Are you a fan of semiconductors? We’re willing to bet you are, even if you’re not sure what they are or what they do. You can think of them as the tiny chips that power pretty much everything electronic in the modern world. Televisions, smartphones, computers, cameras, automobiles…the list goes on and on. In fact,
“Made in the USA” – it’s a label that many take great pride in. There are millions of people who make buying decisions every day based upon where goods are manufactured. They support American-made products because they want to support American businesses. This isn’t always easy, because for certain categories of products, such as electronics,
Many younger people who grew up with computers believe that advanced electronics, powered by integrated circuits more commonly known as semiconductors, have mostly been the specialty of Asian countries, like China, Japan, and Taiwan. Some might be surprised to learn that the first semiconductors were developed by engineers in the United States. Indeed, semiconductor manufacturing
Have you sensed the transition that appears to be taking place across the country regarding how people view industrial jobs? For years, the path to life and career success has been firmly routed through four-year colleges. Recently, however, many have started to realize that a college degree is not only costly, but also not a
Is it just us? Or did artificial intelligence (AI) just appear overnight out of nowhere? It seems like we should be used to this by now. A new technology appears on the horizon, promising yet another major breakthrough in the future. Then, before you know it, the future is here. This trend likely results from
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the phrase “alternative energy”? For some, mental images of towering wind turbines might come to mind. For others, it could be vast fields full of solar panels. As so-called “solar farms” become more and more popular, many landowners are transitioning their agricultural fields to house
Amatrol is pleased to announce that its president, Paul Perkins, has been named to IBJ Media’s third annual Indiana 250, “a list of the state’s most influential and impactful business and community leaders, representing public and private companies, law firms, universities, not-for-profits, government and community organizations.” According to a press release from IBJ Media, “The
One of the lingering memories manufacturers have of the COVID-19 pandemic is the upheaval caused by supply chain disruptions when economies around the globe shut down for weeks or months at a time. In the United States, the auto industry was hit particularly hard by a shortage of critical computer chips that control nearly every
What kind of dreams did you have when you were young? Did you think about the future and what kinds of things you’d see in your lifetime? Did you envision flying cars and robot butlers? Of course, today’s automobiles are still firmly grounded, although many of them are now electric. We do have wandering robots
Those familiar with manufacturing and the skilled trades know all about the skills gap and the challenge of hiring enough highly skilled workers to fill the hundreds of thousands of open positions throughout industry across the country. For years now, there simply haven’t been enough workers to meet growing demand. Hiring managers tasked with finding
What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you remember being asked that question as a child? What was your answer? Popular answers I remember from my own childhood included occupations like fireman, teacher, construction worker, and veterinarian. What did those occupations have in common? They do things that are easy to
