Tool Shops Need To Hire, But Where Are The Workers?

Cimatron Limited (NASDAQ: CIMT) has announced the results of its 2013 North America Tool Shop Benchmark Survey.

"One of the first studies of its kind, Cimatron's 2013 North America Tool Shop Benchmark Survey highlights the performance levels and challenges faced by tool shops as they seek to ensure their success in an increasingly competitive marketplace," said Mr Bill Gibbs, Cimatron's President North America.

The survey reveals that while almost three-quarters of tool shops (73%) plan to hire additional employees in the coming year, over half of the respondents identified finding qualified workers as the top challenge they face.

"Cimatron continues to invest in simplifying our CAD/CAM software and in driving automation to promote tool shop standardization," said Mr Gibbs. "This assists shops in making the assimilation and training of new staff easier."

Additional key survey findings include:

• Healthy industry growth: Half the shops surveyed saw an increase in the number of quotes they issued in the past year, and close to half of survey respondents (46%) believe the price of tooling has increased in the past 5 years.
• Stronger competition: At the same time, 45% of the respondents say they face stronger competition compared to 5 years ago and 35% of the respondents win only 1-2 out of every 10 quotes they provide.
• Technological investment: Over half (59%) of the shops surveyed invested in new software in the past year. 40% of these shops intend to invest even more in the next 12 months.
• Improved delivery times: Many shops have been able to make strides in productivity and efficiency, with 44% of tool shops able to reduce their delivery times over the past two years.

"Given the significance of the results and the wide interest shown in the survey, we are in the process of duplicating the study in other regions worldwide," said Mr Gibbs."

The complete results of the 2013 North America Tool Shop Benchmark Survey can be downloaded athttp://toolingtimes.com/toolshop-survey.

Where Are The Workers?, the second in the five-part ebook series, Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance, examines what West Michigan manufacturers are doing to bring new people into their factory and engineering workforces.

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Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the stories of the people who are working on Grand Rapids' Medical Mile, a cluster of prosperity that was created while the rest of Michigan was collapsing around this American community.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American  Community is available wherever books are sold online, as well as on the shelves of Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street and West Coast Coffee on Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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