This week The Economist writes of a “Third Industrial Revolution” arguing the the latest “digital” Industrial Revolution allows for greater customization and flexibility and may eventually lead to a return to more of the cottage based industries that were replaced by the first industrial revolution in the late 18th century.
Read about it here:
While there has been lot’s of news about “re-shoring” manufacturing to the United States from China we should all be aware that, while this is a welcome phenomenon,the trend is still outbound.
Check out these headlines today…..
Volvo To More Than Double Vehicle Models In China.
Bloomberg News (4/21, News) reported Volvo “said it plans to more than double its number of models to compete with Volkswagen AG (VOW)’s Audi and BMW AG in the world’s largest automobile market.” Volvo, which is owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., and “currently sells 6 models in China, is planning to introduce 10 new ones in the country within six years, including ‘bigger and more luxury high end’ vehicles, as well as medium- to small-sized cars such as the V40 hatchback,” the automaker said.
Nissan To Manufacture Two Infiniti Models In China. BBC News (4/20) reported, “Nissan Motors has said it will start manufacturing two models of its luxury brand Infiniti in China in an attempt to tap into the fast-growing market.”
Volkswagen To Build New Factory In China. AFP (4/23) reports Volkswagen “will build a new plant in Xinjiang, a province in China’s undeveloped far west, a company official said” yesterday. Marketing and distribution chief Christian Klingler said in Beijing on the eve of a major auto show in the Chinese capital, “The new plant is only part of our ‘go west’ strategy.'”
China Auto Industry Faces Rising Inventory. Bloomberg News (4/22) reported, Volkswagen “said China’s slowing automobile industry is facing rising inventory levels.” The country’s “auto market had inventory of about 2.3 months during the first quarter, compared with 2 months a year earlier, Soh Weiming, executive vice president at Volkswagen China, said in Beijing today. Stockpiles may rise to 2.6 months by the middle of the year, he said.”
High oil and gasoline prices are driving businesses and consumers alike toward more energy efficient products. Three news stories today clearly illustrate this trend.
The Washington Times reports that sales of Electric Vehicles reached a monthly high in March. “Consumers bought a record 52,000 gas-electric hybrids and all-electric cars in March, up from 34,000 during the same month last year. The two categories combined made up 3.64 percent of total U.S. sales, their highest monthly market share ever…”
Staying with the automotive theme, under the headline, “How Hyundai Went From Joke To Contender In US,” the AP reports Hyundai “…is among the leaders in fuel efficiency and styling. Sales are up more than 60 percent since 2008, the year John Krafcik became CEO of American operations. Hyundai’s Elantra compacts and Sonata midsize sedans are in such demand that few discounts are offered.”
Finally, USA Today reports that Boeing is updating the “Industry workhorse” 737 to become more fuel efficient. ”…the Boeing 737 Max will “offer efficiency that’s helped make the 737 the best-selling commercial jet in history.”
The old saying goes “necessity is the mother of invention.” Today we might say “4 dollar gas necessitates innovation.”
The Council of Industry, the manufacturer’s association of the Hudson Valley, is proud to announce the recipients of the 2012 Manufacturing Champions Award. This honor is bestowed on individuals from both the public and private sector and an organization who through vision, dedication, hard work and tireless involvement have helped to overcome some of the many obstacles faced by manufacturers in the Hudson Valley community and in so doing they have made it possible for manufacturers and their employees to prosper.
This year’s Champions from the private sector, Richard and Carol Parker, are the founder and president of Fair Rite Products Corporation. Richard Parker, a pioneer of the early efforts to use ferrites for EMI energy attenuation, founded Fair Rite Products Corporation in Ulster County in 1952. Under Richard and his wife (and Fair Rite CEO) Carol’s leadership Fair Rite Products has grown into a multinational business. Today, still based in Ulster County, Fair Rite Products is one of the world’s leaders in development, innovation and manufacture of soft ferrite products, offering a comprehensive product line that includes a wide range of materials and geometries for EMI suppression, power applications and RFID antennas.
