Displaying items tagged: Cascade Die Casting Group Inc

For more than two years, global supply chain disruptions have delayed orders of the ubiquitous semiconductor chips found in products as diverse as home appliances, video game consoles and high-grade weapons. The small but integral components manage the flow of electric currents of devices in an exponentially electrified world.

John Mulder recently noticed that an inordinate amount of his staff’s time was being used to field calls from clients inquiring about the status of their orders.

As a prolonged shortage of semiconductors hampers automotive production, West Michigan-based suppliers have been forced to change the way they do business.

As the new class of students arrived at Northview Next this year, they may have noticed some new advanced manufacturing training tools. 

Choosing whether to issue temporary layoffs is one of many decisions Pat Greene has had to contend with as the head of Cascade Die Casting Group Inc.

As major automakers and government officials pledge ambitious electric vehicle targets over the coming decade, Michigan’s automotive suppliers are adapting to a business environment that’s swiftly changing yet still firmly rooted in internal combustion engines. 

The topic of the day at this year’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars was predictable.

Many domestic manufacturers, including automakers, had started reevaluating their supply chains even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but the international health crisis has only accelerated those conversations.

Automotive manufacturers are back up and running after months of production shutdowns following widespread outbreaks of COVID-19. 

As a global pandemic began to hit West Michigan, executives around the region stepped up to lead their organizations and their employees through the time of crisis. 

Regardless of when the historic UAW strike against General Motors Co. ultimately ends, the disruptive effect of lost production and earnings will linger, putting further strain on an industry already flagged by slowing sales and tariff disputes with China.

On top of ongoing trade disputes and the disruptive GM strike, two statistical gauges of the U.S. manufacturing industry hit new lows, leaving economists and manufacturers preparing for a meaningful economic shift from a decade of growth. 

A decade into the economic recovery, the region’s automotive suppliers continue to ride the wave of vehicle sales volume in the North Amercian and global auto market. Yet, many are bracing for an impending downturn, which analysts predict will occur somewhere in the early 2020s. Primarily, suppliers are planning on weathering any upcoming downturn by banking on investments in new technologies, including electric vehicles and automation, whether through increased R&D spending or through acquisitions. 

Now that all adults in Michigan can legally use marijuana, employers are weighing how the new law — and misunderstandings about it — could affect their workforces.

Cascade Die Casting Group Inc. is a manufacturer heavily concentrated in the automotive industry. Although the company recently lost business related to the closure of several General Motors plants, the industry shift from low price-point cars to higher-margin trucks and SUVs has President Patrick Greene cautiously optimistic about continued growth in 2019.

GRAND RAPIDS — With Cascade Die Casting Group Inc. purchasing up to a dozen new robots every year, the company has realized its investments can’t stop with just the equipment.

Manufacturers heading into 2018 have made workplace culture a priority.

GRAND RAPIDS — After a decade of growth in manufacturing, the sector still finds itself having to defend its worth to parents and high school counsellors.