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The value of 'Made in America' for government agencies' purchasing decisions

The value of 'Made in America' for government agencies' purchasing decisions

Despite increased competition from providers whose products are manufactured in countries where labor costs are lower, “Made in America” is still more than just a tagline or marketing tool. A number of surveys have found that Americans not only are more willing to purchase U.S.-manufactured goods, but also tend to seek them out. For example, 78 percent of respondents in a survey conducted by the Consumer Reports Research Center indicated they would choose American-made produc

Why an Honors Student Wants to Skip College and Go to Trade School

Why an Honors Student Wants to Skip College and Go to Trade School

Raelee Nicholson earns A’s in her honors classes at a public high school south of Pittsburgh and scored in the 88th percentile on her college boards. But instead of going to college, Ms. Nicholson hopes to attend a two-year technical program that will qualify her to work as a diesel mechanic. Her guidance counselor, two teachers and several other adults tell her she’s making a mistake. “My dentist told me to (work on cars) as a hobby, but she kept telling me with my potential

Has Technology Gone Too Far? How to Balance Efficiency and Human Connection

Has Technology Gone Too Far? How to Balance Efficiency and Human Connection

Business technology today is full of wonderful timesaving tools that allow you to do a lot with little effort. However, these efficiencies shouldn't overpower the important interaction time with customers. Here's how to balance efficiency and the human connection in business today. Technology is wonderful. Technology in business is even more wonderful. Think back to 15 years ago, before social media, before your accounting software took hundreds of hours of work off your plat

Family owned Dura-Bond rescues businesses going down the tubes

Family owned Dura-Bond rescues businesses going down the tubes

The Norris family has built a thriving enterprise from businesses that former owners abandoned in frustration. The latest phoenix for Dura-Bond — the family owned company founded by J.M. “Buster” Norris in 1960 — to rise from the ashes is U.S. Steel’s former pipe mill in McKeesport. Dura-Bond is in the process of getting the refurbished plant certified to produce small diameter pipe that meets the oil and gas industry’s specifications. Once production begins later this year,

12 Things Business Owners Pay Too Much For

12 Things Business Owners Pay Too Much For

Running a business is going to cost a lot whatever you do, but too many businesses spend unnecessary amounts in these areas. Business costs are unavoidable, but some costs in business are way higher than necessary. Paying too much for rent, marketing or travel can cost your business its flexibility and reduce your working capital that helps get you through the lean months. Knowing where you can trim the fat will allow your company to run more efficiently and prevent you from

Don’t Ignore Mother Nature – Plan Now to Ensure Business Continuity When Disaster Strikes

Don’t Ignore Mother Nature – Plan Now to Ensure Business Continuity When Disaster Strikes

It has been said that an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This advice is especially true when it comes to planning for business continuity during natural disasters. Given the many competing priorities facing company leaders, it can be easy to assume, because severe weather events and natural disasters are rare, that anticipating them doesn’t require immediate attention. But such thinking is effectively gambling with your company’s ability to operate, because if

Can Apprenticeships Train the Workforce of the Future? States Hope So.

Can Apprenticeships Train the Workforce of the Future? States Hope So.

America has a skills gap. Governments across the U.S. are turning to European-style apprenticeship programs as a possible solution. For eight years, Will Lake, a graduate of a small college in Helena, Mont., bounced from job to job, looking for a way to use his bachelor’s degree in psychology. He worked as a telephone salesman, a bartender and a case manager assisting high school dropouts. “I knew I wanted to help people,” he says, but he struggled to cover his rent and stude

Ask the Expert- Lean Leadership: Lessons I’ve Learned from Failure

Ask the Expert- Lean Leadership: Lessons I’ve Learned from Failure

Two situations shaped the mindset I would use for continuous improvement throughout my career. Question: Lots of continuous improvement and lean books/people say you learn as much from failure as you do from success. You’ve been in the industry a long time. Can you give a good example of how a failure (or failures) turned into a learning experience for you or your team? Answer: What a great question. Of course, there are lots of specific examples I could cite. There is so muc

Easton’s Crayola unveils new products at NY toy fair

Easton’s Crayola unveils new products at NY toy fair

Easton-based Crayola has launched its latest products at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. The toy fair began Saturday and runs through Tuesday. This year’s line of new Crayola tools gives a nod to the STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – movement in education by letting children tap into their inner scientist. One of the toys unveiled is Crayola Color Chemistry, which offers 50 different color-based experiments. The Crayola Crayon Melter let