The public sector Champion is Orange County Executive Ed Diana. Serving as county Executive since 2001 Ed Diana believes that commercial investment is key to affordable taxes, good paying jobs, and quality communities. He has taken personal interest in numerous economic development activities affecting manufacturers including negotiating the Port Authority takeover of the management of Stewart Airport, the formation of the Orange County Business Accelerator, and the retention of major manufacturing employers Kolmar Labs and Satin Fine foods.
The Champion for an organization supporting Hudson Valley Manufacturing goes to the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, the one-stop shop for companies considering relocating or expanding in the Hudson Valley region. HVEDC’s recent focus on developing industry clusters including semi-conductor, food and beverage, bio-Technology and Medical Devices has proven very beneficial to all Hudson Valley manufacturers. In developing the services infrastructure these clusters need to succeed, all manufactures have benefited, not just those that are part of individual clusters.
There will be a Manufacturing Champions Award Breakfast honoring the recipients on Friday May 18th, from 7:30- 9:30 am at the Powelton Club in Newburgh, NY. Sponsorship opportunities are available and make this event possible. Thanks to our supporting sponsors: The Chazen Companies, Mid-Hudson Workshop for the Disabled, and The Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation. Major and supporting sponsorships are still available, to become a sponsor or to reserve your seat at the event go to www.www.councilofindustry.org or call the Council of Industry office (845) 565-1355.
First the good news regarding the March Jobs Report, The manufacturing sector added 37,000 jobs in March, and manufacturing, as we all know, is a bell weather of the overall economy so this positive number bodes well for the future.
Now the bad news – everything else in the report is disappointing to say the least. For me the most discouraging number was the precipitous decline in the workforce. Fewer people looking for work is not a sign of growth, and growth is what our economy needs. Ironically this reduction in the overall labor force is the reason the unemployment rate declined from 8.3 to 8.2 percent.
The gain in Manufacturing employment of 37,000 in March is the second-strongest gain in the last 12 months, and continues the manufacturing jobs gain that began in January 2010. Since that time, manufacturing has gained 470,000 jobs – and has seen employment grow 10 percent faster than in the rest of the private sector.
Durable goods employment continued its strong growth pattern, gaining 26 thousand jobs in March. Reflecting resurgent motor vehicle production in the United States, the March employment gain in that sector accounted for nearly half of the entire durable goods employment increase. Non-durable goods employment rose 11,000.
The strong growth in manufacturing that has been going on since January 2010 is clearly visible in the attached graphs, as is the robust performance of the durable goods sector and the lackluster record in non-durables employment.
In order to have robust growth across both the durable goods and non-durable goods sector we need pro-manufacturing policies from Washington that will enable growth.
“Innovation — not manufacturing —has always propelled this country’s progress. A strategy to reward manufacturers who increase their payroll in the United States may not be as effective as one to support the firms whose creations — whether physical stuff or immaterial services — can conquer world markets and pay for the jobs of the rest of us.”
That is the gist of the story in the New York Times yesterday on the changing nature of manufacturing and how best to harness it as an economic engine. What is most interesting is this simple, but very important point: “It may not matter to factory workers who lost their jobs. Whether forced out because an employer moved production to China or because a fancy new machine makes it easier to compete against a rival in China, the job is gone.
Still, the distinction is important. Without an understanding of the forces at work, policy makers’ attempts to bolster manufacturing could backfire.”
Well said – and too often policy makers act without truly understanding the problem.
See the whole story here:
By Ned Monroe, NAM, senior vice president, external affairs
This January not only marked the start of a new business year; it also kicked off a critical presidential election year. Candidates are flooding the airwaves and social media sites with their plans to improve the economy and support manufacturers in America. Whether running for the White House or the court house, candidates are discussing manufacturing and how our sector of the economy is a solid solution for job creation. With this timely focus on manufacturing, it is critical that we take action on our commonsense solutions to create jobs. We can all collectively participate in this important election season.
