Displaying items by tag: manufacturing

When Tom Reardon rose through the ranks of the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) 22 years ago, the trade association was operating in the red.

Robotics and automation could offer manufacturers a key way forward to operating in the post-coronavirus environment because of their ability to reduce workplace contamination and worker interactions. 

Major automakers as well as nascent startups are showing an increased focus on electrified commercial delivery vehicles, hoping to gain market share as corporate demand increases.

GRAND RAPIDS — Office furniture maker Steelcase Inc. reported a steep drop in first quarter revenue along with a steady decline in orders as the coronavirus pandemic spread globally. 

WALKER — Chicago-based General Truck Parts & Equipment is investing more than $500,000 to launch a new facility in Walker, the company’s first operation in Michigan.

ZEELAND — In the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller Inc. reported a 29.1 percent drop in net sales for the fourth quarter of its 2020 fiscal year that ended May 30, 2020.

GRAND RAPIDS — A freshly minted acquisition and newly formed division will allow Grand Rapids-based TG Manufacturing Group to manufacture complete integrated gaming machine assemblies.

Auto manufacturers, dealers and OEMs will catch a break from the busy auto show circuit this year after the COVID-19 pandemic essentially wiped out the ability to hold crowded events.

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

Citing the effects of the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic, Howmet Aerospace Inc. recently issued a wave of layoffs at its facility in Whitehall that affected 625 of its more than 2,000 local employees.