• Gen Z in Manufacturing: Promote a Culture of Care – It’s Okay Not to be Okay
    Dec 27 2024

    Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast where I interview young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer.

    For this episode, I welcome William Stewart, a 25-year-old Licensed Excellerate Electrician at Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI).

    Stewart is a licensed journeyman in Wisconsin and a graduate of FTI’s apprenticeship program. At the FTI Excellerate facility, Stewart is responsible for electrical assemblies and installations, troubleshooting and maintenance.

    Some of his additional key responsibilities include maintaining current licensing and training requirements, ensuring projects are built to specifications, following workplace safety procedures and leading a crew effectively. He also mentors and develops others and participates in hiring referrals.

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    14 mins
  • LISTEN: Fruit Juice Exec Pleads Guilty for Selling Tainted Beverages to School Programs
    Dec 23 2024

    This week, Mary Ann Bliesner, the 83-year-old former president and primary owner of Valley Processing Inc. (VPI) pleaded guilty to charges related to the manufacture and sale of tainted fruit juice products in violation of federal food safety laws. Bliesner operated a now-shuttered fruit juice facility in Sunnyside, Washington.

    During an FDA inspection in May 2018, VPI employees used caution tape to prevent investigators from entering a room at Bliesner's Grape Road Facility in Washington that held concrete storage vats. The workers told FDA investigators that the facility was unsafe to enter and contained no juice or juice products. Not only did that room store juice, but it was often old unsold grape juice concentrate, sometimes held for years in large concrete vats that were not properly covered or cooled, according to the Department of Justice.

    Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

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    4 mins
  • LISTEN: Colgate Testing New Toothpaste on Fake People
    Dec 20 2024

    Digital twins are making an incredible impact on the manufacturing industry. By simulating the factory using real-time data from sensors and other IoT technology, manufacturers can iterate faster during the product design, improve efficiency, forecast potential equipment failures and even help train new workers in virtual environments. And now, one major toothpaste player is testing new products on digital twins of customers, i.e., virtual people.

    Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

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    3 mins
  • LISTEN: Honda, Nissan in Merger Talks
    Dec 19 2024

    Honda and Nissan represent the second and third largest Japanese automobile companies – behind only Toyota in global sales volume.

    Still, Nissan has notably lost its footing in the past year. Last month, the automaker reported a net earnings decline of more than 90% for the first half. In turn, Nissan cut its profit forecasts significantly and axed thousands of jobs.

    Meanwhile, despite posting a disappointing second quarter, Honda increased its guidance in a sign of strength for the full fiscal year.

    Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

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    3 mins
  • LISTEN: Butterball to Close Arkansas Plant
    Dec 18 2024

    According to estimates, Americans eat 46 million turkeys each year on Thanksgiving alone – about a fifth of the birds raised annually.

    But less than a week after the holiday wrapped this year, Butterball held a town hall meeting at its Jonesboro, Arkansas facility – and it wasn’t to celebrate.

    According to recent reports, Butterball announced on December 4th that it would be closing its Jonesboro facility, and laying off its 180 workers.

    Butterball completed a WARN filing in response to the scenario, and says the workers will receive compensation and medical benefits if they continue to work until their “end-of-service” date.

    Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

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    2 mins
  • LISTEN: Stellantis Fined After Fatal Assembly Line Accident
    Dec 17 2024

    OSHA concluded an inspection into a fatal accident at Stellantis’ Jeep Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio and cited the automaker with a “serious” violation and a fine of $16,101.

    The incident took place in August when 53-year-old Antonio Gaston died on the facility’s Gladiator line. The Detroit Free Press reported that Gaston was tightening undercarriage bolts when he became trapped beneath a vehicle on the assembly line.

    Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

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    2 mins
  • LISTEN: U.S.’s Tallest Skyscraper Would Be a 'Hazard' to Air Travel
    Dec 16 2024

    Earlier this year, a real estate development group announced plans to build what will be the country’s tallest skyscraper in an unlikely location. But the project is now facing delays and warnings about its potential risks to air travel.

    Matteson Capital partnered with architecture firm AO on a project that would place a more than 1,900-foot tower in Oklahoma City, far away from the towering peaks associated with the skylines of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Work on the development was tentatively scheduled to begin in October but now it’s pushed back to 2025.

    Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

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    3 mins
  • LISTEN: Anduril, Archer to Make New Military Aircraft for Critical Defense Applications
    Dec 13 2024

    Emerging American defense contractor Anduril and U.S.-based eVTOL startup Archer Aviation this morning announced an exclusive new partnership to jointly develop a hybrid VTOL aircraft for critical defense applications, targeting a potential program of record from the DOD. Those are programs that Congress not only intends to fund but has appropriated funding for them in the Future Years Defense Program.

    The partners hope to bring together Anduril's expertise in AI and systems integration and Archer's ability to rapidly develop advanced VTOL aircraft using existing commercial parts and supply chains in a combined effort to accelerate time-to-market at a fraction of the cost of more traditional alternatives.

    Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

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    3 mins