Uniform
News
- January 2007
While rumors had swirled for quite some time, the Professional Apparel Association’s end came just days ago, on December 31, 2006 . In an email sent to members and to UniformMarket late last month, PAA President Bruce Landau cited rising trade show production costs and a drop in manufacturer membership as key reasons behind the decision to disband the trade group. “I realize the educational, networking and social value which the PAA has brought to all of us – it will be sorely missed,” Landau wrote in the letter.
Founded in 1984, the PAA was organized as a result of a shared concern for the future of the professional apparel industry by both retailers and manufacturers.
While the Association's membership was comprised solely of manufacturers of uniforms, shoes, and accessories, there were at one point more than 2,200 retailers nationwide affiliated with the PAA. Active membership, however, was estimated to be 100, another factor contributing to its demise.
With the loss of the venerable PAA and its tradeshow, dealers who sell the medical industry were left wondering where to turn for accurate and current information regarding the market. “It’s a tremendous loss,” said Starr Uniforms’ Joe Talkington, a longtime PAA member. “The show provided a networking opportunity as well as a chance to view the latest the industry has to offer, and many of us are wondering where to turn now.”
One answer many come in the form of another established trade group – the NAUMD. Traditionally viewed as a “blue goods” association, the NAUMD has in recent times expanded its reach to include both the health care and career apparel markets. It recently hosted a meeting of health care dealers in Chicago which resulted in the formation of the new Medical Apparel Chapter, a first of its kind for the association.
The NAUMD has also slated several healthcare-industry
seminars and informational meetings at its upcoming annual
convention. “The healthcare and career apparel markets
are the fastest growing segments of the uniform industry,” notes
Richard Lerman, president, NAUMD. “It is incumbent
upon us to provide education for members about the trends
affecting these segments, and to provide them with the
tools they need to grab their share of these markets.” Asked
for his thoughts on the PAA, Lerman was quick to sense
an opportunity. “It is always a sad day when an allied
group like the PAA is silenced, but we welcome former PAA
dealers to take a look at what the NAUMD has to offer,
and to visit us at our own show.”
The next NAUMD convention and exhibit will be held on April 13-17 at the Atlanta Hilton. For more information, visit www.naumd.com
Miami , December 18, 2006 (Company Release) - On January 1, 2007 , World Emblem International, Inc. was inducted as a vendor into UniLink. UniLink is one of the largest group purchasing organizations in the independent uniform and textile industry. With over 600 members across North America , UniLink provides support for independents to compete with national chains. The goal of UniLink is to be a source for their members in gaining new business and exposure in the market.
World Emblem International was selected by UniLink to give their members not only a competitive price on products but to supply the best overall value when it comes to purchasing emblems. “As a company, World Emblem is honored to be selected by such a prestigious group. We are looking forward to building a long and lasting relationship with Unilink and their members,” states Jamie Carr, President of Sales and Owner of World Emblem International.
World Emblem International, Inc. is one of the world's foremost designers and manufacturers of custom embroidered, screen-printed and sublimated emblems. In addition, World Emblem is a leading manufacturer of custom transfers, direct screen printing, direct embroidery, ID tape, reflective emblems and materials, and houses a full inventory of blanks, corporate stock and hold emblems and garments. Headquartered in Miami , World Emblem's ultra-modern 60,000 square foot facility is one of the largest and best equipped in the country. World Emblem International is a global leader in the identification market, with manufacturing facilities in Florida , Michigan , Georgia , Mexico and the United Kingdom .
Ohio , December 19, 2006 (Cincinnati Enquirer) - Cintas Corp., the Mason-based supplier of uniforms and other business services, on Tuesday reported a 7.4 percent increase in second-quarter net income.
For the three months ended Nov. 30, Cintas said net income was $82.5 million, or 51 cents a share, up from $76.8 million, or 46 cents a share, in the same period last year. The earnings gain came after Cintas spent $27.5 million to repurchase 660,000 common shares as part of an ongoing repurchase program. The consensus estimate among analysts was for second-quarter earnings of 52 cents a share.
Revenues for the quarter rose 10.5 percent to $923.3 million from $835.8 million a year ago.
Scott Farmer, president and CEO and son of founder and Chairman Richard Farmer, said the share repurchase program plus acquisitions increased the company's debt level and interest expense in the second quarter. Interest expense totaled $12.5 million, up 67 percent from the $7.5 million in the same period last year.
