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Manufacturing Continues to Grow in Ohio
As the nation remains cautiously optimistic over steady job growth, Ohio’s manufacturing industry, especially the auto sector, continues to add jobs as it rebounds from the worst of the recession. Manufacturing and Ohio have a long, successful history, and it is the driving force in the state’s economic re-emergence. Spurred by major growth in automobile demand, the reshoring of foreign jobs to American soil, and innovative initiatives to foster continued improvement, Ohio is gearing up to show the nation, and the world, what the new face of manufacturing in America will be.
Back to one of those innovations: after months of talk of a “skills gap” between trained workers and manufacturing positions, Ohio is now rolling out a work training voucher program. With manufacturing one of the targeted industries, employers will be able to provide extra training, improvement programs and trade certificates. The goal is not only to open up the industry to people who otherwise might not have been able to work in it, but also to help current employees adapt and evolve as their jobs do. It’s a great time to be a manufacturer in Ohio, and here at Ohio Valley Manufacturing, we’re ready to show you what we can do.
A New Look at the Manufacturing Skills Gap
The skills gap is not a new topic for us here at Ohio Valley Manufacturing. Just as it is a double-sided coin for the industry at large – manufacturing jobs created by strong growth, but few skilled workers to fill them – so have we discussed the issue in the same light. As this article describes, with 2.5 million new jobs slated to open up in coming years to due retirement alone, it’s definitely not something to talk about anymore without action as well. Solutions are plentiful from all corners, but there some interesting ideas discussed in the article. Let’s look at a few key concepts:
Education: Not, specifically, the existing education system. Vocational training is approaching an all-time low, yet it is critically important for filling these positions. Much of the duty lies with manufacturers themselves to make sure that educational programs are offered – whether through the school system or not – to properly train the next generation of manufacturers.
Don’t find employees – make them. A program that could quite possibly prove to be revolutionary is outlined in the above piece. Rather than searching out trained, traditionally “qualified” recruitees, a new program is locating those with the most potential to learn a new skill or trade, and placing them in training programs. The program centers around a specific group with the greatest success in that area: U.S. military veterans. Whether through the program or not, it provides a new angle for manufacturers to take in seeking their next generation of workers. Someone who has shown themselves to be a hard worker and a quick study may likely be easier to find than someone with the specific training that is thought to be required.
We look forward to engaging with the next wave of manufacturing through these methods and others.
Keep Rolling With Ohio Valley Manufacturing
There’s reinventing the wheel – often an unnecessary task – and then there’s putting your time and energy into manufacturing done right. This is the guiding principle behind all of Ohio Valley’s operations, especially our wheel blank manufacturing service. Automotive manufacturing continues to lead the way for the continued growth of American and North American manufacturing, and working on one of the most critical parts of the automobile is a task that we’re up to. With our tool and die shop and our stamping facility all in the same place, our expertise in all aspects of metal stamping allows us to meet a broad range of needs. We build, right here on-site, the tooling necessary to produce a given run of wheel blanks, and then we place that tool in a press and carry out the stamping process in our machine shop.
Just as Midwest auto manufacturing is making a huge comeback here in the U.S., facilities in Mexico and Canada are providing quality service as well. Companies across the North American continent are providing the best of their specialties, to the benefit of all. We work hand in hand with companies in places like Mexico, shipping wheel blanks to them in order to carry out the final machining of the finished wheel piece. This system has been proven to be successful for resurgent auto companies and local manufacturers alike, and is a backbone of our operations that should be in place for years to come.
Safety First at OVM
At Ohio Valley Manufacturing safety is one of our primary concerns. Anything less than completely accident-free is unacceptable to us. To accomplish this we have an extensive safety training program in place in order to protect all of our employees.
One area in which safety training is especially important is in our heavy-gauge stamping process. Ohio Valley Manufacturing handles heavy-gauge stamping for numerous purposes including the trucking, agricultural, military and automotive industries. We have presses with up to a 4,000-ton press rating and up to a 24” press stroke. When dealing with such powerful equipment, safety training and knowledge clearly need to be top priorities.
In order to ensure that safety is a company-wide culture, we have numerous safety courses and instruction in all areas of our manufacturing. We ensure that not only is there first aid and rescue equipment on hand, but that our employees are able to use it if the need should arise. We also focus on coursework in hazard detection and communication, and proper use of respirators to keep all workers breathing easy. In addition, we run equipment safety training classes for our floor personnel, along with courses in electrical safety and CMM training. As you can see, safety is our top priority, and our employees always take the extra steps to ensure that they, and their coworkers, are not injured in the workplace.
Here at Ohio Valley Manufacturing we are proud to say that we handle every step of our tool and die manufacturing in-house. We oversee the entire process, from the first computer model designed by our skilled engineers and the prototype parts, to the shipment of the finished product to our loyal customers, and all of the necessary testing and inspection that is required in-between.
We do this because quality control, and our quest for perfection, are so important to us. The engineers and employees at our fully staffed tool and die center ensure that our customers are getting the best possible product. Since we do all of the work in-house there is no chance of confusion from dealing with outsourced work and we are able to ensure that our quality products are made quickly and efficiently by our skilled manufacturing workers. In addition, we are able to cut down costs significantly, ensuring that our customers get an amazing product, at a fair price.
In the future, we will continue our commitment to making quality tools and dies for our customers. Keep an eye on our website for up to date information, and as always, feel free to contact us with any inquiries about our products.
Framing the Issue
Our regular readers certainly know the close ties between Ohio Valley Manufacturing and the automotive industry. One of our greatest assets as a heavy gauge blanking and stamping specialist is our ability to manufacture frame rails for heavy trucks and other types of vehicles. As the framework for the chassis upon which these trucks are built, unparalleled quality is a requirement for these pieces. The equipment that Ohio Valley Manufacturing uses in our everyday course of operating is especially well-suited to this type of project – more so than other companies. And with Ohio Valley Manufacturing, you know that the work will be done in-house by our team on our equipment, with our proven track record behind us.
Although many smaller cars have gone the way of an integrated frame and body, it is still more efficient and practical to build larger vehicles like heavy trucks on a chassis and frame. Everything literally rests on the design and integrity of these frame rails, which must not only be strong enough to bear thousands of pounds of additional construction, but also shipping loads and containers. Load bearing is only the beginning: frame rails must be resistant to twisting and torsion as well. Throughout all of this, the comfort of passengers and the safe transport of cargo is also a factor in creating frame rails that can withstand the bumps and potholes of thousands of miles on the road. All in all it’s a job that not everyone can do, but that Ohio Valley does better than just about anyone.