As member companies of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) work toward a successful business year, employee participation in the election is a top priority. Now is the time to mark important election dates on the company calendar and to update your internal employee voter education plan. The New York State Primary will be held on April 24th.
According to a study conducted by the Business Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC), workers overwhelmingly look to their employers as a credible source of information on elections and political issues affecting businesses. Use this valuable opportunity to encourage your employees to support manufacturing by participating in the elections. Your team members want and appreciate your insights.
To help you communicate with your team, the NAM offers an online Election Center as a useful resource for your company in the upcoming year. It’s a one-stop shop that provides employers and employees with all the tools needed for the upcoming 2012 cycle. For more information, please visit www.namelectioncenter.org.
As you craft a get-out-the-vote strategy for your business, focus on providing basic, non-partisan tools our employees will be able to use to make informed decisions on November 6. An effective plan should include voter registration and polling location information as well as reminders about upcoming deadlines and election dates. You might also offer printed copies of the candidates’ positions on key issues. All this information can be easily accessed on the NAM’s Election Center.
Show strong support for employee involvement in the 2012 election. Lead by example. Encourage voter participation frequently in internal communications. It is appropriate to send non-partisan reminder e-mails and to mention the election in an employee newsletter on your company’s internal website or at monthly staff meetings. Consider sponsoring a voter registration drive at your company. Many places of business offer their employees a flexible work schedule on election days so they have the time to vote. All of these actions show that you, as an employer, support and encourage active participation in the voting process.
As candidates hit the campaign trail, we strongly recommend inviting elected officials and candidates to your company facilities for plant tours or “meet and greet” events with your employees. At these events, feel free to discuss issues, their potential impact on your business and the candidates’ positions and records on policies. If you decide to host candidates at your company, contact the Council of Industry, we can walk you through specific procedures and legal requirements for conducting such meetings.
The Council of Industry and the NAM team is ready and willing to help your company develop and implement a successful employee election plan for 2012. Together, we can collectively show both employees and candidates that Manufacturing Means Jobs!
Please visit the Council of Industry’s Manufacturing is Vital page http://www.councilofindustry.net/vital.html for our link to the NAM election center to get started today.
Gillibrand referred to the 2011 survey by the Manufacturing Institute and said that “more than 600,000 manufacturing jobs are unfilled due to a shortage of skilled workers. Two-thirds of small business leaders and more than half of all business leaders struggle with recruiting employees with the right education and training.” She noted this was particularly true for what she described as “middle-skill” jobs that require training at a level somewhere between a high school diploma and a four-year college degree.
She continued, “By 2018, 21 of the 30 fastest-growing jobs will require a postsecondary certificate or degree. These jobs make up nearly half of America’s labor market, and nearly half of all of the openings over the next decade for highly compensated jobs.”
Gillibrand on WAMC
A NAM/Industry Week Survey of manufacturers shows that many firms are predicting higher sales and employment in 2012, but that the rising costs of energy and raw materials are cause for concern.
Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers, wrote in the last NAM/IndustryWeek Survey of Manufacturers released in December, “the percentage of manufacturers who were either somewhat or very positive about their business outlook jumped to 80%, up from 65% in the September survey.” Moutray wrote, “The outlook for growth this year improved with the revival in optimism at the end of last year. I am currently predicting 2.6% growth in real GDP in 2012, which is in line with other estimates.”
Moutray is also the author of the very popular “Monday Manufacturing Economic Report the Council of Industry circulates to its members each week.
