The old-time vision of the future has been that automation is better – robots building things and automated systems picking inventory. But in practice, the cost-benefit ratio of automation to employees is not always favorable. For most distribution centers today, human workers, made more efficient and accurate by supporting technology, are more cost-effective than automated picking systems.
Global expansion is a high priority for Tube-Mac Industries Inc. (TMI). The Stoney Creek, Ontario-based company, which manufactures non-welded hydraulic piping systems and components, recently expanded its Madrid office into a full warehouse facility and opened another office just outside of Rio de Janeiro. In addition to the international offices and two U.S.-based facilities, the company also has distributors and agents throughout North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. This year, the company expects to complete an acquisition in Europe, furthering its presence on the continent.
Even though Thomas Moser Cabinetmakers has grown and evolved significantly since its inception 40 years ago, one thing has not changed for the high-end, solid-wood furniture producer – its stance on quality. The pieces created by the Auburn, Maine-based company have been described as “sublime, perfect and poetic” and are revered by affluent homeowners and institutions who value superior craftsmanship.
Any manufacturer worth its salt has to deliver on customer expectations. Founded in 1985, Swissline Precision Manufacturing’s reputation has been forged by doing whatever it takes to meet and exceed all expectations. Based in Cumberland, R.I., Swissline has a 36,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and employs 59 people on a full-time basis. It serves several markets, including aerospace components; microwave, computer and electronic equipment; valves and fluid-handling equipment; biotechnology instrumentation; analytical Instrumentation and medical Instrumentation.
The textile industry that once thrived in the Mid-Atlantic region long has been considered a relic of America’s industrial past. U.S. manufacturers in this sector have laid off sizeable chunks of their personnel or shut their doors permanently as overseas textile producers made inroads with quality, lower-priced products.
Since 1968, Semblex Corp. has grown into an organization capable of providing leading technology fastening solutions and complex, cold-formed specialty components. A privately held organization with four plants in Elmhurst, Ill., Semblex continuously invests in improving its quality, technology, equipment and personnel. It is TS 16949, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certified.
With sails built to emulate the airfoil shape that planes use, modern sailing aspires to fly more than sail over water. “A sailboat works a lot like an airplane with one big exception – an airplane generally has engines,” North Sails Technology President and CEO Tom Whidden points out. “If it doesn’t have an engine like a glider, it’s got to be pulled up in the air to get it going, whereas a sailboat simply has to be moved from standing still.
When it comes to heavy lifting and transport, there literally is no one stronger than Mammoet. A global company, Mammoet is headquartered in Schiedam, the Netherlands, and today has clients and projects all over the world. The company takes a “think globally, act locally” approach to business, which is why it has a major presence in local markets through operating companies throughout Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.
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