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Do you have printing questions that you’ve been wanting answered? Are you looking for technical information you can count on? Now’s your chance to submit those questions! Each month, Mcloone will select one question and provide an answer from our very own Mcloone experts. We look forward to hearing from you! Estimating: Time is of [...]

From the National Association of Manufacturers Monday Economic Report January 17th, 2012 By: Chad Moutray As noted by the National Association of Manufacturers, the Small Business Economic Trend indicates a monthly gain for the the fifth consecutive month. NFIB Small Business Survey (December) The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released its monthly Small Business [...]

From the National Association of Manufacturers Monday Economic Report January 9th, 2012 By: Chad Moutray The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose from 52.7 in November to 53.9 in December its highest point since June. After experiencing some weaknesses in July and August, the PMI rose gradually for the remaining months [...]

Mcloone first heard about Karen’s trip to Haiti last year.  She was originally scheduled to travel in August but Tropical Storm Emily wrought havoc across many Caribbean nations and delayed her trip.  She was then rescheduled to depart on January 11, 2012 …what a great way to start the new year and escape the Wisconsin [...]

From the National Association of Manufacturers Monday Economic Report January 9th, 2011 By: Chad Moutray This week’s Economic Report from Chad Moutray of the National Association of Manufacturers, indicates manufacturing activity has picked up – a good sign as we begin 2012.  Manufacturers brought in the new year much as we ended the last one. There [...]

From the National Association of Manufacturers Monday Economic Report January 17th, 2012

  Reprinted from the online version of Industry Week (http://www.industryweek.com/articles/nam/iw_q4_survey_manufacturer_optimism_spikes_26182.aspx?ShowAll=1) By: Chad Moutray, Chief Economist, National Association of Manufacturers December 13, 2011 Manufacturers are becoming more confident in the economy as the year is winding down. In the last NAM/IndustryWeek Survey of Manufacturers — which was released in September 2011 — respondents were mostly positive, [...]

US manufacturing finished up the year on a positive note with future trends heading in the right direction; however businesses are still cautious moving into 2012.  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/daad9286-3622-11e1-9f98-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1j9yqxuNR (Free registration required)

As shown in iSP Industrial + Specialty Printing–November/December 2011 (Re-printed here in accordance with iSP Terms of Use Policy) (http://www.industrial-printing.net) By: Kim Hensley Product Manager of Durable Films for MACtac Roll Label Overcoming counterfieting with security labeling solutions The United States Customs and Border Protection unit revealed that consumer electronics, computers, and hardware were among [...]

Mcloone’s very first Facebook give away was a huge success!   Congratulations goes out to our lucky winner, Janice Somera of Ohio Medical Corporation, who is now the proud owner of an  IPod Shuffle.  Be sure to follow Mcloone on Facebook and watch for more contests in 2012.

Mcloone came across an interesting link we’d like to share with you regarding the power of Social Media: Social Media-A Stronghold For Marketing

With all the talk about new bar code types and ways to use them, we thought it would be nice to take a look at the history of bar codes and see just how far they’ve come since 1932. (As seen on The BarCode NEWS.com) Reprinted here  from the Industry News Section on June 10, [...]

Mcloone received an invoice today from “Your Yellow Book” for a total of $98.00.  We just wanted to give everyone a heads up so they don’t accidently pay these people running the scam.  For more information visit

Thank you for your patience during this transition.   Please note that all extensions have been changed to five digits.  You must dial (23) in front of each extension in order to reach your intended party.  Ex: 23(295)

(As seen in the November 2011 edition of iSP Industrial + Specialty Printing) (Re-printed here from the November 16th post found at: http://industrial-printing.net/content/the-power-social-media-printers?page=0%2C0 ) By Tim Greene Intense market competition means printing companies cannot remain successful by doing things the same way now as they did just a few short years ago. No matter what types [...]

As shown in Larson Worldwide Article–October 2011 (Re-printed here with permission from My Press Needs LLC) (http://www.mypressneeds.com) Trends in Large Format Die Cutters Over the last several years, the large format market exploded in packaging, P.O.P and digital print.  Today’s digital printers run sheet sizes as large as 62” x 102” at speeds up to [...]

 November 1, 2011, Wisconsin became the 49th state to pass a concealed carry law.  This means employees that posses a concealed carry permit will be able to legally take their handgun to work unless the proper signage has been placed around your building.  Let Mcloone take the guess work out of purchasing signs that meet state [...]

The 2011 GPI (National Association of Graphic and Product Identification Manufacturers) Business Expo is being held September 25-27, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, IL.  The event includes suppliers of raw materials, as well as services and equipment designed for manufacturers of identification products.  GPI President and Mcloone’s very own Sharon Erler will be [...]

(As seen in the August 4, 2011 edition of Industry Market Trends) (Re-printed here under the Creative Commons License) August 4, 2011 By David R. Butcher Manufacturers in the U.S. had their weakest growth in two years last month, as new orders shrank for the first time since the recession officially ended, according to a [...]

Mcloone cares about the environmental impact our industry and our organization has on our community and our planet.  We have eliminated lead-based paints, reduced volatile emissions in our manufacturing process and improved our wastewater output.  Because of our efforts, Mcloone was proud to be awarded the 2009 Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air award.  Mcloone has [...]

When customers don’t need to buy product from you every week/month, and you don’t have the cash to advertise heavily, it’s tough to stay top of mind.