The Council of Industry as a member of the Manufacturers Alliance spent two days this month meeting with state lawmakers on issues of importance to our members. Harold King moderated a panel discussion with Assembly and Senate members. For a brief video clip from that session or to watch Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos speaking to the group, go to our channel at Vimeo.com,
NBC Nightly News (3/8, story 4, 2:05, Williams) reported, “Even with so many Americans still unemployed, some companies, manufacturers in particular, are having trouble finding workers.” NBC (LeBeau) added, “Over the last two years American manufacturers have hired more than 400,000 workers. At the same time the number of manufacturing jobs unfilled has more than doubled to 264,000” due to “a lack of applicants with the skills or education to run or build machines that are more complex.”
The fact that manufacturing is vital to the growth of the economy in New York, and to the corollary of improving the state government’s financial situation, seems to have sunk in to the legislators and administration officials who attended and participated in the Manufacturing Alliance of New York States annual Manufacturing Days March 5 and 6 in Albany. What should, and more importantly can, be done to help became the topic of discussion during the event.
Taxes (corporate franchise, energy, highway use) regulations (DOT,DEC, DOL) and other costs of doing business (energy workers’ compensation) remain the greatest impediment to the growth of the manufacturing sector in New York. Legislators participating on our panel discussion felt that the tide was turning on these issues. All believe Governor Cuomo is setting the right tone and moving the bureaucracy in the right direction on these issues.
Rising near the top of issues of concern to NYS manufacturers this year was the Skills gap. An aging workforce, fewer and fewer students pursuing careers in the sector, a secondary educational system tilted toward preparing students for college, and population under the misconception that manufacturing is fading in this country have all led to a dramatic shortage of skilled workers.Throughout the event in Albany manufacturing CEOs one after the other told of orders and growth foregone over the lack of workers to produce the goods.
Lawmakers are especially sympathetic to this issue.
The nationwide shortage of skilled workers is finally receiving some attention in the national media and it’s being talked about at times on the campaign trail by incumbents and candidates running for State Representative and Congress. Here in the Hudson Valley Council of Industry training programs are filled, and that’s a positive development but much more is needed. Recently two Hudson Valley manufacturers received positive media coverage locally and on CSpan as this issue was discussed. Larry Fryer, President of Fryer Machine Systems in Patterson, with children in High School, says public schools are doing nothing to expose young people to career paths in manufacturing. The Council of Industry posted video from his meeting with Congresswoman Nan Hayworth on our Facebook Page. Here is the link to the video http://vimeo.com/channels/298363
Later in the week Hayworth told members of the Senate – House Conference Committee on extending the tax credit about her meeting at Fryer. Also on the tour of Fryer Machine Systems was Orange County Deputy County Executive James O’Donnell. The Orange County Industrial Development Agency and SUNY Orange in Middletown and Newburgh are moving as quickly as possible to establish new training programs to support manufacturing. So they wanted to learn directly what manufacturing employers needs are. Their goal is to start a new training program as the Fall Semester gets underway in late August.
A week earlier, the Council of Industry referred the local news team at Cablevision News in Dutchess County to Schatz Bearing in Poughkeepsie. The focus of the news story they broadcast was job creation in local manufacturing. Schatz President Stephen Pomeroy spoke about the hiring his firm did in December, and also how Schatz improves worker skills by taking advantage of available worker training programs, including the Council’s, and also programs run by nearby Dutchess Community College.
The NAM Manufacturing Institute has developed a “stackable” skills program that will make it much more attractive for people, particularly young people, to get into the field of manufacturing.
The program ends the false choice that young people must choose between a trade or college by providing a path to skill certificate – associates degree – bachelors degree – graduate degree. Individuals can continue on the path, or hop off and back on at anytime for the skills they need to be successful in a modern manufacturing career.
The first focus has been on the core or basic skills that cut across all sectors in manufacturing.
These core or basic skills are:
Personal Effectiveness Skills
Basic Academic Requirements
General Workplace Competencies
Industry-wide Technical Competencies
The Manufacturing Institute worked with key certification partners who are the world market leaders in skills certification programs that align with these four tiers of skill requirements. This collaborative effort resulted in an organization of the certification programs, and the credentials they offer, into a system of “stackable credentials” that can be awarded in post-secondary education.
