Engineering, Manufacturing, Placement Annoucements, Quality Assurance, US News

Bruce Peacock & TRG Manufacturing Complete Successful Quality Manager Search

by  • 

Bruce Peacock & TRG Manufacturing Complete Successful Quality Manager Search

Richmond, VA April 2014 – Bruce Peacock & the Manufacturing Search Team of The Richmond Group USA (TRG) are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of a Quality Manager search for an industry leading manufacturer of specialty polymer products.  This person will lead a team of 10-15 quality engineers and technicians, and take responsibility for evaluating and improving new/existing manufacturing processes such as production rates, efficiencies, yields, costs and changeovers while analyzing testing results to compare with customer specifications.

Working with the General Manager, we took on the challenge of finding a high-energy problem solver who had both the technical expertise and high-volume/mass production experience to make an immediate impact within their organization.  A comprehensive search was conducted to uncover and attract a pool of qualified candidates.

We identified an outstanding Quality professional who has a BS Chemistry as well as an MBA, and had previous success building Quality programs and quality teams for a number of other reputable manufacturers.  This placement will provide our client company with an outstanding leader for their quality team and an excellent addition to their management team.

Should you desire additional information about this successful search or about our firm please contact Bruce Peacock & TRG Manufacturing Division at (804)285-2071 or email Bruce at brucep@richgroupusa.com.

 

US News

Obama announces $600 million grant to spur job growth

by  • 

President Barack Obama announced that the government will be distributing $600 million to help improve, attract and train new employees. According to Reuters, the majority of the funds will be dispersed among companies searching to fill more technical positions.

The president will designate $500 million to pay for a competition among businesses and community colleges to inspire workers to apply for more jobs in technical fields. Organizations competing for the money will be responsible for creating training initiatives to prepare and train workers for certain jobs in select industries.

The remaining $100 million will support preexisting programs already geared toward training workers, specifically in the fields of information technology, advanced manufacturing and health care.

According to a senior official in the Obama administration, the new funds will help match employees’ skills to the ever-growing advancements in technology in the workplace.

“The pace of change – technology, globalization – has changed the nature of work and the speed at which necessary skills change,” the official said, as quoted by Reuters.

These grant funds will be integral for helping to fill positions the U.S. desperately needs, including those in software development and programming. The source predicted that as companies gain access to these funds, employment may rise along with the new initiatives.

Midwest US

Tech firms expand Chicago operations

by  • 

Chicago tech firm startups have seen great success in the Windy City recently, as a number of firms that operate in the business incubator 1871 have reported growth not only in their production, but in their employment numbers as well. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said that more than 300 jobs have been created by 30 startup tech companies in the area, according to Loop North News.

The city pledged to add 40,000 positions in the technology sector throughout the year, so the continued success of these firms would be integral to contributing to this pledge. These types of professions are key to strengthening the economy, the mayor explained.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and technology companies are creating the new jobs of the present and the future,” Emanuel said, as quoted by the source. “These companies are building the next generation of Chicago’s economy. I will continue to build an environment that attracts talented people and thriving companies to Chicago.”

The Chicago Tribune reported that 1871 is currently exploring the possibility of expanding its physical space by 50 percent, allowing for more startups to set up camp alongside tech business professionals at the Merchandise Mart. Howard Tullman, the CEO of 1871, told the source that the company is in talks with the location, and if the expansion moves forward, more employment opportunities may follow.

US News

Improvements in manufacturing industry may signal economic growth

by  • 

As individual regions continue to report booms due to improvements in manufacturing operations, the overall state of jobs within this industry continues to look up across the nation. More factories are opening their doors in the U.S., leading to greater outlooks for the future, higher productivity and an increase in the number of jobs available for workers. The sector has already seen immense growth this year, and experts predict that sentiment will continue through the next several months.

Industry report finds manufacturing industry experiencing positive growth 
According to a recently released report from the Institute for Supply Management, the manufacturing industry performed well in the month of March. The company reported that for the 10th month in a row, this sector experienced positive economic growth. For March, the Purchasing Managers Index was at 53.7 percent, which was 0.5 percent higher than in February. While Reuters initially predicted the number would be slightly higher at 54 percent, experts were still pleased with the findings.

Bradley J. Holcomb, the chair of ISM, said in a press release that employment in the industry grew for the ninth month in a row, coming in at 51.1 percent. He explained that company executives who participated in compiling the report indicated that for the most part, employment was expected to continue growing as the year progresses.

“Several comments from the panel reflect favorable demand and good business conditions, with some lingering concerns about the particularly adverse weather conditions across the country,” Holcomb said.

U.S. stocks rise after report
After the ISM report indicated positive growth in the manufacturing sector, U.S. stocks rose in a variety of production sectors, The Associated Press reported. Ford Motors and Intuitive Surgical saw their stocks jump, as both companies experienced improvements in the past month. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its monthly jobs report April 4, experts predict that employers added more than 191,000 jobs in March, fueled partially by the recent manufacturing boom.

Bloomberg Businessweek reported that the overall success of this industry would be a key indicator of the continued economic growth of the nation. Although harsh weather may have negatively impacted job reports from January and February, experts believe March numbers will show a decisive improvement, especially since manufacturing was one of the job areas the weather greatly affected. Joshua Shapiro, the chief U.S. economist at Maria Fiorini Ramirez Inc., told the source that the March employment report should indicate a nationwide recovery, which will only continue to strengthen through the next several months.

Engineering

Engineering jobs pointing up in the US this year

by  • 

The engineering field is poised to develop rapidly this year, presenting a strong job market for the industry, according to a press release.

In addition to engineering jobs The Randstad Engineering Employee Confidence Index indicated a top level for additional industries like finance and accounting. IT, manufacturing and logistics also registered strongly on the index.

“According to a recent U.S. News and World Report, engineering is expected to be the number one in-demand job for 2014. The sentiments recorded by our Index in the last few months of the year reflect that demand and resulted in sustainable levels of confidence across the engineering sector,” president Richard Zambacca with Randstad Engineering said, according to the press release. “We see 2014 being a particularly good year for quality, control and process engineers, with the energy industry offering promising careers to those with the right certifications.”

The poll also determined that 60 percent of survey respondents hold a brighter outlook in their capacities to land a new job. Engineering jobs and IT jobs expanded by 0.38 percent in February from the month prior, according to Staffing Industry.

Airlines, Transportation

Airline industry poised for strong growth

by  • 

Airline IndustryCareer opportunities are on the rise in the airline industry, enough to the extent that some companies’ recruitment reaches potential candidates as young as 10 years of age, according to a published report.

TIMCO Aviation in North Carolina views fourth grade students as future enthusiasts of aviation, a company administrator told CNBC earlier this month. To that end, the company pays visits to elementary schools to sow those seeds.

“Being around aircraft is fun, so we do like to go to elementary schools and get people interested in aviation,” vice president of industry and government relations Kip Blakely with the company told the news source, noting it is aiming to augment payrolls by as many as 400 technicians. “We have major plans to expand. That is really a headwind to our expansion.”

Through 2032, airplane manufacturing giant Boeing believes traffic for global cargo and passengers will surge about 5 percent per year. In order to meet that development, the industry must augment fleets with nearly 21,000 jets.

CNN reports the sector’s growth also is impacting the Asia Pacific region, where demand for air travel is up 35 percent, the regional fleet has climbed three-fold and almost 13,000 new jets are in need.