A moment of clarity.

Sometimes, we just need a few rays of sunshine to brighten our days.

I was reviewing our article, "American Aerospace Catches Fire" (p. 16) and thinking that many metalcasters come to a crossroads similar to the one faced by this investment caster. In the case of American Aerospace Technical Castings (AATC), a fire caused the firm to pause and consider whether it made sense to rebuild the business and continue producing engineered cast components.

While a disaster may not be pushing the question on your operation, the retirement of ownership, a significant reduction in sales revenue or just the continual wear and tear of day-to-day operations often makes today's family-owned, small business metalcaster ask: Do I keep the metalcasting business operating or do I shut it down?

Luckily for AATC, the business case to remain open was being made. The woes the firm had experienced two to three years prior had turned into an uptick in profits just before the fire. In this case, the impetus to continue operations was the rosy sign of profitability growth in the not-too-distant future.

In the case of your operation, what could the rosy signs be? Increase in profitability is the obvious one. But for many of you, it may not be there, or it might not be positive enough to tell you your firm is moving in the right direction. That is when you need to step out of your office and go onto the plant floor to take stock of your operation and pursue a moment of clarity.

I recently had a personal moment of clarity when my third daughter, Audrey Elizabeth, was born in early June. I had been in a rut for a few months prior, and was in desperate need of a moment of clarity to force me to re-evaluate my approach and outlook. When I looked into her eyes for the first time, all my unresolved issues disappeared behind the wave of opportunity that had just opened up.

Maybe you can find a moment of clarity in a casting being produced on your plant floor. Each casting tells a story of achievement in manufacturing engineering and the skills your firm possesses. Some of these could provide a roadmap for future opportunities and growth.

Maybe a moment of clarity arises from recent achievements in production efficiency when your workforce banded together to improve the bottom line. This is a foundation to build on and spread to other areas of the plant. Keep challenging your workers to take time and cost out of their processes, and the signs will be rosy.

Examine your workforce for that moment of clarity. Your facility is providing a way of life for your employees, and most of them are dedicated to making your firm succeed.

Whether you are the owner, president or in production management, you must take the time to move out of your comfort zone and examine your world from different perspectives. When the world is beating down on you, you often just need to change your position to alleviate the pain. All it takes are a few rosy signs to show that you are moving in the right direction and making the right decision to stay in metalcasting.

Alfred T. Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief