The Thomas Blog

Where is Your Thanksgiving Meal Coming From: A Look at US Food Manufacturing

It’s that time of year again — family comes together, entertainment is in abundance, and food is shared. 

And speaking of food, the newest Food Manufacturing Industry Report lists the eight U.S. states that have the highest added value to the food manufacturing industry. So we took a look at the United States Department of Agriculture State Export Data for what exactly we can be thankful for. The results for each state are below. 

Can the Internet Of Things Solve the Talent Gap?

As an industry, we talk about the talent gap all the time. We talk about how to fill the gap with millennials. We cry out about how robots are stealing our jobs. And we go back and forth between our lack of people and metallic replacements that we don’t stop to find the solution needle in the proverbial haystack.

4 Keys to Creating Content That Converts

In our last post, The Pitfalls of Engagement, we discussed some basic storytelling techniques and what kinds of topics to avoid. Building off of those ideas, we went deeper into the details of who you should be targeting and how to do so — here are the four top tips. 

The 4 Newest Material Innovations You Should Know About

We like to talk about innovation, but in an industry of builders and makers, we’re limited by one thing: to make something tangible, we need materials. 

We don’t often highlight the foundation to building new products, never mind the sometimes revolutionary impact they may have on the world. So here are the latest innovations in materials that may shape how we build the future.

The Rodon Group on How to Manufacture A Perfect Plastic Part

“Perfect” is not a word that is thrown around very often. It implies upmost precision, unyielding quality, and repeatable functionality. So when an industry expert such as The Rodon Group imparts knowledge on how to manufacture the perfect plastic part, it’s time to sit up and listen. And according to Rodon, the Pennsylvania-based high-volume plastic injection molder, the way to do this is by following these four factors.

Enrich Data, Boost Manufacturing Sales: How Manufacturers and Distributors Can Bridge The Service Gap

Manufacturers and distributors rely on each other to support and grow their respective businesses, both of which are based on a mutual goal: Sales.

But what happens when monthly figures show sales below expectations? Despite unsatisfactory results, both parties simply rationalize the problem as “the way it is” and grudgingly continue to tolerate the problem rather than solve it.

The Pitfalls of Engagement – Turning Off Your Readers

When crafting a good story, we often start by coming up with a main character. We work on developing someone who is reliable and likeable overall. But as you focus all of your attention on the “who,” are you forgetting about the “why?” When telling an engineering story, this is especially important.

Technology That Can Improve Safety In Manufacturing and the Supply Chain

Whether you think technology is making our lives simpler or more dangerous, it is undoubtedly pushing the capabilities of humanity forward. In the right hands, it has been making the world a safer place to live in.

Technology has the ability to keep us — and our industry — safe. 

Meet the Manufacturer Pioneering Sustainability, Green in Industry

Gage employees at the Rainbow Run in downtown Ferndale, Michigan. The company sponsors the event, which helps foster diversity and acceptance in the community, every year.

Many manufacturers are just now jumping on the chance to reduce waste and adopt “green” tendencies, but Gage Products has been doing so for decades.