CMTC Manufacturing Blog

Posted by Steven Brand

Small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) have begun to embrace the fourth industrial revolution, investing in new technologies such as advanced robotics, smart manufacturing, flexible hybrid electronics and additive manufacturing in order to grow and compete. However, there’s another often overlooked area they should also invest in to grow their company: their employees. By making an investment in employees, SMMs can begin to build a solid foundation for success and strengthen the backbone of their business.

Posted by Steven Brand

Manufacturing plays a key role within California, which is one of the most powerful economies in the world, leading a variety of industries, including technology, international trade, healthcare, agriculture, and energy. In fact, the World Bank ranks California as the sixth-largest economy in the world, with only the entirety of the United States and China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom topping it. So, clearly, there are many benefits to keeping your manufacturing business within the Golden State. Of course, there can also be challenges, so we’ll also take a look at how one manufacturer was able to overcome them in order to thrive in California.

Posted by Steven Brand

Manufacturing Day®, an initiative designed to inspire the next generation of manufacturers, arrives October 4, 2019. The annual MFG Day (which can be held anytime during the month) involves thousands of manufacturers across the country holding events, tours, activities, and more. Last year, in California alone, more than 250 sites registered as event hosts and more than 330 manufacturers and support organizations participated in or sponsored events throughout the month of October. 

Posted by Steven Brand

The Golden State began leading the way in workplace anti-harassment training in 2004, establishing Assembly Bill (AB) 1825, which requires supervisors to learn about the subject. Covered under the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), AB 1825 states that employers must “take reasonable steps to prevent and correct wrongful behavior in the workplace.” In 2018, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, California took things a step further, enacting Senate Bill (SB) 1343, an amendment that makes several significant adjustments to the training requirements.

Posted by Steven Brand

Manufacturers across the country are preparing for Manufacturing Day® 2019, or MFG Day. Arriving October 4 this year, MFG Day is designed to inspire and recruit the next generation of manufacturers. The annual event began in 2012, and was created to dispel the notion that all manufacturing jobs are “dark, dirty, and dangerous,” and to show students, businesspeople, politicians, and the media that manufacturing offers some of the most exciting and innovative work environments around.

Posted by Cullen Hilkene, Guest Author

Over the last decade, Additive Manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) has garnered many headlines—from the hype of consumer 3D printing to the substance of its impact on the design and manufacturing community. The amount of ink dedicated to the technology has been substantial and well-deserved. 3D printing changes manufacturing through the way industries design, make production parts and support products in the aftermarket. In this blog post, we delve into the ways that 3D printing is changing manufacturing today. Keep an eye out for upcoming posts about the ways additive stands to further change manufacturing in the future.

Posted by Steven Brand

Every year, billions of dollars are made available to small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) courtesy of government organizations. These initiatives aim to help SMMs get off the ground or aid in their expansion efforts; in fact, we covered eight organizations willing to lend a hand to SMMs in a recent story you can read here. Now, we’re pleased to report that another organization is stepping up and offering financing help: the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Posted by Steven Brand

How do you know if your election vote is really counted?

How do you know the person you’re chatting with online really is who they say they are?

And how do you know if a product you purchase has really met quality standards?

These three scenarios may not seem like they have much in common, but there is a common thread: blockchain—a decentralized, open-source ledger—could hypothetically be applied to each to give you the certainty you want in each situation.

Posted by Steven Brand

It may seem hard to believe, but in terms of technology, social media is still just a baby. Connecting with others via online social sites gained momentum less than 20 years ago with the arrival of sites like MySpace. Today, social media is a phenomenon, and Americans spend more than 215 weekly minutes connecting with others online through their smartphone, and an additional 100 minutes connecting via laptop, desktop, or tablet.

For small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), social media represents an incredible opportunity for marketing and recruiting. Plus, by building an online social media presence, SMMs can significantly reduce the expense of traditional advertising because it’s inexpensive—or no cost—and it reaches a very broad audience. With social media, SMMs can connect with customers in real-time and engage them in a whole new way.

Posted by Steven Brand

When manufacturers think of social media, LinkedIn and Facebook are probably the first two that come to mind. As a video platform, they may feel YouTube is better suited to funny cat videos. That may have been true in the early days of YouTube, but now it’s more social and influential than ever before. Today, over 300 hours of video are uploaded every minute, so YouTube has something for everyone. And that’s exactly who you’ll find on YouTube: everyone.