Here’s what your peers read most from this newsletter this year.

  1. Are Proposed Bans on Fracking Realistic?

    How the U.S. and global economy would be affected by these proposals. Environmentalists hope a ban on fracking would reduce U.S. reliance on fossil fuels, while other opponents of fracking have concerns about the potential for chemicals used in the process to seep into the ground and water supplies. Continue reading…

  2. Experts: U.S. Oil Production Heading for a ‘Major Slowdown’

    Shale production expected to enter a “new era of moderation” in growth. U.S. production growth is expected to be 440,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 2020 before flattening in 2021, according to the new IHS Markit outlook for oil market fundamentals for 2019-2021. Modest growth should resume in 2022, it says. Continue reading…

  3. Workforce Development with Mike Rowe of ‘Dirty Jobs’

    The TV show host discusses learning trades and how companies can fill the skills gap. For more than a decade, American television host Mike Rowe has fought against the public narrative that earning a four-year college degree and working in the office was the only way to go. In 2008, the host of Discovery Channel hit series "Dirty Jobs" started the mikeroweWORKS Foundation to raise awareness for more skilled labor and money for trade school scholarships. Continue reading…

  4. Opinion: Time to Examine Longstanding Assumptions of Doing Business in China

    Signs point to declining legitimacy of the Communist Party of China, but uncertainty remains on how it will play out. China presents some long-term challenges that makes it advisable for certain businesses to reanalyze their strategic position in regard to whether the risk/reward trade-off is still the same as it has been in the past. Continue reading…

  5. How I Solved: ‘We’ve Always Done It This Way’

    Addressing changes in workflow processes that meet resistance. Changes in workflow processes can be challenging and meet resistance. This is true in most industrial facilities, even if the changes are positive for the company and the personnel doing the work. For many good reasons, this mindset is especially hardwired in the maintenance and reliability world. Continue reading…

  6. Tuthill Strives to Spread Message of ‘Aliveness’

    Why the company's purpose has moved beyond manufacturing pumps, meters, vacuum systems and blowers. The company’s purpose is to “Wake the World,” and one project that has helped them reach more people in their quest to ask people to examine how they live their lives is their recent docu-series “The Search for Aliveness.” Here, Tuthill’s Sherpa of Purpose Chad Gabriel tells us more about the series and Tuthill’s vision. Continue reading…

  7. How Have Trump’s Tariffs Affected U.S. Manufacturers?

    Financial report says tariffs may be good for U.S. steel and aluminum producers but have not deterred subsidized Chinese production. The largest importers of steel products are Canada, Brazil and Mexico. China remains a major force in the export market either directly or indirectly via transshipment through other countries. Continue reading…

  8. 3 Levels of Smart Pump Education

    Learn more about the advances that are available now, and what the future will bring. To bring some clarity to smart pumps, here are three ways systems and industrial pumps can be smart to varying degrees. Continue reading…

  9. M&A Conditions Continue to be Favorable

    The latest fluid handling industry mergers & acquisitions report. Strategic realignments, expanding geographic footprint and channel integration are among the key factors driving deal activity. Continue reading…

  10. How I Solved: Engaging Millennials in the Workplace

    Trey Walters, president and founder of Applied Flow Technology, says this age group wants to be heard. Millennials aren’t just entering the workforce—they already make up 50 percent, according to a recent Forbes article, and by 2025, that percentage will grow to 75. It is imperative that companies with executives from Generation X and baby boomers start bringing this vastly growing pool of employees into the fold. Continue reading…