Ohio , December 19, 2006 (Cincinnati Enquirer) - Cintas Corp., the Mason-based supplier of uniforms and other business services, on Tuesday reported a 7.4 percent increase in second-quarter net income.
For the three months ended Nov. 30, Cintas said net income was $82.5 million, or 51 cents a share, up from $76.8 million, or 46 cents a share, in the same period last year. The earnings gain came after Cintas spent $27.5 million to repurchase 660,000 common shares as part of an ongoing repurchase program. The consensus estimate among analysts was for second-quarter earnings of 52 cents a share.
Revenues for the quarter rose 10.5 percent to $923.3 million from $835.8 million a year ago.
Scott Farmer, president and CEO and son of founder and Chairman Richard Farmer, said the share repurchase program plus acquisitions increased the company's debt level and interest expense in the second quarter. Interest expense totaled $12.5 million, up 67 percent from the $7.5 million in the same period last year.
December 18, 2006 (IndyStar.com) - Roxanne Hylton's loyalty to online shopping has a name: eBay. She likes the variety, the prices and how easy it is to navigate the Web site.
"They'll have stuff there you won't see anywhere else," said the mother of two, who's done some of her Christmas shopping on eBay.
The online retailer is one of the best in the industry at inspiring loyalty among its customers, according to a study being released today by Indianapolis-based Walker Information.
The 2006 Loyalty Report for Online Retail tagged eight retailers that create true-blue online customers. Aside from eBay, they are Amazon.com, iTunes, Lands' End, L.L. Bean, QVC, Victoria 's Secret and Walgreens.
These loyalty leaders had the highest percentage of truly loyal customers, those shoppers who not only bring repeat business themselves, but recommend the site to family and friends. They also have the lowest percentage of high-risk customers, those shoppers who are ready to bolt at any moment.
The study, conducted in October, included more than 4,800 Web site evaluations from about 3,000 online participants who had made at least one online purchase in the prior three months.
In the cutthroat online retail industry where switching loyalty is as easy as a mouse click, these loyalty leader retailers are wowing shoppers with stellar customer service, easy-to-navigate Web sites and items that can be found only from them, the report said.
"In an industry like online retail, you don't have contracts that bind you or limited competition," said Brad Linville, senior vice president of consulting services at Walker . "Loyalty matters. It really matters."
For retailers who capture that loyalty, the payoff is big. The leaders in the Walker study had three-year average annual revenue growth that was 19 percent higher than the loyalty laggards -- those retailers with the lowest percentage of truly loyal consumers and the highest percentage of high-risk ones. Walker does not reveal the identities of loyalty laggards.
At Lands' End, a 43-year-old catalog apparel retailer that has 100 bricks-and-mortar stores and went online in 1995, the Web site has been another way to differentiate itself in the competitive apparel industry. The site offers a virtual model, where users can build a 3-D image of themselves, then try on clothing. It offers an outerwear and swimsuit finder that allows shoppers to put in specifications and then find the product that matches them. And the site has an option where shoppers can design custom clothing made by Lands' End.
"We want the customer to come back to us each and every time," said Michele Casper, spokeswoman for Lands' End. "The cornerstone of our company has always been customer service."
When treated right, online shoppers are some of the most fiercely loyal customers of any industry, with 46 percent ranking as truly loyal, according to the Walker study.
These shoppers not only are repeat customers, but they are shopping more frequently; 22 percent shop once a day compared with 12 percent of offline shoppers.
"Every day. I'm online every day," said Kim Gotwals, an Anderson mother of two. "I like the variety. You just type in something and it brings up anything you can imagine."
Gotwals does about half of her shopping online. She lives 10 miles from the closest store and likes the convenience.
"You don't have to stand in line, and you don't have to deal with rude people and pushy people," she said. Gotwals shops for books, clothes, housewares and bedding online and said she is drawn to sites like Amazon.com.
The retailer, which started in 1995, had 61 million active accounts as of last quarter and attributes its popularity to three company focuses.
Those are "giving customers low prices, giving them unbelievable convenience and unparalleled selection," said Patty Smith, Amazon spokeswoman.
She said the loyalty from shoppers comes with specialized features on the site, including reviews and options to see the actual size of products as well as flip through the pages of books.
