What do manufacturing facilities have to do with vaccine production and distribution? Expanding the coverage of vaccines globally is a critical goal, and expanding vaccine production simply wouldn't be possible without the help of manufacturing facilities. Let's take a look at key ways in which manufacturing is contributing to vaccine production and distribution in the United States. Onshoring Effects on Vaccine Production and Distribution The COVID-19 crisis has put a spotlight on the need to begin onshoring drug manufacturing back in the United States. The pandemic has played a large role in alerting Americans to the importance of shifting away from heavy dependence on other countries like India and China for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), medical devices, and finished pharmaceutical products. With COVID-19 vaccine … [Read more...] about How Manufacturing is Saving Vaccine Production in the United States
Industry News
New Technologies and Data are Key to Preparing for Covid-19 as a “Constant” in Business Throughout 2020
Manufacturers should prepare for Covid-19 to be a constant in business throughout the remainder of 2020. Why? While it appears there will be numerous vaccine candidates reaching later stage clinical trials for Covid-19 in the months to come, it is unlikely they will have a significant effect on the mass population in 2020 based on the statements of numerous medical authorities. Combine this with spiking cases throughout different regions in the country and we get a recipe for a situation where things may get worse before they improve. Manufacturers need to be prepared for this scenario. Many Surplus Record readers are familiar with the general guidelines that the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and others have published around Covid-19. These recommendations include: engaging public officials in lobbying for key legal … [Read more...] about New Technologies and Data are Key to Preparing for Covid-19 as a “Constant” in Business Throughout 2020
Private Equity in 2020: Is Now the Time to Sell/Partner For Manufacturers?
Private equity (PE) firms are some of the most likely buyers of manufacturers. Known as “financial buyers” rather than “strategic buyers” – e.g., another industrial firm or peer looking to expand its business – these organizations leverage a combination of their own cash and debt to fund their acquisitions. While private equity got a bad name in the 1980s during the heyday of the “leveraged buyout” or LBO market, today’s firms, especially those investing in manufacturers, look quite different. Granted, while they will still borrow 50% or more of the cost to fund many transactions, usually guaranteed against the cash flow of the business, many have truly become operators in terms of rolling up their sleeves with management to drive growth, creating operating efficiencies (often in procurement and supply chain) and driving the overall … [Read more...] about Private Equity in 2020: Is Now the Time to Sell/Partner For Manufacturers?
Back To Work: How Will Manufacturers Look?
Like many business owners, we are incredibly anxious to fully “open back up”. Our primary business is a research and media company serving manufacturers and other industries. While it was exempt from “close” orders because our industry is considered “essential,” we nevertheless shut our office doors in early March, requiring employees to work from home. Reopening our Chicago office will be easy compared to what manufacturers will have to go through — and what many have gone through to maintain operations, if they were allowed to keep their facilities open throughout this time. From acquiring PPE goods (thermometers, masks, disinfectant, hand sanitizer, etc.) to implementing guidelines to maximize social distancing on the shop floor, a myriad of new requirements is critical to operate in the COVID-19 workplace. Many of our friends … [Read more...] about Back To Work: How Will Manufacturers Look?
Should We Apply Market Economics to Safety?
When prices are high, suppliers will make more of a product. Conversely, when demand drops, prices will face downward pressure, and suppliers will produce less. In the modern global supply chain world, markets have adopted even further. This is supply and demand, a fundamental tenet of economics. A Real World Image of the Market Economy To understand a classic supply and demand environment, we need look no further than the boom of hand sanitizer in recent months. Suppliers of spirits (e.g., vodka) have even converted production from booze to make it! As in all markets, if buyers are willing to pay a higher price, the production will come online to support it. Whether this means adding a second or third shift at the plants of existing producers — or new suppliers entering the competitive environment — the market will eventual … [Read more...] about Should We Apply Market Economics to Safety?
