Starting this holiday weekend, we encourage everyone to start a tradition of buying American-made products. Just like the nutrition labels on food that tell you about the contents of the product, country of origin labeling tells you where the contents came from and where they were assembled. With a few exceptions, the government does not require this labeling; however companies are proud to display their Made in the USA origin. These businesses understand American consumers want to purchase products made here and support jobs throughout our country.
Tips on buying American-made
Not so long ago, this phrase became synonymous with our young people. “The Village” is everyone who can and should impact the lives of children by developing and nurturing them for a path to success. We should be keenly aware of this fact in all facets of our business and personal lives. Whether or not you are a parent, we must support our future generations.
You may think that, as a manufacturing company, we don’t have many opportunities to impact the direction of the lives of young people in our community. It's actually just the opposite. We are always looking for ways to support technical education and STEM programs. The Rodon Group often hosts school tours and engages with administrators. Our sister company, K’NEX has developed an entire product line devoted to teaching science, engineering and math skills.
Sustainability in Manufacturing
Each year, we stop to remember the humble beginnings of Earth Day and how the movement has grown over the past forty-four years since its inception. Back in the early days, the Vietnam War nearly consumed the American conscious. Not much room remained for environmental causes.
Our friends at the Manufacturing Extension Partnership introduced a new infographic that underscores the importance of manufacturing in our economy. This interactive visual highlights some fascinating facts about the impact of manufacturing. In addition, you can follow links to manufacturers throughout the country who participated in Manufacturing Day in October 2013.
Product development’s latest craze, 3D printing, has a new rival in town. It is called brain build decoding. While brain decoding has been around for some time, this technology has never been applied to the manufacturing process. The Rodon Group, working with scientists at a prestigious technology university, is finally reaping the fruits of their financial and time investment.
Filling the education gap
There has been much discussion about the need for quality STEM education and skilled workers. Both go hand-in hand. Many companies today complain that they can’t find people with the aptitude needed to work in a modern manufacturing facility. Unlike many European countries, the apprenticeship opportunities in the U.S. have fallen to the wayside. So, our high schools are filling the gaps in education and experience. These schools are doing an outstanding job of taking on the challenge.
STEM education in the suburban Philly region.
In the Philadelphia metro area, we are blessed to have some top notch technical high schools and programs. We encourage these high schools students to continue their education and training in STEM related fields. We know the opportunities in manufacturing are plentiful and financially rewarding.
With the winter games taking place in Sochi, Russia, we thought it would be fitting to spotlight someone in The Rodon Group family with Olympic aspirations.
Sustainability in Manufacturing
The Rodon Group Proves they are Committed to Reduce their Carbon Footprint by Signing an Agreement with North America’s Leading Demand Response Provider.
There was a time many decades ago, when employees joined companies with the expectation of a long career. Companies were loyal to employees, and the employees reciprocated. Today, the employment picture is much different. Higher unemployment rates, coupled with the constant pressure to reduce head-count have served to create a job market where neither side of the equation seems to feel a strong loyalty to one another. In fact, the most recent recession has incentivized many unhappy workers to stay put until better opportunities become available. According to the "What's Working" research study by Mercer, a global consulting firm “In the U.S., the percentage of workers who said they wanted to leave and get a new job rose nine percentage points, from 23% in 2005 to about one in three, or 32%, in 2010.” If the employment rates continue to improve, many of these workers will move onto other opportunities.