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BRIEFLY:
2007 Business Day at the Capitol
Wednesday - May 2, 2007 - Springfield, Illinois
Register today at: http://www.ima-net.org/bizday07.cfm
If you're looking for answers, RSM McGladrey has the questions . . . participate in the second annual RSM McGladrey Manufacturing & Wholesale Distribution Survey
RSM McGladrey wants you — and thousands of other senior executives — to tell them about your key business issues relating to sales forecasts, operations, cost management, workforce issues, technology initiatives and more. They're also collecting more information this year on topics such as globalization and Internet technologies. As a survey participant, you'll receive a summary report of the data they uncover.
The survey caught the attention of key policy makers in the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Economic Council as well as numerous Congressional Committees — providing them with important decision-making information about your industry's views, challenges and visions for the future.
It's quick. The survey takes approximately 12-14 minutes to complete. The survey deadline is April 25, 2007. On paper or online, your company's identity will remain anonymous and company information will remain confidential.
To complete the survey, please visit http://www.rsmmcgladrey.com/survey9
As a participant, you'll also have the opportunity to be invited to a Web seminar in June where RSM McGladrey will delve deeper into the manufacturing and wholesale distribution trends uncovered by the survey and provide practical action steps you can implement in your company.
Administrative Professionals Week is April 22–28
Today's administrative assistants are increasingly trained professionals who handle functions such as project management, integrated computer software applications, organization and scheduling, and other key office responsibilities.The IMA encourages executives to recognize the contributions made by today's administrative professionals and the 8.9 million individuals who carry out other administrative support functions.
In Washington, DC, from the Washington Times:
The Employee Free Choice Act would be more aptly-named the Employee No Choice Act
This misnamed bill would actually eliminate the freedom of employees to vote in a private, secret-ballot election on whether or not to form a union. The House already passed it in a 241-185 vote and the companion bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.
Under card check, there is no private choice — and no clear end to the election process. Union organizers can take as much time as they want to push someone into signing a card — and they can go into the employee's home, with one, two, or a full cadre of friends.
In fact, union organizers don't even have to ask all employees to sign a card — no card, no choice, no vote. And no end in sight to the card-check process. Imagine that workplace environment: continuous, day-after-day-after-day union organizing, becoming more aggressive and no doubt more coercive as the 50 percent (plus one) figure of signature cards gets closer.
Under current law, there is a clear process to follow if a union wants to organize a business, a process with checks and balances to ensure fair play and honest results. A union first must collect signatures on a representation card from 30 percent (plus one) of the employees. At that point, both the union and employer have the right to request a federally supervised election, administered by the National Labor Relations Board.
The ultimate step is an election that allows the workers to make the choice, privately, without the union organizers or their bosses looking over their shoulders.
Why is Congress in such a hurry to take voting rights out of the workplace? This legislation does nothing but bolster plunging union membership.
The union decline is due in part to the realization of employees that unions no longer serve their self-interest, especially in the face of a dynamic, innovation-driven economy. Employees are more mobile than they were decades ago. Unemployment is at a historic low. Employers understand that their employees are their greatest asset and retaining their talented and productive employees is key to the continued success of America's manufacturing economy.
That said, the issue before us is not about joining or not joining a union. The issue is whether every employee has the right to choose in a fair, private matter — free from coercion. Secret-ballot elections do just that.
The only people sure to gain from this bill are the labor bosses who will collect the mandatory union dues.
Instead of tackling the real issues facing our economy — runaway health-care costs, rising energy prices and a shortage of skilled workers — U.S. House members who passed this bill appeared more interested in returning a favor to a special-interest group. In the process, they sacrificed basic American principles Congress would normally defend: secret ballots and the freedom of association.
As this debate moves to the U.S. Senate, I urge legislators to take a closer look at the heart of the issue: democracy and employee rights, neither of which are served under this bill.
John Engler is President of the National Association of Manufacturers and the former three-term Governor of Michigan. This op-ed article originally appeared in the Washington Times, April 16, 2007.
Growth. For today's domestic manufacturers, it is hard to generate and even harder to sustain. In fact, research finds that eight of ten companies need ideas for growing their top-line sales . . .
You can begin your own growth journey by attending IMEC's Manufacturing Matters! 2007 Conference, May 8 & 9 in Peoria. In his morning keynote on May 9th, innovation expert Doug Hall will present "Made in the USA — Choices for Growth," sharing his successful formula for helping manufacturers create new revenue streams by implementing measurably smarter growth choices. Hall is founder of the Eureka! Ranch, an innovation think tank. He has spent 25-years creating and developing new ideas and products for such companies as American Express, Nike, Procter & Gamble, and Walt Disney.