"We've found by giving people an abundance of information before they purchase, they are less likely to have to return that item and they are more likely to be happier with the purchase," she said.
The online retailers who made the list of loyalty leaders beat out big names like Wal-Mart.com and Target.com. The study found while these sites had the highest traffic among online users, those visits often didn't end in a purchase.
"Customers don't have the same passion and intent to continue to shopping at these sites," Walker 's Linville said.
The biggest drivers that impact loyalty at online sites are the ease of purchase and checkout, the array of payment options and delivery of items. Shipping costs also were an issue, but shoppers often will forgive the extra bucks for the convenience.
Many of the sites, in fact, become destination retailers.
"Our consumers kind of know who they are and what they want," said Dennis Dann, co-owner of Dann Online, an Indianapolis-based men's clothing retailer, which became exclusively Web-based 13 years ago.
He said loyalty is key to a business in which the customer often never has contact with a real person. In fact, he is striving to change that.
On his Web site, customers are welcome to write in questions about products, sizes and styles. But he doesn't write back. He makes a personal phone call to each and every one.
"You're not going to get that kind of response everywhere," he said. "That is where the loyalty comes."
December 5, 2006 (RetailWire) - Stores magazine has dusted off its crystal ball to see what will happen in 2007. Here's what the editors at the publication saw:
1. The future's calling.
Cell phones are poised to become "the most significant electronic consumer device in history," according to Stores. Next year, retailers will advertise, run promotions and even process payments via the cell.
2. Cheap is the new chic.
Retailers need to find ways to bring new unique fashions to the market more swiftly and, oh yes, hold down the price if you're looking to stay competitive in the future. According to Stores, the fast-fashion of retailers such as H&M, Topshop and Zara are among those leading the charge in this area.
3. Demographics assume greater power.
Shifts in the nation's demographic profile will continue to shape retail for years and years. In response, retailers will increasingly turn to micro-merchandising and micro-marketing to connect with consumers on a level that addresses their individual needs.
4. Green is the new black.
Sustainability and social responsibility will be key for retailers as more consumers look to support products and merchants that help make the world a better place to live and shop.
5. Economy hits a speed bump.
Retail sales will grow 4.5 percent next year, according to the National Retail Federation. That number will be two percentage points off what the association expects the final tally to be this year.
6. Smart money is on retail technology.
Business intelligence applications, contactless payments, kiosks, self-checkouts, biometrics, and radio frequency identification (RFID) are some of the technologies that retail decision makers will be concerned with in 2007.
Washington , December 16, 2006 (NNS) -- Task Force Uniform announced December 14 that the fleet can expect to see two new uniforms appearing in Navy Exchanges by late summer of 2008.
“We have coordinated with suppliers and manufacturers of the uniforms and we’re on track for mid 2008,” said Command Master Chief Robert Carroll, Task Force director.
One of the two uniforms being rolled out in 2008 is a single Navy working uniform for wear by all Sailors E-1 to O-10, and a year round service uniform for all Sailors E-6 and below.
The uniforms will be sent to Navy Exchanges and Uniform Centers over a 24 month period. Fleet outfitting will take place in eight increments starting with fleet concentration areas. Recruit Training Command Great Lakes will start receiving the new uniforms in the beginning of FY09. Uniforms should be available to all regions within 24 months of the initial roll out.
The all ranks uniform is a BDU-style working uniform designed to replace seven different styles of current working uniforms. It is made of a near maintenance-free permanent press 50/50 nylon and cotton blend. Worn with a blue cotton t-shirt, it will include an eight-point cover, a black web belt with closed buckle, and smooth black leather boots. Black suede no-shine boots are available for optional wear when assigned to non-shipboard commands.
A single, year-round service uniform for Sailors E-6 and below is comprised of a short-sleeve khaki shirt for males and an over-blouse for females. Both are made from a wash and wear 75/25 polyester and wool blend with permanent military creases. Black trousers will be worn by males, and beltless black slacks and optional beltless skirt are to be worn by females. Both will wear a black unisex garrison cap. Silver anodized-metal rank insignia will be worn on shirt/blouse collars and cap.
The service uniform will also include a black relaxed-fit Eisenhower-style jacket with a knit stand-up collar and epaulets, on which petty officers will wear large, silver anodized-metal rank insignia. Those entitled to wear gold chevrons will continue to wear gold chevrons on the large metal rank insignia on the jacket.