The result is a professional technical manufacturing workforce with valuable industry credentials, making companies more innovative, more competitive, and more marketable.
Find out more here: http://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Education-Workforce/Skills-Certification-System/About/About.aspx
The NAM Press Release on the State of the Union and the Administration’s discussion of manufacturing is dead on.
Here is a sample:
“The Obama Administration must take action to put an end to the rampant overregulation and overreach by the National Labor Relations Board and the Environmental Protection Agency. We need action on comprehensive tax reform that will lower the corporate tax rate so that we can compete for investment across the globe. Tax reform must also lower the rates of the 65 percent of manufacturers that file as individuals for the good of the economy and jobs. An aggressive trade policy that opens new markets is essential so America does not stand idle while other nations move into those markets. As consumers of one-third of our nation’s energy supply, manufacturers embrace a true ‘all-of-the-above’ energy policy – not one subject to the political winds.”
Here is the Link:
http://www.nam.org/Communications/Articles/2012/01/Manufacturers-State-of-the-Union-Needs-Action-Behind-It.aspx
Manufacturing in the New York region expanded in January at the fastest pace in nine months, reflecting improving orders, sales and employment.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s general economic index rose to 13.5, the highest level since April, from a revised 8.2 in December.
On a series of supplementary survey questions, 51 percent of respondents indicated that they expect their workforces to increase over the next six to twelve months, while just 9 percent predicted declines in the total number of workers—results noticeably more positive than in the June 2011 survey. The current results were slightly more positive for larger establishments (150 or more employees) than for smaller ones. High expected sales growth was widely deemed to be the most important factor among those who planned to add workers. When asked about anticipated changes in wages per worker, 80 percent of respondents indicated that wages would increase by less than 5 percent and almost all of the remaining 20 percent said wages would stay about the same. When asked about changes in benefits per worker, however, a sizable proportion, 37 percent, estimated that increases would exceed 5 percent.
Heard on Morning Edition
January 12, 2012 – STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Manufacturing employment in this country is expanding. In fact, the labor department says that in 2011, more manufacturing jobs were added than in any year since the 1990s. Still, manufacturing employment is not what it was, as will be apparent, when we look more closely in the coming days, at South Carolina, a manufacturing state which is holding its presidential primary later this month.
South Carolina’s unemployment rate is 9.9 percent – considerably higher than the national average. You can see a transformation in South Carolina in old factory towns. New plants have sprung up, but workers there will tell you they’re a world apart from the old ones. As part of a story co-reported with the Atlantic Magazine, Adam Davidson of NPR’s Planet Money team visited Greenville, South Carolina, to see the transformation of manufacturing up close.
ADAM DAVIDSON, BYLINE: Greenville County, South Carolina is where manufacturing’s past and future live side-by-side. I don’t mean that in some metaphorical way. I mean, it is a visible fact. There are abandoned textile mills everywhere you look.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (Unintelligible)
DAVIDSON: I’m riding around in a squad car with Deputy Sheriff Mike East and his boss, Sheriff Scott Wilson, who took me on a tour of Greenville’s past.
There are so many mills. They’re hiding behind other mills.
SHERIFF SCOTT WILSON: There’s a mill behind every blade of grass.
DAVIDSON: Ten to fifteen years ago, life in Greenville was organized around these mills. Each mill had its own village, its own church, its own bar. These places were abandoned over the last decade or so as mill after mill went out of business. What’s left are deeply depressed near ghost-towns. But sometimes, amid the stretches of shuttered buildings, you can find a living relic.
WILSON: Now, here’s a lively redneck bar, Christine’s Place.
DAVIDSON: Christine’s sign reads, Come to the holler for a cold swaller(ph). You could also come to Christine’s for a fist-fight or if you wanted to be shot at. Sherriff Wilson had an unsettling number of fight stories from Christine’s. When the cops left, I decided I had to go inside, but I was really scared.
