Manufacturing
Emerging Manufacturer of the Year
Method Homes, Seattle The term prefabricated doesnt have a good connotation when it comes to housing. But the residences Method Homes prefabricates look nothing like the stereotype of a doublewide. Instead, theyre straight out of the pages of an architectural magazine modernistic, even daring. Many of Method Homes projects are cabins (hardly rustic in design)…
Manufacturer of the Year (Small Company)
Sage Manufacturing Corporation, Bainbridge Island Can you make a name for yourself as a small company in the vast world of fishing gear? You can if youre Sage Manufacturing, a star in the world of fly fishing. Can you really find something new to offer in a well-established category like sport fishing? Yes, again, if…
Manufacturer of the Year (Large Company)
nLight Corporation, Vancouver Compared to other companies, nLight is relatively young. It was formed in 2000. But it has been through multiple life cycles in that short span, adapting to changes in its industry. Originally founded to build laser-based devices for telecommunications, nLight survived by moving its products and technology into such applications as range…
Manufacturing Executives of the Year
(Large Company)Randy Gardiner, CEO, Red Dot Corporation, Tukwila If only for his track record as an executive at Red Dot, Randy Gardiner would be a prime candidate for recognition as one of Washingtons top business executives. The maker of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment for trucks and heavy agriculture, construction and mining equipment has…
2012 Washington Manufacturing Awards
Manufacturing didnt cause the Great Recession, but it certainly felt the effects. Now its leading the charge out of the downturn, both in Washington and nationally. Manufacturing employment in this state is up by more than 20,000 jobs from a year ago. And no, its not just Boeing. From aerospace to medical devices to food…
Uniform Coverage: Helping Vets Package Their Skills for the Private Sector
As the United States draws down its involvement in foreign wars, thousands of veterans are swelling the ranks of American civilians seeking employment. As many as a third of them have skills much in demand by a resurgent manufacturing sector, but they often have trouble getting interviews. However, when the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget…
Seattle Metro Area is #6 Exporter in the Nation
The Seattle metropolitan area was the sixth largest exporter in the United States in 2010 with merchandise shipments totaling $35.4 billion. The Seattle metro area accounted for 76.9 percent of the state’s exports. It’s unclear if the figure includes products produced elsewhere in the state and but shipped out through the Port of Seattle. Here’s…
Inslee outlines economic plan
Standing on a makeshift podium at the center of the MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions plant in south Seattle, Washington gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee presented his economic plan Monday, emphasizing clean energy and the need to graduate more tech-savvy Washingtonians. We know were coming out of the worst recession of your lifetime – of my lifetime –…
Is U.S. Manufacturing in Decline or Experiencing a Renaissance?
Lower transport costs, cheap natural gas, stable labor costs and a productive work force have help to create a renaissance in U.S. manufacturing with many companies choosing to reshore production back to this country, said Douglas Wood, president of the Association for Manufacturing Technology, a national organization that represents producers of manufacturing equipment, speaking at…
Governor Seeks $3.6 Billion Fee for Transportation
In her State of the State address delivered this morning, Governor Christine Gregoire proposed a new $1.50 fee on each barrel of oil refined in Washington to fund a $3.6 billion, 10-year program for maintaining and upgrading the states transportation system. The Governor said the fee would fund 5500 jobs per year. Our oil companies…
Manufacturing is Still the Engine of the Economy
https://seattlebusinessmag.com/sites/default/files/lindaweb.jpgAttorney, Paradigm Counsel Its holiday party season, which means its time for people to give me that puzzled look when I tell them what I do for a living: I work for a nonprofit that helps manufacturers. I can tell what they are thinking: Why on earth would manufacturers need a no-profit to help them?…
Boeing, Machinists reach historic agreement
Boeing has reached a historic agreement with its Machinists union that, if ratified by union members, will guarantee that the new version of the 737 jetliner, known as the 737 MAX, will be built in Renton, Washington. The Seattle Times reports that the landmark deal came out of secret talks between the company and the…
Plane Honesty
For business writers in the Puget Sound region tackling the question of what to look for in the New Year, the perennial challenge is to round up someone other than the usual suspects upon whom to keep a watchful eye. As predictable and safe choices, Boeing and Microsoft always figure to be on the list….