Industry Trends, Insights, and Government News

Conveyor Manufacturing Activity Points to Recovery

By Ron Bargman

12 Apr 2013 — Conveyor and conveyor equipment makers are showing excellent growth with record high order rates after being hit hard by the effects of the economic recession in 2008 and 2009. With economic fears easing, the industry has been fairly optimistic about its future performance.

Modern Flow Meters Forecast Growth with Rising Energy Sector Demands

By Tabitha Naylor

2 Apr 2013 — The outlook for the flow meter industry remains strong as suppliers develop new products and applications to satisfy the rising demand coming from the energy sector.

Chinese Production Keeps Aluminum & Other Commodity Prices Down

By John Rasmussen

19 Mar 2013 — While prices in industrial commodities such as copper, iron ore, and especially aluminum may vary slightly month to month, according to economists, the prices should stay low for the foreseeable future. Even as selective economies and manufacturing bases improve coming out of the worldwide downturn, Chinese overproduction of these metals and large stockpiles should prevent any rapid cost increase.

World Economic Forum Issues Top Ten Emerging Technologies for 2013

By John Rasmussen

5 Mar 2013 — The World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies picked the top 10 most promising technology trends that they believe can deliver sustainable growth in decades to come. These technologies are deemed essential as global population and material demands on the environment continue to grow rapidly.

GOLDMAN SACHS: Iron Ore Prices Rally but Sees Oversupply Down the Road

By John Rasmussen

25 Feb 2013 — Iron ore should remain high over the next year or so, but supplies should start overtaking demand soon after, according to Goldman Sachs.

Chinese Hacking - Say Something Nice or Don't Say Anything at All

By John Rasmussen

25 Feb 2013 — The New York Times, Bloomberg, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal have recently announced that it has been affected by Chinese hackers. Apparently, these provoked attacks seem to be related to reports regarding the relatives of Wen Jiabao, China's prime minister. Hacking by the Chinese military and its various security agencies, however, is the most un-secret secret. Who are these hackers, actually? You may be surprised.

Math Starting to Add Up: Expect Big Hit to the Economy with Sequestration

By John Rasmussen

22 Feb 2013 — The country has only a few days left to figure out this 'Sequestration', a term that refers to the large automatic budget cuts that will come as a result of an agreement reached by Congress last year to prevent...large automatic budget cuts. These cuts are pretty substantial and unlike anything that we have seen before. So what does it mean to the average person like you and me?