more funds) to these innovative technologies that could help keep aviation and shipping safer.

Again, we're all lucky that the lethal hand baggage never made it to the airport in the first place. Thanks to law-enforcement in the UK and Pakistan, they didn't. And the first tip may have come from the oldest law-enforcement screening system of all: an anonymous informant. Reports from the UK suggest that police first got wind of something in the works when a British Muslim phoned to report a friend who had recently begun to behave strangely. Given the previous reluctance of the UK Muslim community to talk to police, that's probably the best news we've heard so far.

Green is The Color of Money: GM's New Plant

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:59:00 +0000

General Motors recently finished construction on a new plant in Lansing Delta County, Michigan, that is the first automotive plant to receive a gold award from the US Green Building Council. The assembly plant, which will produce a number of GM crossover vehicles such as the Saturn Outlook and the Buick Enclave, is designed to reduce water useage, runoff, and cuts energy costs to 55% of the industry standard. That's a savings of 4 million gallons of water and 3 million kwh of electricity every year.

From GM's press release:

“Lansing Delta Township is the first of the next generation of industrial buildings,” said David Skiven, executive director, GM Worldwide Facilities Group. “It proves that sustainable manufacturing buildings can be economically built and operated. We are extremely proud of the innovative thinking of our employees and partners on the team that made this possible.”

As well they should be. See, this is what it's all about: finding better, less wasteful ways to make the things people want and need. A cleaner environment is a benefit to everyone, and it isn't incompatible with profit or quality products. Maybe now that energy-efficiency is a real cost saver, and not just something companies do to improve their image with people who wear sandals, more major manufacturers will start adopting greener design and technology.

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=27772
http://www.usgbc.org/News/USGBCInTheNewsDetails.aspx?ID=2501
http://industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12439

The Big Buy: Week of August 7-11

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:14:00 +0000

Welcome to the Big Buy, where we look at the issues keeping your purchasing department awake at night. This week we're concentrating on logistics and shipping.

While it's only normal that trucking companies have raised their fuel surcharges in light of rising gasoline costs, companies who have opted to switch to rail shipping now find that the rail companies are raising their fuel surcharges, too. But the precipitous rise in railroad surcharges has prompted some raised eyebrows at the Department of Transportation, according to Purchasing.com. In fact, the Surface Transportation Board (part of the DOT), recently published a proposal outlining possible regulation of railroad fuel charges. That is probably music to the ears of chemical manufacturers, who ship a large percentage of their products via rail. In fact, the American Chemical Council, the trade association for chemical manufacturers, issued a statement decrying what they considered unfair and possibly unscrupulous surcharges back in May.

The DOT's investigation might not make rail fuel surcharges any cheaper, but it should at least make them more predictable. Stay tuned.

So what's going to happen to the price of oil, based on BP's decision to shut down part of its Alaskan oil field? The price will probably stay up for a while. BP says that it has closed the eastern half of its Prudhoe Bay operation down while it repairs corroded pipeline, and by this weekend the company will decide whether or not to close the rest of the field. At half-capacity the field would produce 200,000 barrels of oil a day.

This situation is really affecting one purchasing department in particular: the State of Alaska's (read a statement from Alaska's governor here.). Alaska gets a whopping 86% of its revenue from taxes related to oil and oil production, so it is scrambling to plug a huge new hole in its budget. Every day of production lost at Prudhoe Bay sucks $6.4 million from the Alaskan economy. Governor Frank Murkowski has instituted a hiring freeze and is examining "the state's right to hold BP accountable for losses to the state."

While the implications for Alaska are serious, it's not much better for the rest of the US: Prudhoe Bay provides roughly 4% of our oil supply. Expect those shipping fuel surcharges to stay pretty high.

Energy and Environment News: China Tries to Clear the Air

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:26:00 +0000

There's a country where you will find seven of the ten most polluted cities on earth, where 30% of the land receives its precipitation in the form of acid rain, where there are 600,000 deaths due to indoor air pollution yearly, where 70% of all rivers and streams are unfit to drink, and where less than 20% of solid sewage waste goes through processing. That country is China.

Largely reliant on coal to provide its power, the emerging manufacturing giant is the least energy-efficient nation in the world and certainly one of the most toxic. In fact, according to a 2004 article in the Economist, China's pollution problem is so severe it is actually inhibiting the country's further economic development.

Air pollution particulates from China have been traced as far as the eastern seaboard of the United States. A high-profile 2005 chemical plant explosion in Jilian Province affected the water supply in parts of neighboring Russia as well as China, and brought worldwide media attention to witness the depth of China's industrial pollution problems. Now, exactly two years from the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing (the city with the worst air pollution on the planet), China knows it must clean up its act. Problem is, since its own environmental laws have historically been so lax, China hasn't developed the equipment or the know-how to process industrial waste and emissions.