Choices for Growth is just one of many dynamic, interactive sessions you can attend at Manufacturing Matters! 2007. IMA is a proud co-sponsor of the Conference, and we encourage you to participate. Discounts are available for companies who register four or more. Visit
http://www.illinoismfgmatters.com
for details.
Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Business Outlook index increases — resumes upward trend
U.S. manufacturing is poised for continued growth as the year progresses, withstanding current challenges, according to the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Survey on the Business Outlook (ER-629e), a leading indicator for the industrial sector. The March 2007 composite index of 58 is up from 54 reported in the December 2006 survey and breaks a three-quarter slide of decreases.
A composite business index above 50 indicates that overall manufacturing activity is expected to increase over the next three to six months. It should be noted, however, that the index measures the direction of change rather than the absolute strength of activity in manufacturing.
Six of the 10 factors measured by the quarterly survey were higher than the previous report, foreshadowing a likely improvement in the industrial sector and providing a measure of optimism in the midst of mixed economic indicators for this sector. There were decreases in three indexes and one remained flat.
The March 2007 outlook marks a healthy turnaround from the December 2006 report in which seven of the 10 indexes were lower than the September 2006 survey.
The survey results of this quarter are evidence of latent strength in most manufacturing industries and are a harbinger of renewed vigor in the latter half of the year, said Donald A. Norman, PhD, Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Economist and survey coordinator. Most industries, with the exception of those businesses closely linked to the housing sector, should expand this year although the rate of expansion is likely to be less than in recent years.
The prospective shipments index, based on expectations of anticipated shipments in the second quarter of 2007 compared with the same quarter last year, showed the biggest gain, rising to 73 percent in March 2007 from 62 percent in the December 2006 survey. This marks the first increase in this forward-looking index since December 2005.
Capacity utilization, based on the percentage of firms operating above 85 percent of capacity, increased to 46.7 percent in March 2007 from 38.2 percent in December 2006 and remains well above its long-term average of 32.5 percent. Also showing a healthy gain was the investment index, which queries executives on their expectations regarding capital investment in 2007 compared to 2006. The index rose seven percentage points, to 71 percent, from 64 percent in the December 2006 survey.
The backlogs index compared the first quarter 2007 backlog of orders with the backlog of orders one year earlier. The March 2007 index of 60 percent represents a moderate improvement from 57 percent in the December 2006 survey, but more importantly starts to reverse a large 14 percentage point drop in the previous report. An accumulation of backlogs usually occurs when new orders exceed shipments.
The annual orders index, a forecast based on a comparison of expected orders for all of 2007 with orders in 2006, returned to 80 percent in March 2007 from 78 percent in the December 2006 survey.
The research and development (R&D) index determines how executives see R&D expenditures in 2007 compared with those of 2006. This index confirms the underlying strength in manufacturing, maintaining its robust 75 percent level in March 2007, just above the 74 percent recorded in December 2006. Meanwhile, the profit margin index was flat, remaining at 62 percent, the same as in the previous report.
Other indexes encountered a slightly downward trend.
Most significantly, the quarterly orders index, which compares new orders for the first quarter of 2007 with the same quarter one year ago, fell six percentage points, to 60 percent in March 2007 from 66 percent in December 2006. The decline in this index underscores the current slowdown in manufacturing activity. The orders index was as high as 77 percent as recently as September 2006, but any level above 50 percent still indicates growth.
The exports orders index, which measures how first quarter 2007 orders are expected to compare with those of first quarter 2006, returned to 75 percent from 77 percent in the December 2006 survey. At 75 percent, the exports orders index remains at a relatively high level. The inventory index rose to 77 percent in March 2007 from 76 percent in December 2006, indicating inventories to be higher on a year-to-year basis.
Complete the IMA's 2007-2008 Benefits Survey by Friday, April 20th!
The deadline to complete the IMA's 2007-2008 Benefits Survey is Friday, April 20th. If you haven't done so yet, do it today. Participation is key to quality results. You should already have an email directing you to the Zoomerang site to complete the survey. To aid in completion of this online survey, you can download and print a pdf version at
http://www.ima-net.org/bensurvey07.pdf.
You can complete the survey on paper and fax it back to the IMA, however, online
(http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/survey-intro.zgi?p=U26BKMT88366) is the preferred method. Online, you have the flexibility to return to your unfinished survey if you don't complete it in one log on.
Again, the deadline is Friday, April 20, 2007. So, don't delay! If you have questions, contact Donna Rogers, SPHR, HR Director at 800-875-4462, ext. 3007, email: drogers@ima-net.org or Janie Stanley at 800-875-4462, ext. 3020, email:
jstanley@ima-net.org.
Members have free online access to the Benefits Report when they participate.
