What Gen Z Workers Want
Two recent trend stories about hiring and retaining Gen Z employees. From What Gen-Z graduates want from their employers (TheEconomist): In Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index, which polled more than 30,000 workers in 31 countries in January and February, more than half of Gen-z hybrid workers said they were relocating thanks to remote work, compared…
Superfund excise tax expected to add a half cent per pound to resin prices
From “IRS provides guidance for how excise taxes will impact resin pricing” (Plastics News) The IRS has provided data on federal Superfund excise taxes, which started hitting hit resin buyers’ invoices July 1.The net result for many plastics processors likely will be higher prices — close to half a cent per pound on some resins — since…
Defending margins and cash flow during high inflation
From How to run a business at a time of stagflation (The Economist): In the current climate, though, hard-headed (and hard-hearted) cost control won’t be enough to maintain profitability. The remaining cost inflation must be pushed through to customers. Many businesses are about to learn the difficulty of raising prices without crimping demand. The companies…
Gains in warehouse/inventory costs while transportation cools
From “Supply Snarls in the US Are Easing With Tight Trucking Seeing Relief” (Bloomberg): A gauge of supply-chain pressure in the U.S. economy fell to the lowest level since December 2020, as activity such as trucking cools from elevated levels with few signs yet of a worrying collapse.The Logistics Managers Index dropped to 67.1 in May, the…
IMF on the benefits of supply chain diversification
From “New research spells out the benefits of diverse supply chains” (The Economist):In most countries, the vast majority of components used to make goods tend to be sourced domestically. About 69% of parts in Europe and more than 80% in the western hemisphere are produced at home, for example. If a firm were to choose…
Canadian warehouses packed
From “With Warehouses Packed, Canada’s Logistics Industry Is Straining” (Bloomberg): Canada is projected to have the strongest growth in the Group of Seven this year, and a large majority of businesses already say they would struggle to cope with any unexpected increase in demand. One visible manifestation can be found in the huge industrial buildings…
U.S. manufacturers see longest lead times in 35 years
From “Storm of Supply-Chain Disorder Worsens for U.S. Manufacturers” (Bloomberg): The Institute for Supply Management on Monday reports it’s taking an average 100 days to receive production materials, the longest in records dating back to 1987. For capital expenditures, the average commitment time rose to a whopping 173 days, matching the highest on record.In addition…
Three solutions for supply chain relience
From “Goldman Sachs Sees More Overstocking Than Reshoring by U.S. Firms” Bloomberg: Two years of supply shocks have made efforts to strengthen supply chain resilience top-of-mind for manufacturers and retailers. Economists at Goldman Sachs see three main solutions for those in the U.S.: reshoring foreign production, diversifying supplier networks and overstocking inventories. Overstocking, or targeting a permanently…
Car manufacturers partnering with “area printing” firm
In “A new type of 3D printing may bring it into the mainstream”, The Economist highlights “Area Printing.” This got Mr DeMuth and a group of colleagues thinking about how to speed things up without compromising quality. After some work, they started using a device called an optically addressed light valve, which had been developed…
Truck freight costs remain above pre-Covid levels
“From Coast to Coast, Supply Chains Get Off to a Rough Start to 2022” (Bloomberg): The latest weekly figures from Truckstop.com showed the average spot rates in the New England area hit a four-month high, capping its first January increase in data going back to 2014. Truck freight costs eased in other parts of the…
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About Webb Evans and Associates
Webb Evans and Associates is a trade association management group, offering solutions that are cost-effective and innovative to help manufacturing and distribution associations grow. We embrace new technology, stay ahead of current trends, and always put our clients first. Learn more about our company.