The frantic pace has not slackened. I’m still on the road discussing the industry with readers and suppliers. Last month was more of the same. First was a trip to Minneapolis to attend a conference discussing regulatory problems facing manufacturing firms as they compete in a global economy. Then it was on to Atlanta for user conferences of Indus International and ABB. Following was Boston and the Vision East trade show.
The Minneapolis forum was political, but speakers recognized and addressed a number of structural concerns that U.S. manufacturers face when competing with international trading partners. These include health care costs, tort “reform” to reduce what is seen as exorbitant liability awards, revisions in the tax code to encourage innovation, raising the skill level of the workforce and “leveling the playing field” for American manufacturers relative to trading partners. Waiting for favorable political action can seem like “Waiting for Godot,” but at least there is recognition.
我其他站点的经济新闻更加乐观。印度国际（Indus International）报告了多年来第一次有利可图的季度，ABB的气氛几乎是头晕。该公司在整体管理方面享有良好的管理声誉，但是它一直在努力控制成本，以抵消最后放缓的销售额减少。看起来公司已经转弯了。愿景展览会上的大多数供应商公司都报告了其客户中乐观的迹象。
ABB U.S. President Dinesh Paliwal provided insightful as well as thought-provoking comments during a private interview. He is upbeat on the current state of the economy for his customers—who are primarily in the pulp and paper, metals, and chemicals sectors.
When I asked him what it would take for automation suppliers to survive in the coming years, he pointed to two things: size and industry expertise. “Those that have skill and process competence will have a lot to gain,” he stated. “What is more important for customers putting up new plants now is size. They want to know if you will be around, if you will continue to invest in research and development.”
另一项采访是对西门子金融服务公司（Siemens Financial Services）总裁兼首席执行官比尔·扎德罗兹（Bill Zadrozny）的采访，这是西门子AG的单位，并在纽约市设有办事处。该公司为制造商提供贷款和租赁融资，因此Zadrozny可以与许多制造公司的顶级金融官员进行交谈。
“Over the last six months, we saw an increasingly bullish situation for manufacturing investment in automation and other factory equipment. The first reaction of most manufacturers right now is to apply automation to increase capacity and reduce production costs,” Zadrozny stated.
仍然有媒体在美国制造业的厄运和忧郁的故事。显然，一切都不是乐观的，但每个迹象都在于企业正在起作用。尽管缓慢地解决了在政府和法规中存在的挑战。要牢记的重要一件事是衡量关键指标。
Check out www.myenum.com for a full report on the Minneapolis conference and my interview with Paliwal. You can find them by searching on the words, “Manufacturers Search for Answers” and “Paliwal Upbeat” respectively. Then search out all the other cool stuff there. This year has been a whirlwind. We’ve tried to publish a product that provides useful new information in an innovative package. I enjoy feedback and welcome all suggestions that can make Automation World a better resource for you. Thanks for helping make our first year a success.
