Get Out the Vote

Let’s hope that Election Day (Tuesday, November 2, also Fabtech’s opening day) marks a new beginning for U.S. manufacturing.

Small businesses continue to take a beating, according to the latest NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business) Index of Small Business Optimism. Fewer and fewer small-business owners expect the economy to improve much over the next several months; only 18 percent expect to make capital outlays over the next few months; and a scant five percent believe that now is a good time to expand.

I’m not shocked by these findings, since most of the metalforming companies I’ve spoken with recently remain nervous that the ceiling on any bounceback they’ve been experiencing may be relatively low. To avoid a hard hit on the head, any capital outlays expected through the fourth quarter and into early 2011 are likely to be on a must-have basis, to meet new orders and satisfy requirements of new and/or critical customers.

That said, there’s much to look forward to at this year’s Fabtech Intl. tradeshow, which once again includes the METALFORM technology area. We’re proud, as als, to feature in this issue of MetalForming much of the new technology that will be on display at the show. And, we invite you to visit our website, where we’ve posted dozens more Fabtech and METALFORM technology-area booth previews.

Those three technology categories are well-represented at Fabtech, and should provide more than enough incentive to make the trip to Atlanta. But much more work remains in order to fully reenergize our industry. Much of that effort must come from Washington D.C.