ETIP grants reimburse companies for employee training
The Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) supports Illinois companies' efforts to upgrade workers' skills in order to remain current in new technologies and business practices. The ETIP grant will reimburse Illinois companies for up to 50 percent of the cost of eligible employee training taken between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007.
Illinois companies that are retraining/upgrading the skills of their existing workforce may be eligible for ETIP grant money if they meet certain criteria.
Apply for training funds today! For details, contact Judy Parker, IMA Director of Training at 217-522-1240, ext. 3036, or email
jparker@ima-net.org.
NEW Website offers outstanding training opportunities:
http://www.ima-net.org/MIT/
Training is no longer a luxury, but a basic ingredient in the development of a business. In today's economy, with companies struggling to prevent lay-offs and closure, it is vital to maintain a competitive high performance workforce.
In response to this growing need, the IMA has launched a new service — the Manufacturers' Institute for Training (MIT). We have expert trainers in the fields of safety, quality, leadership/management, communications, lean manufacturing, project management, IT, and much more. Customized, on-site sessions can also be arranged to address your company's specific needs or issues. Visit
http://www.ima-net.org/MIT/ on the Web or contact Judy Parker, IMA Director of Training, at 217-522-1240, ext. 3036, or email
jparker@ima-net.org.
DATES OF NOTE:
More events may be found at http://www.ima-net.org/calendar.cfm
April 24, 2007
IMA EVENT—HR Networking Forum
Oak Brook Executive Plaza, 1225 W. 22nd St., Suite 140, 9:30-11:30 AM
Back by popular demand, this free HR Networking Forum is designed for building relationships with other HR professionals in the manufacturing field. Manufacturing Members and Associate Members of the IMA are invited and encouraged to attend. Discuss similarities and differences on current HR issues among peers as well as potential solutions. Participants will also be invited to provide valuable feedback and suggestions for HR related IMA member services. More Information: Visit
https://www.ima-net.org/0407_seminar.cfm
April 24, 2007
IMA EVENT—Current Issues Affecting Managing Your Employees: Investigating on-the-job accidents & Fraud in Workers' Compensation claims AND Workplace Immigration—an intensive update on the HR issue of the decade.
Oak Brook Executive Plaza, 1225 W. 22nd St., Suite 140, 1:00-4:30 PM.
Stay up to date on the latest employment-related issues facing your organization. IMA's employment law expert Jim Spizzo, and his partner, Gabrielle Buckley, both of Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz, P.C., will discuss in depth recent trends, cases and new legislation regarding these topics. Bring your personnel/ human resources questions. COST: $125 for IMA members; $100 for each additional attendee from the same company and $200 for non-members.additional attendee from the same company and $200 for non-members. More Information: Visit https://www.ima-net.org/0407_seminar.cfm
For more information on the programs above, contact: Kimberly McNamara, 800-875-4462, ext. 2109, or email:
kmcnamara@ima-net.org
April 25, 2007
IMA-CNE PowerSeries WEBINAR 9:00–10:00 AM
What's happening in energy today? Contact: Janie Stanley, 800-875-4462, ext. 3020, email:
jstanley@ima-net.org. Visit http://www.newenergy.com
for additional information.
May 2, 2007
IMA EVENT—
Business Day in Springfield
Join hundreds of manufacturers from all across Illinois for this one-day event in the state capitol. Lobby your elected officials and let them know how you feel about proposed tax increases, employer-paid universal health care and runaway state spending. Register today at:
http://www.ima-net.org/bizday07.cfm. Sponsorships are available. Contact: Mark Denzler, 800-875-4462, ext. 3008, or email:
mdenzler@ima-net.org.
May 3, 2007
Pre-Employment Screening: Know Your Rights and the Rights of Your Applicants, Holiday Inn, Alton, IL, 8:30–11:00 AM
Hiring a productive workforce is vital to every employer's success. This effort represents gathering and evaluating information about an applicant's qualifications and matching those qualifications of an appropriate position. This program will highlight best practices relating to conducting skill and ability tests; conducting and evaluating personality tests; as well as how to use background and reference information obtained about the applicant. COST: $125 for IMA members; $100 for each additional attendee from the same company and $200 for non-members. Contact Kimberly McNamara, 800-875-4462, ext. 2109, email:
kmcnamara@ima-net.org
May 10, 2007
Essential Leadership Skills for Newly Promoted and Frontline Supervisors
DePaul University O'Hare Campus, 3166 River Road, Des Plaines
This workshop teaches newly promoted and front-line supervisors how to do more with less, meeting the ever increasing demands of the customer, as well as inspiring peers to increase productivity. Registration deadline is April 24, 2007. Contact Judy Parker, 800-875-4462 ext. 3036, email:
jparker@ima-net.org, To register, visit
https://www.ima-net.org/MIT/snps.cfm
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