The Thomas Blog

Celebrating The Independent American Manufacturer

In honor of the Fourth of July, Thomas is not only celebrating Independence Day, but also celebrating the independent American manufacturers that contribute so much to our country throughout the year.

And while there are many  of reasons to appreciate these small and mid-sized businesses, we wanted to highlight three in particular.

How To Adopt Industry 4.0 In Your Shop

Fueled by new technology like the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Big Data, Industry 4.0 offers tremendous potential for improving operational efficiency and spurring growth. However, many manufacturers perceive Industry 4.0 adoption as more of an obligation than an opportunity, something to be relegated to an IT department rather than presented as a strategic, company-wide initiative.

Why Your Product Data And Your Website Need To Work Together

A prospect that you’ve been chasing for months has been researching you as well, checking out your product catalog on a distributor’s website and downloading your CAD models. They’ve narrowed down their shortlist to you and a couple of your competitors, and now they’re visiting your website to gather additional details.

A Summer Road Trip Through Manufacturing History

It’s finally summer, and that means warm weather, long weekends, and lazy, sun-soaked vacations. Some factories and shops even partially or fully shut down during the summer months, giving workers more time to spend with their loved ones.

The Latest On Manufacturing Reshoring

There’s been a ton of speculation on the state of U.S. manufacturing over the past few years, especially as reshoring initiatives continue to gain traction across different industries. According to the Reshoring Initiative, an organization that helps U.S. manufacturers pursue and realize the benefits of reshoring, combined reshoring and related foreign direct investments (FDI) announcements are up 2800% since 2010.

Wisconsin Industrial/B2B Buying Trends

If you are a manufacturer or industrial supplier that serves the Wisconsin area, wouldn't it be great to know what buyers in your region are looking for? This way, instead of anticipating their needs, you can be meeting their needs — and winning their business.

Thomas recently examined buyer behavior data generated on Thomasnet.com to uncover supply chain trends in Wisconsin. If you provide industrial products or services in Madison, Green Bay, Eau Claire, or other cities within the state, this information could prove pivotal in connecting with more buyers. 

Is Your Website “Not Secure”?

We’ve written before about the importance of ensuring your manufacturing website is encrypted, and on July 1, it will become even more critical to migrate from HTTP to HTTPS.

Building An Industry 4.0 Workforce

With the introduction of new technologies, Industry 4.0 has changed how manufacturing works. As a result, it’s also changed who is needed to work within the industry. While traditional skills like machining and tooling are tremendously valuable, manufacturers now require employees with proficiency in fields like augmented reality, big data, and robotics, to get the most out of all the new technology.

What Voice Search Optimization Means For Your Industrial Marketing

An increasing number of people are talking instead of typing their searches. In 2016, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that 20% of mobile queries are voice searches. Google’s voice recognition technology is now 95% accurate, and there are more than 33 million devices in circulation that can process spoken commands.