So That Happened: Another UAW Win and No Election Excuse Here
Editor’s note: Welcome to So That Happened, our editors’ takes on things going on in the manufacturing world that deserve some extra attention. This will appear regularly in the Member’s Only section of the site.
In Non-Boeing Labor News: Flex-N-Gate Votes to Join UAW
The IAM's vote to approve a new contract with Boeing and end their almost-two month strike was labor's biggest story last week, overshadowing news of a small company voting to join the United Auto Workers.
According to organizing workers at Chicago's Flex-N-Gate, the 370-worker auto parts supplier voted 195-126 to join eight other Flex-N-Gate and Ventra parts plants represented by the UAW.
In a statement, UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell praised the workers for solidarity and criticized management for interfering. “Management at Flex-N-Gate tried again and again to shut down the workers’ fight for a union, but they stood up together and won their union voice," he said. "We are proud to welcome them to the UAW family."
The Flex-N-Gate organizing committee, in a joint statement, said the new contract represents "a brand-new day at Flex-N-Gate," and that they anticipate working to win "fair pay, good benefits and the time off with our families that every worker deserves."
— Ryan Secard
Elbowing Aside the Election Excuse on Spending Decisions
Executives, economists, analysts and political scientists have pretty unanimously agreed on one thing (and maybe just this one thing?) this summer and fall: The tight presidential election has put a damper on a lot of business investment as leaders wait for clarity on taxes, tariffs and other measures.
But what if that maxim hasn’t been nearly as true as the commentary has suggested for months?
That idea surfaced on the Ingersoll Rand Inc. third-quarter earnings conference call Nov. 1, when Chairman and CEO Vicente Reynal discussed the manufacturer’s backlog for engineered-to-order compressor systems. Orders for such equipment, he said, are a good indicator for longer-cycle projects such as the electric-vehicle and battery factories and other clean-energy projects being built across the country.
The good news for Ingersoll Rand: The sales funnel for those compressors is 22% larger than a year ago. The wrinkle: Companies are still taking longer than normal to actually make buying decisions—and the election isn’t the main reason why.
“Have we heard that a little bit more often?” Reynal said. “Maybe yes but it is definitely not the No. 1 reason for the elongation.”
Instead, he pointed out, customers and prospects are telling Ingersoll Rand they’re taking longer to make the call because of old-fashioned problems: Permitting and land preparation is taking too long and there aren’t enough skilled engineers and builders to do all the work in the pipeline.
Quite simply, all the mega projects have created a mega traffic jam. And to further elbow aside the election excuse—or at least demote it to a more proper, lower place on the lists of reasons equipment orders have been squishy—Reynal pointed out that a big project for Ingersoll Rand in Saudi Arabia is facing the same delays as many U.S. sites.
“We’re a piece of the entire process,” Reynal said. “In many cases, the other pieces are not ready and we have to come in a certain time. So it has to do with just the logistics.”
— Geert De Lombaerde
Companies Donate Funds, Resources to Hunger Relief Organizations
If you’re in need of some uplifting news, take a look at how these two industrial companies are giving back to their communities:
Industrial Supply Company is doing its part to fight hunger; the distributor has announced it raised $45,000 at its annual charity golf tournament for the Utah Food Bank. Since 2007, the company has donated 6,019 pounds of food, equal to over 1 million meals, and a total of $290,706.
Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas recently held a donation event at the Houston Food Bank, one of the largest food banks in the country. The manufacturer donated two motorized Mitsubishi Forklift pallet trucks to support the distribution of millions of meals annually to the 18 counties the food bank serves.
— Anna Smith
Cybersecurity Warnings for Rockwell and Mitsubishi Industrial Software
On October 31, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a warning about four industrial control systems (ICS) vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches, one from Rockwell Automation and three from Mitsubishi Electric. The potential ramifications vary, so manufacturers should take a look at each of the four ICS to know what specific online activity to monitor and look for security breaches.
“As always, kudos to CISA for warning us about these vulnerabilities. CISA’s industrial controls warning program is a godsend. Really needed and well-received by everyone. All developers, whether involved in industrial controls or not, should follow CISA's Secure by Design program. Doing so will absolutely result in fewer vulnerabilities being found in their code,” says Roger Grimes, data-driven defense evangelist from cybersecurity firm KnowBe4.
— Dennis Scimeca
Best Plants Award for Hoffer Plastics
IndustryWeek named Hoffer Plastics one of two 2024 winners of its IW Best Plants Awards program in September, and we finally managed to arrange a date to deliver the plaque to the deserving company on Nov. 6.
I had the honor of addressing a large group of line workers, supervisors and company management, explaining how the contests works and what it was about Hoffer that impressed us so much. Most of that came down to accountability -- keeping the workforce accountable for doing a great job and keeping management accountable for creating an environment that supports operational excellence. My findings are detailed in the link above.
So, congratulations to Hoffer Plastics and the sibling co-CEOs that make up the third generation of the Hoffer family running the plastics manufacturer. As Co-CEO Charlotte Canning said Wednesday, "I can't help but think what my grandfather might say at a moment like this."
—Robert Schoenberger
A Sweeter Nomination Process
The National Confectionery Sales Association announced November 4 that it is now accepting nominations for inductees to the Candy Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, “the highest honor in the confectionery industry.”
Nominations are open not for kinds of candies, but people who work in the candy industry, “from sales and marketing to engineering and research and development professionals, as well as brokers, distributors, retail buyers and category managers and suppliers to the industry,” according to the NCSA.
Not just anyone can be nominated to the Candy Hall of Fame. To qualify, the NCSA says, candidates must be a current NCSA member with an “unimpeachable record of integrity and respect,” be 50 years old at the time of nomination, have 20 years of experience in confectionery (or 10, for buyers), and have “demonstrated loyalty to building and supporting the confectionery industry” and made “significant contributions to the educational and/or professional development of the industry.”
Nominees must also attend the Candy Hall of Fame induction in Orlando. Posthumous nominees must be submitted within two years of their death.
In a statement, Shelly Clary, president and CEO of the National Confectionery Sales Association, said that honoring the candy industry’s leaders is “incredibly rewarding.”
“Each year, we welcome a diverse group of individuals who have dedicated their careers to advancing the confectionery industry, and we can’t wait to see the inspiring nominations for 2025 and welcome another exceptional class to our ranks,” she said.
To submit an industry leader for the 2025 Candy Hall of Fame Class, click here.
— Ryan Secard