But instantly when I walked in I felt like a fool for being scared. Those fight stories are all very old. The room now is empty, except there are a few white-haired regulars nursing drinks at the bar. They told me about the old Greenville, when the economy was booming. Christine’s was packed morning, noon, and night, before and after every one of the three shifts at the nearby mill. Trucks would speed in and out of the factory gates nearby.
TERRY LEE SUTTLES: You made more money. You could just make money. And it was good money.
DAVIDSON: That’s Terry Lee Suttles, the bar’s owner.
SUTTLES: Everybody knowed somebody that worked in the mill, and usually they was hiring. And if you had a friend, you could always get in, you know. I wasn’t really old enough to work, but I went to work.
DAVIDSON: Like 16 or younger?
SUTTLES: Oh, I was about 16.
DAVIDSON: Did you drop out of high school?
SUTTLES: Yes.
DAVIDSON: Which everyone did around here, right?
SUTTLES: Yeah.
DAVIDSON: And this is the key fact. This is what made life in the old Greenville so rewarding. People with minimal education could work in a factory and support a lifestyle that their grandparents could only dream of. And the people here – they knew it.
WAYNE STATEN: We’ve had a good life.
LARRY HALE: We’ve had a fantasy life.
STATEN: Yeah.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
DAVIDSON: A fantasy life?
Wayne Staten and Larry Hale worked in the old Greenville. They drove trucks that took the mill products all over the continent.
HALE: Yeah we’ve done things that a lot of people dream of doing, that never ever have a chance of doing.
DAVIDSON: Like what?
HALE: Like when I went to Canada and I started dating this hairstylist up in Canada, wanted to marry me. And down in Mexico, the things I done. And when I lived in Houston, Texas. We lived a fantasy life. We lived our lives to the fullest. You got to cherish everything that’s out in front of you. You got to grasp it and love it; and if you don’t, you’re losing out. Love everything.
STATEN: Well, I wouldn’t say everything, Larry.
HALE: Yeah. OK. I agree with you there.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
DAVIDSON: Compare this fantasy life to the present. There are still factories in Greenville – they’re open and working, and they employ people, although now you have to have a high school degree, usually, to get a job. And as I found out, the workers now feel a lot less certain about their job prospects. For example, I visited the factory floor of Standard Motor Products.
(SOUNDBITE OF MACHINERY)
DAVIDSON: They make replacement parts for car engines. I thought this would involve big, noisy machines stamping out parts and spewing oil. Instead, I saw very nice, high tech machines and not that many workers who were hunched over microscopes or working on computer programmed machinery. It looked more like a science lab than an assembly line.
Madeline “Maddie” Parlier operates one of the machines on the floor. She doesn’t have a college degree, and she doesn’t need one to operate this machine. It runs with a push of a button. But she remembers a time when factory work wasn’t quite so automated. In her old job at a kayak-building factory, she used to work up a sweat.
MADELINE PARLIER: You know, I’m here all day and I’m used to sweatin,’ I mean really sweatin’. You know, I come here and I’m putting pieces and I’m like, what am I doing?
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
DAVIDSON: ‘Cause it’s so many machines doing what people…
PARLIER: Right, it’s so different. To see how far factories have come from the old time that I’m used to, it’s an eye-opener.
DAVIDSON: Machines do so much more of the work in today’s factory. And the machines have bred a new kind of factory worker, workers like Ralph Young, who doesn’t just have to push a button.
RALPH YOUNG: And we have a microscope, a hot stand, snap gauges, ID gauges, we use bore mites, go-no-go plugs…
DAVIDSON: Ralph is the future of manufacturing. He’s acquired the knowledge and skills to adapt to the new technology on the factory floor. But for Maddie and many millions of others, the pace of change has been bewildering. She is still adjusting, and she will have to keep adjusting as the machines grow more sophisticated and the work less physical. The question is, can Maddie, and the 11 million or so other manufacturing workers in the U.S. keep up?
