Sorry it has been a while since the last post. I will try harder.
AFS Metalcasting Congress program taking shape
I am honored to chair the AFS Division 14 Management and Marketing Committee. We are putting together a very good program for the AFS Metalcasting Congress in April, 2015, in Columbus, OH. Once we get some things finalized I will post the program here (or at least link to it).
Applied Process continues training outreach
Most technical salespeople will agree that in their chosen profession you will win some and you will lose some. If you cannot win some then you need a new profession, and if you cannot handle losing to a capable opponent then you also need a new profession. What nobody wants on any side is misinformed decision making. That is one reason why we are holding the first-ever AP University Purchasing of Ferrous Heat Treatment Seminar at AP this week. It is just for buyers! Stay tuned and I will report on how it turned out.
Freight continues to rise
The slow-moving recovery continues. From Heavy Duty Trucking:
“Spot market freight volume continued to achieve record-setting levels in August, increasing 32% compared to the same month in 2013, while freight availability remained constant, with just a 0.4% uptick from July to August, according to the DAT North American Freight Index released Tuesday.”
What Vasko is Reading
I am reading Abundance by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler. This is a book that seeks to refute the doomsayers who foresee starvation and perpetual suffering for mankind. These authors have hope for the betterment of humanity’s condition based on certain megatrends, primarily technological.
It is an easy read and very accessible. Too often people try to make themselves look intelligent by playing the role of wise soothsayer. Only the soothsayer can see the coming catastrophes while regular people mindlessly stumble about in a Polyanna-like trance. These authors do the opposite – they foresee possibilities for us all, especially those in poverty.
I am not done yet, but I have an initial take. I have faith that many of these technical
leaps will happen, but I do not have faith that human greed will allow for
their intended implementation.
You will all have a written report when I am done with the
book.