The Inflation Reduction Act was designed to enhance domestic manufacturing and secure domestic supply chains. The act, signed by President Biden in 2022, was sponsored by Sens. Chuck Shumer (D-NY) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), with the legislation also drawing from House Bill HR5376 sponsored by Rep. John A. Yarmuth (D-KY 3). According to a White house Fact Sheet dated August 16, 2023...
Alexandria Industries' Nancy Waldorf and Robbie Betterman go live on KIK-FM radio with DJs Kris and Chelsea to talk about the 16th Annual Fishing For the Cure Ice Fishing Challenge and what this special event is all about and how important it is to our community.
Alexandria Industries completed an investment project at its operations in Alexandria, MN, where the company has expanded its manufacturing space, installed a new 7 inch, 26 MN front-loading extrusion press line with advanced automation capabilities, and added a new front office and entry. The new press line allows the company to increase its capacity and extrude harder alloys,...
The pandemic came and may be on its way out soon, but it didn’t change one fundamental thing for Alexandria Industries: The company needs more workers, and needs them badly. So CEO Tom Schabel is trying to navigate Alexandria’s shortage of labor while keeping some other important things in mind, too. “I’m spending every waking moment trying to figure out how to satisfy...
We need no reminder that 2020 was shockingly different from any year we have experienced before. Each of us could probably name several struggles we’ve endured. For those of us in the manufacturing industry, however, this challenging time has generated opportunities to resolve our ongoing worker shortage issue.
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on many manufacturers’ supply chains as global borders closed and shipments slowed. Now that U.S. consumers are realizing the true value of domestically manufactured products, OEMs have the opportunity to reshore their products with U.S. suppliers while also attracting consumers looking for U.S.-made goods. This article is part of a three-part...
The manufacturing supply chain will continue to evolve during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Now is the perfect time for manufacturers to evaluate suppliers to ensure they can meet production needs when COVID-19 has passed. This article is part of a three-part series about checking your supplier's business health. See Part I here: Supplier financial health check, Part 1:...
From Industrial Widgets to Hospital Goods: COVID-19 Forces Minnesota Factories to Pivot. Reporter Dee DePass shares stories about Minnesota manufacturers, including Alexandria Industries, in this article about how, Industrial factories statewide have shifted into hospital mode, saving jobs in the process.
Five tips to use dimensioning and tolerance in the design stage. In today’s fast-paced manufacturing industry, it can be difficult to set aside time to define tolerances for a new aluminium extruded component design. Pressed for time, OEM design engineers often default to title block tolerances. This might save a little time, but it risks adding unnecessary cost to the part due to...
COVID-19 has exposed weak links in the global supply chain, and product manufacturers are taking notice. As the virus runs its course, many manufacturers will likely have suppliers that do not survive. Being confident in your suppliers’ stability needs to be more than a gut-check today. You will need to dig in and conduct your due diligence to understand your suppliers’ financial...
The state added 1,100 jobs, with unemployment rate falling to 3.3%, in August. Minnesota managed to end August with more jobs, but a continued shortage of workers mixed with myriad other economic concerns continue to affect job growth in the state.
After almost five decades manufacturing industrial products for such diverse industries as solar power and defence, the company could ill-afford to lose Mr Klug’s expertise. Like a number of US states, Minnesota has a labour shortage – specifically a skills shortage – and seeing his valuable experience disappear overnight would have left Alexandria’s management with big shoes to fill. According to the US Department of Labor, since March 2018 US monthly job vacancies have outnumbered unemployed job seekers. As the baby boomers reach retirement, it seems there are not enough millennials in the jobs pipeline ready to step in.
Reporter Joe Korkowski interviewed Tom Schabel and featured our news about purchasing a new press on the Voice Of Alexandria. Our aluminum extrusion press is being built at Presezzi Extrusion Group in Italy. It will be shipped to Alexandria, Minn., early next year. Because the press will have longer extrusion table, we are extending our manufacturing area, along with adding a new visitor entrance and office space, to our Alexandria facility. Construction of the 19,000 square-foot addition will begin soon. To celebrate, we hosted a groundbreaking ceremony. Our building contractor and design crew, along with local government and many employees, joined in the celebration.
Who Wants to work in Manufacturing? Alexandria Industries, along with other leading Minnesota manufacturers, were included in the March 2019 issue of Twin Cities Business feature story about the lack of employees to hire and what some companies and educators are doing to fill the skills gap.
Modern Machine Shop magazine’s March issue features Alexandria Industries. The story talks about the challenges we faced to cost-effectively integrate automation technology into our manufacturing processes and CNC machine tending. Read the article here.
The 13th Annual Alexandria Industries Fishing For the Cure ice fishing tournament is slated for Saturday, Feb. 16. The tourney will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on Smith Lake, between Nelson and Carlos. Prizes will be awarded for the top 100 fish by weight. However, organizers of the annual event said that beyond the prizes and of course, bragging rights for catching the biggest fish, the tournament is hands down a great way to enjoy being on the ice with family and friends. And it is all for a great cause.
Featured on NBC Nightly News, Alexandria Industries brings the skilled worker shortage issue to a national news level. Tariffs or no tariffs, there is a skilled worker shortage in the U.S., and without addressing the issue, it may evolve into a national crisis. For many years, Alexandria Industries has been creating solutions for this problem. One conversation at a time, we will continue to educate others about working in manufacturing and the great career opportunities it offers.
They call it the “Not So Heavy Metal” tour. It’s a lighthearted effort by Minnesota-based Alexandria Industries to introduce middle and high school students — as well the general public — to manufacturing. While the name is humorous, it belies an issue that is anything but. The component manufacturing company, with about 550 employees roughly two hours north of the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, faces an acute problem affecting many rural manufacturers: a shortage of workers to fill skilled and unskilled positions. Read the article here.
Clean Energy Economy MN recently published a video about one of our favorite manufacturing engineers, Adam Rupp. Hear the story Adam tells about working at Alexandria Industries, how his childhood experiences led him to work in manufacturing and why clean energy, especially solar, is important to Alexandria Industries, to Adam, and to his family. (Click the image to view the video.)
Twin Cities Business magazine published excerpts from its annual Manufacturing Forum where industry leaders shared how they are handling the talent shortage and how they are fostering innovation to keep their companies growing. The panel included: Tom Schabel, CEO, Alexandria Industries Eric Gibson, president, Ultra Machining Co. Joan Schatz, co-president, Park Industries Jon Wikstrom, president and CEO, Cool Clean Technologies Read the article here.
On-site and near-site clinics, along with wellness programs, are producing good results for employees of Minnesota companies. Lynette Kluver didn’t realize it at the time, but a joke she made during a business meeting would change people’s lives and her employer’s bottom line.
Neal St. Anthony, business reporter at The Star Tribune, recently published a story, Growth of Green Energy Hits a New High,” about the Minnesota’s renewable energy industry.
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