Zippo Making Lemonade out of Lemons

Wouldn’t it be sad if the iconic Zippo lighter disappeared?  It could happen.  Even as a never-smoked non-smoker (ok, except for that one pack I tried back in 1977 in 10th grade (sorry Mom)) I would miss this American –made symbol of ruggedness and durability with its recognizable click. Zippo […]

Feel Like Plant Maintenance is a Necessary Evil? It Doesn’t Have to Be!

Do you consider plant maintenance to be a necessary evil?  You are not alone.  According to a poll by Plant Engineering, 44% of you feel that way.  And, 30% of you consider it the first place to cut money out of the budget. I get that.  Maintenance is not glamorous, […]

Pie Anyone?

Like pie?  Me too!!! Cherry, peach, key lime, shoofly, apple…. with ice cream…without ice cream.  All pies!  Today is International Pi Day….3/14….Pi…get it?  As most of you are of the engineering mindset, I’m sure you got that. If you didn’t, Pi is the number expressing the ratio of a circle’s […]

Hiring “Rockstarninjas” – Jobs in Industry Growing

Unemployed?  If you are in construction or manufacturing, here’s some good news.  According to CNN reports, in February construction jobs had the biggest one-month jobs gain in nearly four years – and it’s been a long darn four years for the construction industry which still has a jaw-dropping 21.8% unemployment […]

Spring Surprises and Buffalo Experiments

Excitement is in the air! Spring is almost here and  it’s time for…wait for it, wait for it….no, not spring flowers, no, not baseball… it’s time for the Annual Science Fair! This weekend I will be spending quality time with the youngest and smallest of my three buffalo, oops, I […]

Top Tips To Save Your Manufacturing Plant Money

I am always interested in understanding where our customers are coming from.  Two things I hear a lot are “skilled workers shortage” and needing to “produce more with less money”.  Today’s tips are for helping you “do more with less”.  No matter what your role at the plant, you are […]

ACS Wins an “Oscar” for Customer Service!

We won an Academy Award Oscar for customer service!!  Well, it feels like we did. Oh, we like to consider ourselves smart, clever, problems-solvers…and we are.  But most of all ACS Industrial is a collaboration of customer-centered, skilled people who listen.  Why?  Because it matters.  A lot. When we get […]

Cool New Musical Invention – Check It Out Now

If you were thinking of just maaaybe watching the Academy Awards (or maybe your wife/girlfriend/room mate, etc.) is making you watch) on Sunday night, here’s another reason to watch, at least between 8:00 and 9:00 pm…the awesome new Harpejji (see pic) will be featured when A.R. Rahman and Florence Welch of […]

You’ve Gotta See This

Science fiction once again comes to life.  No, not flesh eating zombies but a tiny, incredibly dexterous robotic spy plane developed by  the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and built by AeroVironment .  You don’t think that’s totally cool?  Well, you will when you see it.  What’s really cool […]

A 2010 Camaro vs. a 2003 Elantra

Yesterday afternoon, after fidgeting for an hour in a cracked, plastic chair at the Motor Vehicle Administration, my middle son received his learner’s permit and his Rookie Driver handbook….just thought ya’ll should know about this disturbing fact.  If you are a parent of teenage sons, as I am of three […]