The new uniforms are a result of recommendations made based on interviews with sailors, command site visits, comprehensive research, and data collected from two Navy-wide uniform surveys. The surveys collected feedback from more than 60,000 sailors throughout the fleet. Another key factor used was survey data received from sailors who participated in a seven month wear test.
Until the new uniforms are available for wear, all existing uniform regulations will apply. During the expected two-year transition period, sailors will be required to maintain a complete inventory of sea bag items with each reflecting a professional appearance.
For related news, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/cnp/.
Washington , December 12, 2006 (ArmyNews) -- Forward deployed forces are now rapidly receiving protective, flame-resistant combat uniforms to protect against an ever-changing enemy.
In continuous use since Army aviators and tankers were first outfitted over 25 years ago, NOMEX uniforms and uniform items are now being provided to a wide range of other soldiers who may be exposed to fire and flame.
Commanders in the field identified the need and sent the Army an operational needs requirement in September 2006. Within 22 days, a Department of Defense team succeeded in delivering more than 70,000 NOMEX uniforms to soldiers serving in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
"When the Coalition Forces Land Component Command sent the requirement for NOMEX uniforms, the Army's Logistics office worked with the Defense Logistics Agency, Program Executive Office - Soldier and Transportation Command to quickly ensure soldiers were properly outfitted," said Col. Rebecca Samson, Chief Troop Support Division for the Army's G-4.
NOMEX has proved effective in saving lives. After Spc. Christon Stone's vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb on Sept. 17, the Oklahoma National Guardsman was trapped in her burning vehicle. Fortunately, the Soldier was wearing her NOMEX uniform.
The material significantly reduces the risk of a soldier receiving second and third degree burns when exposed to a flash fire such as burning fuel.
According to Flightfax, the Army Combat Readiness Center magazine, the majority of all combat-related burns are caused by explosions from improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle-borne IEDs, rocket-propelled grenades, or mines during operations on or near a military vehicle.
"Soldiers deserve the best products modern industry has to offer," said Mr. Thomas J. Edwards, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Army Logistics, "and the Army has committed over $70 million dollars to make sure our vehicle crews have NOMEX uniforms and equipment when they go to combat. This initiative is incredibly important because properly outfitting our soldiers saves lives."
Using improved logistics automation, the newly established Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) Central Management Office can now view across the Army's inventory to cross-level and ensure soldiers who need certain equipment can get it rapidly.
"The military is issuing the NOMEX clothing and equipment to soldiers and marines in Iraq and Afghanistan ," said Col. Mark Drake, Acting Director of Supply Directorate for the Army's G-4. "It is one team and one fight for our military forces."
NOMEX is a registered trade name of a fiber produced by The DuPont Company.
Columbia, SC, December 5, 2006 (The State) - Starting January 1, nurse April Kobishop can forget about wearing her pink top with black piping and a little black bow to work.
The 24-year-old nurse at Hilton Head Regional Medical Center ’s Coronary Care Unit will have to trade in her wardrobe of bright-colored scrubs for solid sage, navy or white uniforms, as mandated by the hospital’s new dress code.
“Instead of buying a bunch of gifts, I’m going Christmas shopping for new scrubs,” Kobishop said last week. “But it’s not a burden. I actually think it will help everyone feel like they’re part of the same team.”
Like a growing number of hospitals across the country, Hilton Head Regional is tightening its wardrobe policy for some employees, including the entire nursing staff, nursing assistants and unit secretaries.
Hospital officials say the move is an effort to raise the level of professionalism and make it easier for patients to identify hospital personnel.
Several national patient surveys show that across the country patients often are confused about who is a hospital employee and who is not.
In a hospital conference room Thursday, one nurse was wearing a black button-up shirt with pink and red geometric designs, another was in a navy-blue pullover, and Kobishop was sporting her pink top.
“It’s very confusing to patients now as compared to say, 30 years ago, when almost all nurses were easily identifiable by standardized uniforms,” said Sandy Summers, executive director of The Center for Nursing Advocacy, a Baltimore-based nonprofit nurse advocacy group. “It’s vital for the patient to know who’s in charge of taking care of them.”
Shelly Weilenman, director of nursing for critical care and emergency-room services at the Hilton Head Hospital , said that over the last 10 to 15 years, “dress just got very relaxed. And now it’s gotten to the point where it doesn’t look at all professional.”
