The latest tragedy in Bangladesh’s dilapidated, poorly constructed, improperly maintained factories involved a clothing supplier, Tung Hai Sweaters, located in the capital city of Dhaka. Though the workers were not in the building at the time of the fire, a manager’s meeting led to the deaths of eight executives including the owner of the factory,…
As LED lighting technology becomes less expensive and offers higher quality, businesses are expected to favor this energy-efficient solution greatly over traditional lighting sources, such as incandescent bulbs, fluorescent, or high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting. In fact, a new study just released by Navigant Research predicts the LED industry will grow from its current $1.5 billion…
Private equity firms in the U.S. are optimistic about 2013, and are ready to boost their spending budgets on more mergers and acquisitions, according to the 2013 McGladrey Private Equity Survey. The survey included 125 private equity firms. The results concluded that 77 percent of these firms are optimistic about their own economic futures. Only…
The European Union, the United States, and the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) have all responded with outrage at the poor working conditions, shoddy construction standards, and general incompetence of Bangladeshi authorities which led to the factory collapse that killed over 400 garment manufacturing workers last month. Until now, Bangladesh has enjoyed free access to European…
According to a new survey released by international research firm PwC, the financial industry needs to change its policies regarding upcoming talent or face a serious talent shortage in the years to come. The survey indicated that 55 percent of recent graduates (workers born since 1980) made compromises when they accepted jobs during the height…
On April 24, an 8-story factory just outside Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 380 workers and injuring many more. Suppliers for several fashion retailers were leasing space in the building, including Primark (a subsidiary of Associated British Foods), Loblaws, Matalan, and Bonmarche. The building was known as the Rana Plaza complex. One…
The trucking industry is always a good indicator of economic growth because home building and consumer purchasing directly affect how many tons of goods are shipped each quarter. The American Trucking Association (ATA) publishes a seasonally adjusted (SA) and non-seasonally adjusted report illustrating the amount of freight the trucking industry is shipping. According to the…
According to a new report released by International Data Corporation (IDC) entitled “Worldwide Semiannual Software Tracker,” the software industry as a whole grew just 3.6 percent over the past year, or about half the growth the industry experienced during 2010 and 2011. According to authors of the report within IDC, this slowing of growth indicates…
During the severe economic recession, many IT departments entered into poorly planned outsourcing contracts, and now the companies are paying the price in terms of lower service and lower technology. This problem was brought to light when Alsbridge released its recent report entitled, “Terms of Endearment – We Need to Talk.” These problems are most…
North American suppliers of original vehicle equipment for the automotive industry are struggling to keep up with increased production this year, according to a survey conducted by the Original Equipment Suppliers Association. The survey indicates that 62 percent of suppliers to North American automotive makers have been forced to extend the working hours of their…