They're are certain areas of our economy that are growing at a healthy rate of 4%, and 3% in 2012.
Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI report this month gave several reasons why, after starting out 2011 with an annual rate of growth of 7%, the economy slipped to 4%.

The following is from Industrial Week.

 

Industrial Production to Grow 4% in 2011, 3% in 2012

Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI says energy and medical related equipment as well as industrial-oriented machinery production continue growing at a fast pace.

Sept. 20, 2011

Manufacturing industrial production, measured on a quarter-to-quarter basis, was relatively flat in the second quarter of 2011 after expanding at a 7% annual rate in the first quarter, according to the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Outlook released on Sept. 20.

MAPI forecasts that manufacturing production will increase 4% in 2011 and advance by 3% in 2012. The forecast is down from 6% and 4%, respectively, from MAPI's May 2011 report in response to the weak consumer sector and business concerns about sales prospects.

However, it should outperform GDP growth, which MAPI estimates will be 1.6% in 2011 and 2.1% in 2012.

"A number of shocks adversely affected the economy and the manufacturing sector in the first half of 2011," said Daniel J. Meckstroth, Ph.D., chief economist for the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI."Abnormal events included severe winter weather and spring flooding, the Japanese tsunami's effect on the supply chain, high commodity prices (particularly food and oil), and a surge in home foreclosures. Fortunately, automakers are bumping up production schedules because of low inventories, and both food and oil prices are falling.

"In addition, energy and medical related goods and equipment as well as industrial-oriented machinery production continue growing at a fast pace," he added. "Business equipment production should be a driver of manufacturing growth in the second half of this year."

The report offers economic forecasts for 24 of the 27 industries. MAPI anticipates that 18 of the 24 industries will show gains in 2011, led by engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment with 23% growth. One industry, pharmaceuticals and medicine, will remain flat.

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The Manufacturing Extension Partnership program is not very well known even among technology and innovation experts in the administration and on Capitol Hill. But MEP should be a more widely recognizable acronym, not only for what it does, but also for what those involved with it have learned over the past 20 years. Intriguingly, the program is a lesson in government discovering what small- and medium-sized businesses need and then delivering those services—actions most people rarely consider a government program capable of. << MORE >>

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INNOVO Corporation

Multi-Station tube fabricating machine. Tubes are moved from station to station. Interchangeable dies in each station allows endless options on a wide variety of parts.
The first machine was built in 1998. Today we have a fast & less expensive machine that will be uploaded soon.



                     Air-Bag cylinders.

                   Video source: INNOVO
 


 Overview Slideshow

Anti-dumping tariffs on imports of Chinese tubular goods.

Chinese producers/exporters have sold tubular goods in the United States at less than normal value.

                      Photo from the INNOVO Corporation

This Dumpling of Tubular goods from China were valued at an estimated $2.6 billion  in 2008.

This is the second time the Obama Administration has imposed tariffs on China. Back in September
they announced it would apply duties on Chinese-made tires to protect  US industry,

From Yahoo finance & Washington Post

Japan has been working on an ambitious project to collect solar power in space and zap it down to Earth, using laser beams or microwaves, by the year 2030.

They have been working on this since 1998.

READ MORE…

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Small Business Faces Sharp Rise in Costs of Health Care

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