Many metropolitan hospitals have already made the change, including a handful of Atlanta hospitals that require all nurses to wear all-white uniforms.
While Hilton Head Regional hasn’t gone quite as far, national nursing groups agree the hospital’s new, more formalized uniform policy is a step in the right direction.
“Nursing managers are saying, ‘Look, we need people to think more highly of us,’’’ Summers said. “It’s important for the profession that nurses look and act like the true health-care professionals that they are.”
To help patients identify who’s treating them and what their credentials are, nurses in different hospital units will have different colored uniforms. For example, operating-room nurses will wear light blue scrubs, while imaging personnel will wear charcoal uniforms. Pharmacy employees will wear cranberry outfits, and physical therapy nurses will don dark teal.
It’s the reason the hospital’s new chief nursing officer, Elaine Hastings, elevated uniform reform to the top of her list when coming to the hospital from Chicago earlier this year.
Making the change hospital-wide, she said, wasn’t going to be easy, because many longtime nurses had accumulated a closet-full of colorful scrubs, which can cost as much as $60 for some of the more fashionable selections.
To help defray the initial investment for nurses who have to buy new color-coded uniforms, hospital administrators and a group of nurses negotiated with clothing vendors for bulk discounts. Still, for each nurse who works five days a week, five sets of new scrubs is estimated to cost upward of $100.
“Sure, I’m going to miss wearing my (bright-colored) scrubs,” Kobishop said.
“But what would a heart patient think if I came in wearing Sponge Bob?”
Centre County , PA , December 8, 2006 (CentreDaily.Com) - Aberdeen Police officers will soon get an updated look thanks to new uniforms.
Department officials say the current uniforms are adequate, but that the new ones will be more durable, practical, comfortable and professional.
"The officers are getting really excited to get in a new uniform," Sgt. Randy Majeske said. "They'll match our coats nicely, and I think the people of Aberdeen will see a professional appearance."
Majeske said the department tends to order a new style of uniform every time a new police chief is hired. Current Police Chief Don Lanpher Jr. has been on the job for more than two years. The department ordered new coats a few years ago, Majeske said, but it has been some time since police received new uniforms.
To cut down on costs, the first order will include one pair of pants and one long-sleeved shirt for each officer. Eventually, each officer will have three pairs of pants, two short-sleeved shirts and two long-sleeved shirts. Each pair of pants and each shirt costs about $40, which is less expensive than the current ones, Majeske said.
The department will have to order enough uniforms for 50 officers, which includes the reserve officers.
"Because of the budget, we can't order everything at once," Majeske said. "We want to be able to switch all the officers over at the same time so that everyone can be wearing the same thing."
The biggest difference between the current uniform and the new one is the color. The current uniform is French blue, while the new one will be black.
Other differences include:
The pants: While the old uniform had standard-style pants with normal pockets in the front and no pockets in the back, the new uniforms will have cargo-style pockets in the front. They'll also have pockets in the back.
The shirt: The new uniform has hidden pockets, which will allow officers to tuck away a small notebook or other supplies.
The material: The new uniform is mostly made of cotton, Majeske said. However, it has a stain repellent on the outside, which will allow officers to just wipe away spills. The current uniform is made mostly of polyester.
Officer Darin Swanston has been wearing a sample of the new uniform for about two months. The company sent one to try, and Swanston volunteered to try it out, Majeske said.
Swanston said he especially likes the material of the new uniform.
"I'm not sure what the blend of materials is, but it's definitely more breathable," he said. "Because of the stain repellent, if something gets spilled on it, it just wipes right off. You don't have to go home and change."
The change in uniform has also gotten the public's attention, Swanston said.
"From the citizens I've talked to, they say it looks more professional than the older uniforms," he said. "It's also got the cargo-style pockets in the pants. In this job, there are a lot of things we have to carry around like a notebook or a flashlight. The pockets give us a place to put those things in."
In addition to the durability and comfort of the new uniform, Majeske and Swanston said it could also help officers do their jobs.
"It's a safety issue too," Swanston said. "The darker color allows you to blend in at night. A lot of departments are going back to a darker uniform."
New patch: In addition to the uniform, the department is also getting a new patch for the sleeves. The patch was designed with input from all of the officers and then voted on by the department, Majeske said.
