Leaner and Meaner
Re: "First Up -- Get Going," December 2009
I read your editorial with amusement. The wheels of the manufacturing economy have started to turn, albeit slowly, despite the news media tearing us down and the government making it as difficult to function as possible. If by some fluke the powers of government could do something positive for manufacturing in America, it would be nice. On that note, it's best not to wait around for a government fix. Manufacturing is going to have to do what it has done for the past 50 years: It has to help itself! If nothing else, these past two years will make manufacturing leaner and meaner, in many ways.
Linda Wyant
Vice President
Safranek Enterprises Inc.
Atascadero, Calif.
Blame the Post Office
Re: "Just in Time -- Manufacturing is Not an Ideology," April 2009
Maybe I have an excuse for being a little confused since I am just now reading the April issue of IndustryWeek. Your editorial paints a rather gloomy picture of manufacturing for the next 12 months. The editorial by Ralph Keller talks about growth and indicates that our times are not unusual, get over it and move ahead. David Huether agrees with you. I do also.
Can you enlighten me to why our political leaders want us to be a third-world nation? What is common to all third-world nations is little or no manufacturing. Manufacturing has created such wealth in China that they now own most of our debt. It appears that we continue to slide down the path of a service economy which has little need for advanced technology and engineers.
Wade Harter
Via the Internet