Tomorrow, when our series continues, we’ll look at the changing skills of the modern-day factory worker, and how they affect the job prospects of workers like Maddie.
Adam Davidson, NPR News.
INSKEEP: You can find the magazine version of Adam’s story on news stands or at the Atlantic.com/magazine.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
INSKEEP: This is NPR News.
The Media is finally starting to understand not only the important role manufacturing plays in our economy, but also its high tech, high skill nature. In this article from NPR’s Morning Edition, Correspondent Adam Davidson visits Greenville South Carolina to discuss manufacturing’s past and future. Mr. Davidson was a guest at a Council of Industry Directors meeting in November of 2010 where we discussed this very thing. For manfuacturing to grow and lead our nation into economic prosperity we need to change the public perception of the sector from “Dumb, Dirty, Dangerous and Disappearing” to “Smart, Sustainable,Safe and Surging.”
Listen to the story:
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=145038754&m=145086472
Before they decide, the go online. Your outbound marketing touches a buyer, but before they move ahead, they do their homework. They go online to see what they find about you and your company. The reason for this is that we no longer trust advertising. Research consistently tells us ads are trusted by only 14% of those seeing them. What people do trust is online ratings and reviews, videos and articles that inform and case studies with real numbers in them. Buyers worry endlessly about making a bad decision. They look to your online marketing presence for reassurance.
So first they have to find you online, and search engine optimization isn’t what it used to be. Once the dominion of the marketing department and a few technical staffers, SEO now requires full participation from nearly every corner of the enterprise — from customer support personnel to social media teams, all the way up to the C-Suite. Thats the advice from SEO Consultant Peter A. Prestipino, who writes that few chief executives or their fellow chiefs in tech, marketing, operations or finance may understand how a brand’s SEO strategy impacts the bottom line and even their own day-to-day tasks. While it is certainly possible for a company to exist with poor SEO practices aligning current SEO best practices with business objectives will greatly improve your online marketing.
How did Google take over it’s industry? By deciding to rank websites based on Authenticity, which required links to other relevant websites and internet traffic that came from relevant places. So, do the links on your website work? Are there links to other sites relevant to your industry, and are other sites relevant to your industry linked back to your site?
Now in 2011, not only are these links key to successful Search Engine Optimization, but new weight is given to links to and traffic in social media.
Here’s more from a recent article by Prestipino:
While it is obviously important to make sure that visitors can access the website
and find its content by ensuring, for example, that there are no broken links, the CSuite and its teams of executives also need to analyze and audit what is found
when visitors do arrive. The focus, therefore, should be on keywords and phrases
— the virtual blood that courses through the veins of the Internet.
What needs to be answered in an audit of keyword relevance and targeting is how
the pages being optimized accommodate the search terms and phrases in use by
prospective visitors and how they relate to an organizationʼs specific objectives. For
the most part, keywords can be separated into three distinct types — navigational,
informational and transactional.
Navigational queries tend to be brand specific (e.g. “Facebook login” or “Fedex
package tracking”). It is highly likely for most companies that some percentage of
their traffic will originate from these query types. Informational and transactional
queries, however, are what drive new business and sales and should be what are
audited and monitored most aggressively.
Informational queries are those which aim to uncover specific information. Keyword
modifiers such as “tips”, “how-to”, and “list” are just some examples. These query
types lead consumers deeper into the site and support both awareness and a
sense of trustworthiness. If it is information that your website visitors want, it is
information they shall have — so answer their questions and youʼll earn some
friends and customers along the way. One valuable resource to understand the
types of questions site visitors ask through search engines is WordTrackerʼs
Keyword Questions feature (http://wsm.co/q1vFid).
The SEO-aware C-Suite also needs to analyze whether the keyword choices on
landing pages are helping fulfill the ultimate aim — transactions and conversion.
