FMA Leadership Summit

The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA)
Leaderhip Summit held March 15 in Orlando featured Emily DeRocco,
president of The Manufacturing Institute and the new National Center for
the American Workforce, and Dan DiMicco, chairman, president and CEO of
Nucor Corporation, the leading U.S. steel producer and the world’s
largest recycler. Each told the gathering of more than 200 executives at
the premiere conferences for the processing and fabricating industry
that the manufacturing sector can again be a global leader.

DeRocco outlined how even in today’s tough economic climate, U.S.
manufacturing represents the world’s eighth largest economy, pays
premium compensation when compared to non-manufacturing jobs, offers the
strongest multiplier effect, and outpaces global rivals in research and
development.

However, she noted a recent survey revealed 32 percent of companies
reported “moderate to serious skills shortages in the hiring pool” and
that “technological advances in modern manufacturing require more
advanced skill sets.

DiMicco painted a bleaker picture of the sector’s current status, citing
the large number of manufacturing jobs lost since its high point in
1998 and reporting the current level is the lowest since 1941. “How did
we get here?” he asked. “A massive failure of trade policies. And, we
bought into a failed economic model that a service-based economy could
replace a manufacturing-based economy.”

DiMicco asserted manufacturing can lead the way to create more jobs and
real wealth via several ways. One is to achieve energy independence by
“developing all domestic energy resources – traditional and renewable.
This will create jobs by building an energy infrastructure and driving
R&D in the energy sector.” Another critical strategy, he said, is to
“balance our trade deficit and restore global trade balance.” A third
emphasis must be upgrading a crumbling infrastructure to “lay the
foundation for tomorrow’s manufacturers.
            

Executive Survey

Senior management at U.S. manufacturing companies are significantly more
optimistic about their own companies’ growth than they were just three
months ago in November, according to a Grant Thornton LLP February survey .
Nine in 10 (91%) report that they are optimistic about their companies’
growth in the next six months, up from 81% in November.
 
As for the economy, 60% believe that the U.S. economy will improve in
the next six months, up from 49% in November. However, those planning to
increase hiring in the next six months saw a drop to 44% in February
from 49% in November.

Industry Personnel Moves

GE Home & Business Solutions announced that Jody Markopoulos has
been named president and CEO of GE
Intelligent Platforms , a global provider of software,
hardware, and services. Markopoulos, who will report to GE Home &
Business Solutions President and CEO Charlene Begley, succeeds Maryrose
Sylvester who was recently named as president and CEO of GE Lighting.

Markopoulos, a 17-year GE veteran, has led the Sourcing organization for
GE Energy since 2005. She is responsible for the management and
procurement of over $16B in materials and services worldwide and leads a
1,300-person global team. She has grown the supply base and
organization in emerging markets helping pave the way for global growth.
The global direct buy in emerging markets was increased four times
under her direction. During her tenure at GE Energy, Markopoulos held a
variety of roles with increasing responsibility in Supply Chain and
Quality. Prior to her current role, Markopoulos was general manager of
Quality.

Meanwhile, The Fieldbus
Foundation announced the appointment of Larry O’Brien as
global marketing manager. Formerly of ARC Advisory Group, O’Brien has 18
years of experience in the process automation business as a research
director and analyst at ARC, and has been closely tracking and reporting
on developments surrounding Foundation fieldbus for much of his career.

As global marketing manager, O’Brien will be responsible for developing
the strategic marketing direction for FOUNDATION technology worldwide.
He will oversee activities such as fieldbus seminar programs, trade show
exhibitions, technical demonstrations and marketing communications.

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