Solution? Import the expertise. International environmental management companies and other groups are jumping to get their hands dirty in China. One French company has signed a 30-year contract to treat and clean waste from a gigantic chemical park outside Shanghai. JWC Environmental, an American company that began its life in a California garage, is selling sewage and wastewater treatment equipment to manufacturing plants and municipal authorities around the world. China is fast becoming one of its biggest customers.

While entrepeneurs from outside China clean up by cleaning up, other organizations are helping companies inside China develop cleaner technology. The World Bank's International Finance Committee, which handles private-sector funding, pledged up to $50 million to China's Xinao Group to help them develop clean coal systems. The aim is to stop China burning so much straight coal, and facilitate conversion of it to environmentally-friendly (well, friendlier) methanol and dimethyl ether (DME). DME is of real interest because it can be used in diesel engines, which would reduce emissions from China's exploding population of cars.

Whether or not China can clean up Beijing in time for the Olympics on 08-08-08 remains to be seen (marathon runners are already preparing for the smoky conditions). But, like a starlet dieting before the Oscars, the spotlight provides an incentive for China to change its habits. Certainly in the last few years China has slowly turned the corner towards beginning to manage its environment. Hopefully those changes will continue.

Crying Into Our Beers in Western PA

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 12:34:00 +0000

Mrs. Judson is the Head Blogger here at eMvoyblog, and she's a native of Pennsylvania. She has since relocated to another time zone, but a recent story out of Latrobe, PA, cuts her to the heart .

Much to the dismay of the greater Pittsburgh area, the Latrobe Brewing Company has ceased to produce Rolling Rock, its extra pale lager in the distinctive green bottles. Parent company Labatt-InBev of Belgium has sold the Rolling Rock brand (but not the brewery) to Anheuser-Busch. Rubbing salt in the wound, Anheuser- Busch will move Rolling Rock production from Latrobe to its East Coast plant in ... Newark, New Jersey. If you don't quite appreciate the outrage this move has caused, try to imagine what would happen if Jack Daniels suddenly announced it would be produced not in Tennessee, but in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the Latrobe Brewing Company, a mainstay of its hometown since 1893, faces an uncertain future. It appears that a deal is imminent that will save its 200 employees' jobs for the near term (the next two or three years at least). The City Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin, is in negotiations to produce its own products in Latrobe. If a deal is reached, brewing of the Midwestern imports would probably not start until 2007, so those glass-lined tanks currently stand idle.

If we didn't know they've already been cleaned, we'd organize a field trip to collect residue. Instead, we'll leave you with this edition of Cecil Adams's The Straight Dope, which has the best story we've yet heard to explain the mysterious "33" printed on the back of Rolling Rock bottles.

Related story: Is all of the Pittsburgh metro area doomed to beerlessness? This item from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review covers the bankrupt Pittsburgh Brewing Company's labor battles. PBC makes Iron City, and is warning that, unless it gets the wage and benefit concessions it needs to survive, its brands will have to be sold and production moved elsewhere.

Advice for Western Pennsylvanians: switch to Yuengling. Don't worry about it getting sold off or moved on; that company has been run by the same family since 1829. Or, in just 5-15 years, you could become a brewmaster yourself; details about how to do that are here.

Burning the Talent Candle at Both Ends

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:10:00 +0000

Late last week, Novations Group of Boston released the results of a survey designed to find out about how the expected talent shortage (the exodus of qualified, experienced workers from the market that will occur as Boomers retire) is affecting companies. The results were mixed, to say the least: Roughly 60% of companies said they were anticipating a loss of talent in the next ten years due to retirements, but only 30% said they had any sort of plan to do something about it. Taken on its face, that statistic may sound alarming.

However, eMvoyblog would worry more if this survey had been taken in 2011, not 2006. Most demographers peg the "official" start of the Baby Boom generation at 1946, so the oldest Boomers are just turning 60 (the President is one of them, having had his birthday in July). As they begin to retire en masse, the ratio of working adults to retired adults will shrink drastically. The waves of retirement haven't started yet, however, so companies who aren't now thinking about talent, training and recruitment still have some time to mull it over.

It's the bottom-up talent shortage, however, that's a little more dire. According to a 2002-2003 study by the National Association of Manufacturers, Deloitte and Touche, and the Manufacturing Institute, fewer young people and recent graduates see careers in manufacturing as desireable or rewarding. (Read the summary here; it's a PDF file.)

What's more, the entire US education system exacerbates the shortage by overemphasizing a four-year university degree as the only route to a rewarding career-- witness the emphasis on college enrollment rates in this report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Now, broader access to higher education is something to be lauded and supported. But a four-year degree shouldn't become the only avenue towards prosperity. Not everyone is suited to the collegiate environment, and the university cannot teach all the necessary disciplines society requires. The American economy, furthermore, is going to be in dire need of students with what would typically be called a technical school background (although technical schools are shying away from that name, as pointed out in this pithy blog entry over at The Fabricator). The over-promotion of college as a goal has led to the devaluation of other equally valid and vitally needed post-secondary programs: technical schools, apprenticeships, and two-year degrees. Providing young people with the skills they need to make a good living doesn't just bump up the GDP or keep America competitive-- it can turn young people into community leaders.