While the old patch has muted colors and features a pheasant, Storybook Land , a train and a tipi, the new patch will have a " Hub City " logo, a train and Storybook Land .
"The patch that each department has is unique to each town," Majeske said. "We tried to incorporate a theme. Aberdeen is called the Hub City , and we thought that was important to show."
Majeske said department officials are waiting to get a mock-up of the new patch back. Once they OK the final design, the new patch will be sent to the company producing the uniforms, 5.11.
Majeske said about 1,000 patches at $1.21 a piece will be ordered. One will go on each sleeve of the new uniforms.
"We're really excited about this," Majeske said. "We're convinced these uniforms are going to last longer than the other uniforms just as far as what I've seen and other agencies have seen."
Perry, December 2, 2006 (Macon Telegraph) - Firefighter Sgt. Ephraim Wheeler summed up his reaction to Perry's spiffy new uniforms this way: "When you look nice, you feel good."
The stocky firefighter also joked, "It makes me look smaller."
Jeremy Duncan said he can now hold his head high when he joins fellow firefighters from other departments at regional training sessions.
He said he had been feeling like a ragamuffin in the cotton T-shirts and dark blue pants he used to wear at those sessions.
Now he sports a dark-blue shirt with a department patch on one arm, a U.S. flag on the other and his name on the pocket. The shirt matches new dark-blue pants.
"It gives you a little more pride and you look more professional," Duncan said.
Perry's new fire chief Joel Gray said firefighters are also safer now that the old, mostly polyester uniforms are history.
Polyester can melt in extreme heat, and the old uniforms did not meet safety guidelines, the chief said.
Also gone are the drab gray dress shirts that the chief said made firefighters look like they were about to pump gas instead of fight a fire.
Missing was the air of professionalism that a sharp-looking uniform brings, he said.
The new uniforms are a cotton-Nomex blend, using a synthetic material that is flame retardant, the chief said.
And the mix of cotton allows firefighters' uniforms to breathe, he said.
"I once wore a uniform that was 100 percent Nomex and I got hot just walking around," the chief said.
Although a 100 percent cotton uniform also meets national firefighting safety standards, Gray said, he prefers the blend.
"I wanted to give them a little of the Nomex protection," he said. "I want to give them the best we can with the best protection we can."
The chief said he chose the dark blue colors for the rank and file because that is the traditional dress of firefighters. Dark blue also hides dirt well, which is important because of the equipment firefighters work with and maintain on a regular basis, he said.
The $15,400 purchase of three sets of uniforms per firefighter includes a versatile jacket that features a removable liner, Gray said. The jacket minus the liner is lightweight in the fall and with the liner keeps firefighters warm in the winter, he said.
The jacket also identifies the wearer as a member of the Perry Fire Department.
The uniform purchase also included cotton-blend jumpsuits - a first for the department, Gray said.
The new chief said he was surprised that the firefighters didn't have coveralls. The one-piece suit allows firefighters rustled from sleep by an alarm to jump into the coveralls and into their turnout gear quickly, without fumbling with buttons and zippers in the rush to go fight a fire, Gray said.
The chief said he didn't have to ask the mayor and City Council to buy the new uniforms because of a $126,000 Firefighter Assistance Grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to acquire new turnout gear and air packs. Since there was already money in the city fire department budget for the air packs, and with the grant paying for those, the city money could be shifted to pay for the uniforms, Gray said.
The purchase also included new badges to replace ones that didn't match, the chief said. Moreover, the old badges lacked a time-honored and practical tradition: a numbering system that begins at 001 and continues to infinity, allowing each firefighter to own his or her badge number and for the badge to be retired upon the firefighter's retirement or departure from the department, the chief said.
The rank and file badge is silver and the administrative badges are gold. Each badge includes the firefighter's name.
Emmaus , PA , December 5, 2006 (USA Today) - Michael Bunner has done everything he can think of to hire workers.
He's increased pay, offered training and recently, hired a man straight out of prison.
While his story isn't too surprising given that the unemployment rate of 4.4% is at a 5 ½-year low, what is unexpected is that Bunner is in the manufacturing sector, an industry that has been grabbing headlines for losing jobs.
But despite all those layoffs, Bunner can't find plastic welders or even people who are willing and able to be trained for the specialty job.
"I'm turning down contracts," says Bunner, president of Electro Chemical Engineering and Manufacturing, which makes chemical tanks. "I could expand 20-30% overnight if I had more people."
