The Thomas Blog

Industry 4.0: Six Steps Manufacturers Need To Take Now

In 2009, there were 2.5 billion devices with unique IP addresses connected to the internet — most of these were cell phones and computers. By 2020, there will be up to 30 billion connected devices with unique IP addresses, and many of these will be industrial products. Driven by new digital technologies, cloud computing and the Internet of Everything, this new industrial connectivity is driving what’s referred to by some analysts as “Industry 4.0.”

Green Manufacturing: 3 Steps To Be More Sustainable On The Shop Floor

Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day. To celebrate we wanted to shine a light on the importance of sustainability in manufacturing. Fortunately, the manufacturing industry is embracing sustainability like never before. In fact, no other industry produces more "clean economy" jobs. 

Fueling the adoption is the fact that sustainability is not only good for the environment, it can be good for a business's bottom line. Procurement departments are becoming increasingly focused on finding environmentally friendly partners, and studies show that "green organizations" experience faster growth than their less eco-conscious counterparts.

8 Valuable Resources for Industrial Business Leaders

Every day, we use 2.5 quintillion bytes of data posting on social media, pinging GPS signals, downloading music — essentially, just living in the digital world. Do you know what a quintillion is? It’s one million, raised to the power of five. It’s one thousand, raised to the power of six. It’s a one followed by 18 zeros. It’s a big number. Suffice to say, we’re making heavy use of the digital resources at our disposal.

RIT To Lead National Consortium For Cleaner Manufacturing

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) was recently selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to head up a national consortium that will be charged with developing sustainable manufacturing technologies.

The Reducing Embodied-Energy and Decreasing Emissions Institute (REMADE) is part of the DOE’s Manufacturing USA initiative and will be housed at RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability, under the Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation Alliance.

Manufacturers Struggle To Find Skilled & Interested Workers

In light of the recent presidential election, there has been a renewed focus on the plight of blue collar workers and the lack of job opportunities in manufacturing and other industrial sectors.

The Look South Export Initiative Could Be The Key To Unlocking New Markets

We’ve already discussed why U.S. small businesses should consider exporting. But while most organizations focus on exporting to Europe or Asia, there is a golden opportunity to expand into new markets and grow your revenues in Central and South America by taking advantage of the “Look South” export initiative.

5 Reasons Why U.S. Companies Should Consider Exporting

Exports are a growing and substantial part of the U.S. economy, with more than 304,000 U.S. companies exporting goods last year. Of those companies, nearly 98 percent were small- or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with fewer than 500 employees.

4 Documents That Could Help You Win More Contracts

There’s no magic combination of things that will guarantee your business wins a contract bid, but there are some documents that many consider necessary to include with your bid. The important documents below may help you win contracts if you prepare them correctly.

How to Successfully Grow Your Industrial Business

Periodically, we hear from you regarding industry-related issues, and we strive to answer your questions based on our decades of experience and exhaustive understanding of the manufacturing space.

Lately, your questions have centered around business growth and how you can achieve it.