It’s no secret that most industries have taken a hit during the covid-19, worldwide crisis. The metal fabrication industry is no exception. During the spring, polling was instituted to the point of getting a more precise bead on how bad things were across the industry. A cross-section of about 300 plus industry workers, a majority being in the specific sector of sheet metal, but also including the arenas of component production and assembly and commercial and industrial operations was used for the final compilation of results. These eye-opening results showed that most felt the impact of the pandemic. Moreover, of those many, more than half felt at least moderately or to a large and enduring degree affected by the worldwide pandemic. Nonetheless, the industry is adapting. New products are being created. Marketing efforts are being amped. Remote work options are in place at many businesses. Supply chains are understandably more problematic. Many companies are expecting a drastic loss in retail sales. Fortunately, as regions in Asia and Europe pull out of the worse aspects of their own crisis’s this has an effect on businesses in the States. Industry-watchers suggest that now is the time to really hone in on what products are needed to meet a changing world. How can existing product lines by recalibrated to meet these needs? What new items should be tackled by design teams, by analytics and market watchers? It is time to get creative and build differently and think differently. Maybe new and more sustainable resources are needed. Whatever is learned will serve the business in unprecedented ways even after the pandemic.
Key Takeaways:
- A covid-19 specific survey for metal workers got results from 330 polled individuals, across the metal manufacturing industry.
- The cross-section included workers in the areas of sheet metal manufacturing, component production and assembly and the industrial applications sector.
- Almost every respondent admitted to some degree of work related change due to the pandemic. More than half suggested that they had been moderately, or hard hit, by the effects.
“An industry survey was conducted in the early summer to get a snapshot of where metal manufacturing companies are today.”
