Here’s more good news from your favorite manufacturing cheerleaders at Web Savvy Marketers!

I’ve been a self-proclaimed manufacturing cheerleader since day one. Even before becoming an official manufacturing ambassador for the state of CT, Web Savvy Marketers and the CT Manufacturers Resource Group (ctmrg.com) was advocating for Connecticut manufacturers. That’s why we started this “Good News in Manufacturing” series. So here are some recent stories that caught our attention. Be sure to read to the end for my personal favorite!

Let’s start with the Deloitte Research Center’s article, the 2024 Manufacturing Outlook.

This overview covers a variety of topics about growth, talent acquisition, legislation, and the future. It’s informative and insightful, but my favorite section is the one about product electrification and decarbonization. When discussed in the abstract, these ambitious goals can seem unattainable, but this article highlights specific actions companies are taking and how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is helping them increase electrification and reduce their carbon emissions.

Next, let’s look at something similar in premise but with different content: Advanced Tech’s Top 10 Manufacturing Trends for 2024.

Although similar to the previous article, its broad range of topics make it a worthwhile addition to this list. Some of the trends it talks about, like 3D printing and augmented reality applications, make this piece intriguing. It’s a quick read, and you’re sure to find something of interest here.

If industry growth is on your radar, here’s an article from Industry Select about New U.S. Manufacturing Operations Announced in January 2024.

This article was published at the very end of January, and it covers the opening of new factories and manufacturing headquarters all around the US. Are you interested in Tyson’s new plant? Or a new radioligand therapy facility from Narvis? Or maybe you’ve been waiting to hear about Ford or Rolls-Royce’s new facilities? This article covers those and more, and it’s all good news for manufacturing throughout the United States!

Now let’s dive into the specifics of Industrial Manufacturing with Oracle’s Top 5 Industrial Manufacturing Trends in 2024.

Like some of the previous, broader manufacturing trend articles we’ve looked at, this piece is full of good news for the industry. Want to know what the factory of the future will look like? You’ll find it here, along with new developments in automation, digital transformation, sustainability, supply chain management, and workforce development. You’ll also discover a big new market opportunity for manufacturers and why some are creating “digital twins” of their facilities, processes, and products.

Finally, my favorite article of the bunch, Fright Wave’s Bringing Manufacturing Back to America.

It’s from 2023, but this article has such a strong call to action in terms of supporting American manufacturing that I had to include it. Having read several articles for this “Good News” post, this one left me feeling the most optimistic for the future of American manufacturing.

If you want to use any of these trends to improve your business, the manufacturing cheerleaders at Web Savvy are ready to help. We anticipate a bright future for manufacturing here in Connecticut, and we can’t wait to help your company grab its share of the spotlight.

Contact Us today to get started!

With Climate Change continuing to be a major point of discussion, many industries continue to seek and find new ways to reduce their emissions. One of the larger industries to make headlines recently has been steel for a few different reasons…

On December 6th of last year, Elizabeth Brotherton-Bunch from the American Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) wrote an article titled: “U.S. and EU are Said to Be Weighing ‘Climate-Based Tariffs’ on Chinese Steel.” In it, Brotherton-Bunch explains that China is responsible for over 60% of global emissions from steel plants and half of the world’s steel production. This is causing not only record pollution, but a global surplus. “…climate change is a real problem, and one that cannot be properly addressed unless China reduces its carbon emissions, and that can’t happen unless China reduces the pollution emitted by its steel industry.”

It’s not all bad news though, because 9 days later, Brotherton-Bunch wrote a follow up piece titled: “America’s Steelmakers and Workers are ‘Well-Positioned’ to Lead the Way on Clean Steel.” U.S. Steel intends to be carbon neutral by 2050 and produces more low-carbon steel than any similarly competitive country. Additionally, growth seems ripe with opportunity: “The global market for clean steel is expected to be 20,000 to 25,000 million tones through 2050, equivalent to around $10 to $15 trillion in cumulative steel sales.” In addition, “if the U.S. is able to capture a ‘$570-810 billion share of that market by focusing on opportunities in North America,’ about 30,000 new jobs will be created…”

More locally, many Connecticut manufacturers are going above and beyond to ensure sustainability of their products and practices. During a time when greenwashing is prevalent, here are a couple of manufacturers that are putting in the work to significantly reduce their carbon footprints.

AMGRAPH Packaging, Inc has been at the forefront of sustainability since 1984. From their water-based inks and adhesives and product research investment, to their fuel cells and insulated concrete facility that requires up to 71% less energy for heating and cooling, AMGRAPH is wholly committed to environmentalism. They even prioritize zero landfill waste. To learn more about their packaging solutions Contact Amgraph. For a full list of the many measures they take to maintain environmental stewardship, be sure to check out their sustainability page.

Another Connecticut company of note for their green practices is Preferred Utilities based in Danbury. Preferred installed a fuel tank on their site that can burn Bio-Residual Oil (BRO-500), which is a renewable and plentiful resource. BRO-500 is produced from recycled fats and oils such as used cooking oil, inedible corn oil, animal fat and other vegetable oils. It has been used at Preferred’s facility since 2018. To obtain more info on how you with make your fuel consumption more sustainable, Contact Preferred.

If you’re a CT manufacturer and would like to highlight your sustainability practices, Contact Us.

As the strains from the COVID-19 pandemic lessen, some employers are increasingly providing workplace amenities to entice workers back to the office. Hanna Snyder Gambini writes about this in her article titled “Employers turn to amenities to lure workers back to the office,” published November 21 in the Hartford Business Journal.

From soundproof phone booths to golf simulators, Connecticut Wealth Management is kicking out the cubicles in favor of spaces it hopes will foster better workplace collaboration and comfort in equal measure. By allowing employees to partake in activities after work that they’d normally have to leave the office for, CTWM aims to strengthen workforce ties.

Communal spaces that seem more like lounges instead of seas of cubicles is where workplace design is headed. Airy, open spaces that encourage interaction are the goal. But privacy, and the comfort it provides, is just as important to this design philosophy and was what led to the introduction of soundproof phone booths and Steelcase work tents.

Another means to support workplace collaboration and minimize distraction is addressing the rising costs associated with commuting. Lunch and gas costs being the main culprits, some employers are investing in desirable cafeteria settings. Travelers Cos., a property and casualty insurer, did precisely that in Hartford with a space that offers numerous food and drink vendors and seats hundreds of employees.

Changes to the office environment should be a two-prong approach explains Jennifer Gaggion, a Board Member of the Connecticut Manufacturer’s Resource Group. “It’s imperative that design changes include the input of HR to ensure the transformation of the workplace can be supported culturally and aligns with the business strategy.”

Should more large companies require employees to come into the office, we may start to see workplace landscapes reemerge and working from home diminish. For now, though, according to an HBJ poll referenced in the article above, most employers aren’t requiring five full days back in the office just yet.

“We’ve learned working from home can be highly productive for organizations. Now it’s a matter of striking a balance by creating spaces that foster the desire to return to the office – even if only for a modified week,” Gaggion says.

This transitional period is pivotal in establishing and reestablishing workforce synergy. If your business is seeking assistance designing an environment befitting its workplace culture, feel free to contact us.