By now most businesses understand that social media is an effective tool for reaching targeted audiences.  In fact, the myriad vehicles of social networking allow a message to be relayed exponentially to like-minded individuals.  

As I assimilate all the potent nuggets of wisdom I gathered talking with industry leaders, innovators and visionaries at the 8th Executive Briefing Conference hosted by Stiles machinery, certain characteristics of good business keep recurring. Particularly in the context of “lean manufacturing” it is important to think in both the short term and long term.

Speaking of public works, the Obama administration and the Department of Labor recently pulled the plug on the competition for a $35 million contract to build a Job Corps center in Manchester, NH. According to the Washington Times, the DOL cited a “need to evaluate the issues” surrounding the union-friendly bidding process and the requirement known as a “project labor agreement” or PLA.

Attending Interzum in Cologne was certainly the highlight of a busy spring. Overall, the event was encouraging. From the small, polite and economical land of Germany, I was able to see North America’s composite panel and decorative surface industry from a new point of view.