Understanding which terms and phrases have commercial intent can make the
difference between high and low visibility on the search results pages, as well as
determining a Web propertyʼs ability to generate revenue. It is diffi cult to identify
which keywords have the most commercial intent, but visitors typically tend to use
“long tail” keyword phrases to help fulfill their immediate needs.
An interesting research study was released by About.com in September 2011,
revealing that users searching on the Internet exhibit three distinct human behavior
search patterns: “Answer Me”, “Educate Me” and “Inspire Me”. People in an
“Answer Me” moment (46 percent of all searches) want exactly what they ask for,
delivered in a way that allows them to get to it as directly as possible. Marketers
should feature product benefits front and center and align content in a way that
presents quick, easy to- find answers. For the “Educate Me” search mindset (26
percent of all searches), marketers should aim to create messaging that is
informative and provide ways for users to learn more about topics from multiple
angles, aligning content that presents in-depth information and resources. Finally,
for the “Inspire Me” search mindset (28 percent of all searches), marketers should
develop content that inspires creativity and offers endless choices. These users
have an open mind and want to be led, so expect them to consume content in
multiple formats.
Peopleʼs behaviors, needs and preferences in the offl ine world drive their
behaviors and preferences online. Understanding how human behavior affects
patterns in search behaviors can help marketers know and connect with the people
who use their products. The right formula for your brand is critical to reaching your
consumers in a relevant way.
In 2012 successful Search engine optimization in the enterprise requires more
oversight from the C-Suite. Auditing the general accessibility of a website, links to
your social media marketing platforms, the relevance of keywords, and the quality
of both content and design is fundamental to todayʼs enterprises looking to
capitalize on search engine traffic. The good news is that Search Engine and
Content Marketing Support is becoming more available outside the major cities
with established internet industries. Even mid sized cities such as Scranton PA now
has an SEO/Content Marketing support firms.
Meet the people behind the products. From semi-conductors to Jet engine turbines – from apple pie filling to smoked salmon – from cosmetics to high definition micro displays – Council members make the products that make the world run. Through our podcast we introduce listeners to the people who own, work in, and support these businesses, businesses that together are the Council of Industry. We learn about their products and career paths. We learn about their leadership styles and their passion for their work. We learn about their challenges and their opportunities. In the process we learn more about manufacturing and why it is such a vital sector of our economy- vital to our region’s prosperity, our security and our future.
The Spring 2026 issue of HV Mfg captures a pivotal moment for manufacturers as they navigate ongoing uncertainty while continuing to build forward momentum. In this edition, industry leaders share how they’re responding to global pressures, from tariffs and interest rates to shifting market dynamics, offering a candid look at what it takes to compete today. At the same time, stories like Poughkeepsie-based Cerven Solutions highlight how newer companies are finding their footing and growing in a changing landscape. You’ll also hear from Producto Electric’s Scott Aronson on leading a nearly 90-year-old company, alongside expert insights on building resilience through workforce development, compliance, and practical applications of AI. As always, our Spring 2026 issue includes Manufacturing News Briefs, as well as our Associate and Manufacturing Member Directories.
In the Fall 2025 edition of HV Mfg Magazine, the focus turns to the people, companies, and ideas shaping the future of manufacturing across the Hudson Valley. This issue features Caribbean Food Delights, based in Tappan, NY, on the cover—a company known for producing authentic Jamaican-style frozen patties while sourcing ingredients globally to maintain quality and flavor. Their story reflects the growing importance of balancing tradition with global supply chains in today’s manufacturing environment.
Inside the issue, readers will find a range of articles addressing current challenges and opportunities in the industry. Technology takes center stage with a look at agentic AI and its emerging role in manufacturing, while workforce development is explored through strategic partnerships that are helping build the next generation of skilled talent. Leadership and innovation are highlighted in a profile of Deborah Smook and Eli Uriel of TurboFil, showcasing how companies are solving complex packaging challenges.