Much has been made of the loss of millions of manufacturing jobs in the USA in recent years.
But manufacturers, regardless of size, specialty or location, across the USA are reporting a dire shortage of skilled workers: people such as welders, electricians or machinists with a craft that goes beyond pushing buttons or stacking boxes but does not require a degree.
That shortage is threatening their ability to meet current demand, let alone expand their businesses. The gap could threaten the viability of the U.S. manufacturing sector at a time when it is facing heavy competition from abroad.
In a survey of 800 manufacturers conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) last year, more than 80% said they were experiencing a shortage of skilled workers. In October, manufacturers surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said "finding qualified workers" was their biggest business problem.
The shortage of skilled workers is the result of a number of factors. One of the biggest is that manufacturing in the USA is becoming more high-tech and skill-based as the more repetitive, less-skilled work is moving abroad. Such jobs require greater expertise.
Plus, baby boomers with years of experience are retiring. And younger people are bypassing factory jobs, viewing them as repetitive, dirty and without much opportunity, a view that hasn't been helped by all the factory closings and headlines about manufacturing jobs moving to China .
These factors have combined to create a serious worker shortage with no end in sight.
"I've never seen anything like it in my life," says Bunner, whose father worked in a factory when he was growing up in West Virginia . "When I was a kid, people would stand in line for hours for an opportunity at a job like I have available. I can't get people to show up for an interview."
There were 10.2 million manufacturing production workers in the USA in October, down 19% from 10 years ago and 28% fewer than 40 years ago.
The percentage of all workers in the USA employed in manufacturing has been declining for 50 years. In October, 10% of the U.S. workforce was employed in the manufacturing sector, an all-time low. In 1946, one out of every three workers had jobs in manufacturing.
But the loss of jobs doesn't mean that manufacturing is disappearing from the USA . U.S. manufacturing production last year totaled $1.5 trillion, or 12% of gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity within U.S. borders.
The sector has become more specialized, with a greater focus on technology. With a boom in productivity in manufacturing, firms are able to produce more with fewer workers.
Innovation in the manufacturing sector means that the jobs require greater skills than ever before. According to an analysis by economists Richard Deitz and James Orr at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York , employment in high-skilled manufacturing jobs rose 37%, or by 1.2 million jobs, from 1983 to 2002. At the same time, low-skilled factory jobs dropped 25%, or by approximately 2 million workers.
"The time when you can be relatively unskilled and work in manufacturing for a long time with just a high school degree and make a good salary to support a family is gone," National Association of Manufacturers chief economist David Huether says.
But finding people with the right skills isn't easy.
"It's limiting my growth," says John West, president of Fox Valley Metal-Tech in Green Bay , Wisconsin .
West's firm, which produces metal machinery parts, has increased pay and offers full health benefits, training, a matching 401(k) plan and bonuses to employees who refer people to work there.
Andre Odermatt, president of the Hobart Institute in Troy , Ohio , says job postings at the school have risen 40% in the last year. Companies are increasingly offering sign-on bonuses of as much as $3,000 and are coming from as far away as California and offering to pay relocation for students willing to move, he says.
"It's like having gone through Harvard," he says. "The world is open for them."
Odermatt and others say they think the shortage of skilled manufacturing workers is largely a function of perception.
"Culturally, we have browbeaten manufacturing to such an extent that we don't have people interested," says John Sinn, interim director of the Center for Applied Technology at Bowling Green State University .
Sinn and others say it is now up to people in manufacturing to change that perception, particularly among younger people and their parents.
"What we're saying is, 'Here is a good option.' … This is a very good career for a lot of people," says Roy Cail, executive director of the economic development and training center at the university.
What concerns Cail and others is that as the workforce ages and the baby boomers retire, the shortage of skilled manufacturing workers could grow more acute.
In 2005, 43% of manufacturing workers were 45 years old or older. That's up from 32% in 1995, according to a NAM analysis of Labor Department data.
"As the labor force ages, there really aren't young kids coming into the trades," says Patrick Duffy, president of American Machine & Gear in Portland, Ore. Duffy recently paid workers triple time to work on Thanksgiving to get an order out.
"Manufacturing has an ugly aura," he says. But "you can't have everyone sitting in a Dilbert cubicle. … Working with your hands, there's nothing wrong with that."
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