Manufacturers in the United States have added roughly 18,800 workers per month on average over the past 13 months, with an average of 29,000 from October through January. This suggests that the momentum in demand and production in the second half of 2014 has led to an uptick in hiring, which is encouraging. Income growth was also higher, with average weekly earnings up 2.0 percent year-over-year in January. At the same time, the larger economy has also seen strong growth, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by nearly 260,000 per month since the end of 2013. The unemployment rate edged up to 5.7 percent, however, as more Americans re-entered the labor force looking for work. The participation rate rose from 62.7 percent to 62.9 percent.

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CNBC (2/6, Schoen) reports that the “improved outlook” of small businesses has showed up in ADP’s recent data, which indicated small businesses are “back in a hiring mood” with over 2 million more workers added to their payrolls last year. CNBC notes that the “bulk of the hiring is coming from services businesses,” though manufacturers like Marlin Steel are also hiring as it “booked its best revenues and profits since...1998.” The article notes that the improved job market has led to a “serious skills shortage,” making hiring more difficult, according to Marlin Steel owner Drew Greenblatt, which is “one reason he’s raised wages and is investing in training new hires.”

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The AP (2/5) reports that the latest edition of the ADP/Moody’s Analytics jobs report says that private-sector employers added 213,000 jobs in January. The AP says it is a “decent increase,” though it is “the smallest in four months.” It also came in below economists’ expectations of 230,000. The report noted that “manufacturers added 14,000 jobs,” 7,000 less than in December; “construction companies hired 18,000 more workers”; and service companies including “retail, transportation and utilities firms added 54,000 jobs.”

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If you are a regular reader of Powder Coated Tough magazine, you have seen the logo and can certainly appreciate its intentions. What you may not realize is that “Powder Coated Tough” is more than just the name of our magazine. It is, in fact, the Powder Coating Institute’s way of life. Living “Powder Coated Tough” means that we advance, support and promote powder coating as a viable, long-lasting, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly finishing solution. Hence the tagline: STRONGER. GREENER. BETTER. Through staff and committee involvement, we not only strive to educate a sustainable powder coating workforce, but we also promote the benefits that powder coated products provide to end users and consumers.

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The powder coating industry had been asleep for nearly a decade. Two recessions, off-shoring, over-capacity and slim profit margins cast this outstanding coating technology into a funk. R&D budgets were decimated and far too many experts either retired or got out of the business.

Fortunately, in the last four to five years the industry has experienced a resurgence in innovation. Technologists are finally heeding the call to develop new materials and processes to meet the emerging needs of the manufacturing sector.

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Therma-Tron-X, Inc. announces that Joe Laubenthal of Elgin, Ill., has joined TTX as a sales engineer. He brings comprehensive expertise in the powder coating industry as well as experience in marketing, leadership, development, and networking.

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On behalf of the Powder Coating Institute (PCI®), we are pleased to present the first printed version of the Powder Coated Tough Buyers Guide. In addition to the print version, we will continue to publish the Buyers Guide in an interactive, searchable digital format that can be downloaded as a pdf to your personal computer.

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The U.S. economy grew 2.4 percent in 2014, just barely edging out the 2.2 percent gain in 2013. Yet, that somewhat understates the strength of the economy since the winter-related weaknesses seen at this point last year. Indeed, real GDP increased by an annualized 4.1 percent during the last three quarters of 2014, and in the fourth quarter, Americans spent at a healthy 4.3 percent annual pace, the fastest rate since the first quarter of 2006. Still, the 2.6 percent growth rate in real GDP in the fourth quarter also had some red flags. Weaker growth abroad, a strengthening U.S. dollar and worries about dramatically lower energy prices have impacted capital spending and international demand negatively. Therefore, while manufacturers remain mostly upbeat about orders and production in 2015, these developments serve as a reminder of the challenges in the global marketplace right now.

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The Powder Coating Institute (PCI®) announced the 2015 Executive Committee and Board of Directors at the beginning of January. The Executive...

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