December 10th, 2008
Love Park company, Astro-Physics, a manufacturer of high end telescopes, is highlighted in the “Made Here in America” web site. This site pulls together products that are made in America and Astro-Physics is right on the front page.
See it here…
http://madehereinamerica.com/default.aspx
A great place to do your Christmas shopping!!
December 10th, 2008
In case you missed the earlier post by Tom McDunn….
Thomas Murphy presented the results of the “2008 Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution National Survey” from RSM McGladrey to an audience of Rockford manufacturers, December 9, 2008, at an event sponsored by the Rockford Chamber. Rockfordians had a chance to see in numbers the impact of manufacturing on regional, national, and global economies.  Details of the report are found at http://www.rsmmcgladrey.com/Industries/Manufacturing/rsm-mcgladrey-annual-manufacturing-and-wholesale-distribution-su/. Some quick statistical highlights:
1. The cost of doing business in the US is 18% higher than anywhere else in world.
2. The US GDP has grown 400% over the last 50 years. Manufacturing growth has tracked very closely over those 50 years.
3. Case for ”Going Global”: 95% of the world population is outside the US. 65% of the world GDP is outside the US. Canada and Mexico held the largest percentage of exported products of the surveyed companies.
4. Workforce test point: 18% of the US companies surveyed need CNC machinists. 24% of the companies surveyed in Illinois need CNC machinists.
Murphy had suggestions for weathering the economic climate. They can be seen at the web link above.