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Editor’s Note: The Fabricator Blog on the
fabricator.com features timely commentary
and thoughts about the industry posted weekly
by the editors of The FABRICATOR and its
sister publications. To read the blog, visit
www.thefabricator.com and click The Fabricator Blog on the home page. The following
are highlights from recent commentaries:
• The changing Southern landscape—The traditional landscape is
changing as manufacturers relocate to
the Southeast. “In 2005 Alabama
claimed 263 automotive industry
plants, including Honda, Hyundai,
Mercedes-Benz, International Diesel,
and Toyota—up from 165 in 2000.
What’s happening in Alabama can be
seen in other Southern states. Toyota
is expected to build another factory in
the U.S., and newspapers are reporting that Chattanooga, Tenn., and
Marion, Ark., are among the finalists.”
• The family business—a legacy—
There’s something about family busi-
Right Partner promises
your Success!
4000 Watts laser, 1.5 G’s of acceleration,
traverse speeds of 8000 IPM, high speed
shuttle table and unique functions like
AFC, MPP will maximize the productivity
and efficiency of your jobs. HanKwang
will be the excellent partner and the
right choice for your successful business.
Randy Pennington
President
Watson Hegner Corp.
Dallas, NC
FL3015 Laser Cutting System
• Innovative long-gantry flying-optics
design
• Max 8000 IPM
• 1.5G Acceleration
• 4kw Laser Power
• Siemens 840D Controller
• Max Cutting Thickness: 1.0” (mild steel)
We became the sales representatives
for HanKwang Laser Machines in
2004, and have had great success
with these machines. The quick service
turnaround along with the excellent
performance of these lasers has made
our customers comfortable enough to
purchase second and third machines.
Watson Hegner is proud to represent
HanKwang, and our partnership has
been very successful.
Thanks partner.
HAN KWANG USA
1112 N. Garfield St. • Lombard, IL 60148
nesses passed down through generations. “Maybe it’s the way family
members lean on each other; the way
they shore up the shop by pooling
their own money; the intertwining of
family and fortune; and the way the
family business is the lifeblood that
flows through their veins and down
into their bloodlines.”
• Weakening the welding pool—
The Hobart Institute of Welding
Technology has more than 175 welding stations where students get
intense, hands-on training from the
skilled instructors. Some companies
approach the organization to develop
coursework that is very shortsighted
in nature. “For instance, a company
might ask if it’s possible to create a
welding curriculum around welding
processes unique to the company’s
product line. Fortunately, Hobart
Institute instructors stand their
ground and stress the importance of a
well-rounded education.”
• Too much outsourcing!—
Senior Editor Eric Lundin’s recent
visit to IKEA® caused him to rethink
his perspective on outsourcing. “Like
any international corporation,
[IKEA] purchases goods from a variety
of sources around the world. But I
think it goes a little too far. As far as
I’m concerned, it doesn’t strike a good
balance. It’s not so much a matter of
economics, though, as it is a matter of
patriotism.”
• Fabricating meets the culinary
world—Chicago chef Homaro
Cantu, who owns the restaurant
Moto, is a gadget guy who ended up in
the restaurant world. “Iron Chef
America” on the Food Network pitted Cantu against Iron Chef Mori-moto. Cantu pulled out all the stops
when he used a 2,800-W laser to toast
powder sugar on a fried wonton and
relied on a piece of stainless steel bent
at 90 degrees and with three holes to
deliver one dish to the judges.
• What’s ahead for the steel
industry?—Standard & Poor’s Equity
Research Services’ semiannual report
on the metals industry said the industry’s strong 2006 is unlikely to repeat
in 2007. However, “recent reports
from major suppliers indicate that the
industry is far from down and out, or
at least is putting on its game face.”
AK Steel and Northwest Pipe Co. are
among those projecting positive outlooks for 2007.
The FABRICATOR | An FMA Publication
www.thefabricator.com | March 2007