Industry trade groups like the NAM are working to increase interest in manufacturing work among young people by calling for initiatives at the federal level-- one such program is the Department of Labor's High Growth Job Training initiative, started in 2004.

Individual companies and smaller local trade groups can do their part to fight the manufacturing talent shortage at the state or local level. Send a delegate to the local schoolboard to explain how rewarding a manufacturing job can be to parents dazzled by glossy university brochures. Explore partnering with local high schools or community colleges to provide instructors or resources for apprenticeships and certification programs, like this one in Florida, or this one in Vermont. Sure, they're small-scale. But that's only because you haven't joined in, too.

Friday's Technical Issues

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:16:00 +0000

Our weekly off-topic post this past Friday didn't see the light of day due to technical problems with Blogger. Apologies.

On Deck Week of August 7-11: Flat Rates, Rising Energy

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:06:00 +0000

In the early part of this week attention is focused on tomorrow's meeting of the Federal Reserve. Following a string of economic indicators pointing to slower growth in the economy (particularly the July unemployment numbers), investors expect the Fed's Chairman, Ben Bernanke, will opt to hold rates steady as a check against inflation . The Federal Reserve has been raising the key rate-- the rate banks charge one another on loans-- at a steady pace for more than two years: it was at 1% in 2004 and is now at 5.25%. Holding the rate flat may also soften the dollar a little further, which is a bonus for US manufactured goods.

Conventional wisdom holds that when the economy slows down, prices don't grow. One of the ways the government can help keep prices down is to drop its interest rates or keep it flat. However, the Wall Street Journal (subscription-only link, sorry) notes that conventional wisdom may not apply to our current situation:

The challenge for Mr. Bernanke is getting the second part of his forecast right. While growth does seem to be moderating, the anticipated slowdown in inflation hasn't materialized. Tomorrow, the Labor Department is expected to report a second-quarter uptick in the cost of labor and upward revisions to previous labor-cost estimates. Because rising labor costs can feed inflation, that could add to inflation concerns at the Fed and in the bond market.

The New York Times has some analysis here (free registration link), which briefly mentions the effect of swelling energy costs on the economy (note: the Federal Reserve doesn't look at food or energy costs when calculating inflation). The writer observes that "energy prices are unlikely to keep rising as fast as they have in the past".

Which sounds heartening, until you go back to the front page of the NYT, where this headline is prominent: Major Alaskan Oil Field Being Shut Down.

Oy. Here's the story: A corroded pipeline has caused a minor spill in BP's Prudhoe Bay, Alaska operation. While it works to fix the problem, 1,000 wells will be offline. US oil production will drop by 400,000 barrels a day. That means a reduction of 8% in production, or nearly 3% in supply, at a time when the oil market is tighter than Cher's last face lift. Prices in the London markets have risen 2.4% so far today. According to Reuters, BP does not know when the pipeline will be fixed.

Aside: if you read the press release from BP, you will come across the phrase "smart pig run". We don't know about you, but eMvoy immediately imagined teams of hogs with miners headlamps checking the pipelines for rust. The term is from pipeline engineering, however, and refers to any device sent through the pipeline for the purpose of cleaning, separating products, or inspection. Click here to read a primer about pipeline pigs. [from the Pigging Products & Services Association website]

So, for discussion: inflation is the topic. We all know commodity and material prices are climbing, but what about labor, the other factor mentioned in the NYT and WSJ articles? Is your company seeing a rise in labor costs as well?

This Week In Blog: July 31-August 4

noreply@blogger.com (eMvoy) — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:14:00 +0000

Here are a few of the items of interest we've found on other business- and manufacturing-related blogs this week:

On Wednesday, the writers over at the National Association of Manufacturers Shopfloor.org blog talked briefly to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) about the energy bill that passed this week and tax reform. Click here to read Shopfloor.org's report.

We've found we can trust the NAM bloggers to report extensively on all matters legislative; they've got great personal access to lawmakers. Plus, they're more relevant to the manufacturing community than The Hill and funnier than the Congressional record daily digest, so if you follow what's happening in Congress (and you should: you hired everyone there and pay to run the place), bookmark Shopfloor as a great supplement to your reading.

On Tuesday, Supplyexcellence.com examined the recent climbs in material prices (and tightening supplies of same), and offered advice for riding out the rough conditions. We've waxed poetic about Supplyexcellence before, so we'll spare you further praise: just click here to read the entry.

Today, the Fabricator.com has an entertaining story (click here to read it) about shipping container architecture. Writer Vikki Bell provides a number of links to stories about folks on the West Coast and in other port cities using surplus shipping containers to create commercial buildings or housing.

If you've seen anything worth reading, drop us a line (and a link) in the comments.