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����moose inside��a��factory would��usually be a��major��hazard—except when it’s on a��COVID-19��safety sign made by��LEM Products, Inc.��The��custom sign��and label��manufacturer��created a range of ingenious signs��for their own facilities��to keep their employees safe and healthy.��

It was at��LEM’s Montgomeryville,��Pennsylvania,��facility��that��51�Թ�����staff photographer��David Bohrer��snapped this��moose in action, along with��many other safety��measures. Here’s some of what he saw.����

Throughout the facility,��signs��remind employees to maintain social distance, sanitize surfaces and wash their hands frequently.��These decals show the appropriate distance:��six��feet of space.����

And��aside from the moose, there are more eye-catching��reminders��of what six feet looks��like:����

In��work��areas, signs��at a��six-foot��distance��ask:��“Can you ask your question from here?”��

Employees also wear masks while moving around the facility.��

In��the break room, dividers��create distance��between workers eating lunch.��And another animal friend��is here to help!��

Near high-touch points��such as light switches,��there’s a reminder��to��wash your��hands.����

Disinfecting products, such as Clorox wipes, are available throughout the facility to sanitize surfaces, too.����

With these precautions in place,��LEM’s employees can safely��produce��custom safety identifications, labels and tags��for its customers.��

CEO��Maureen O’Connor��emphasized that as a leading supplier of safety related signage, LEM Products takes��it as a duty to lead by example in all aspects of safety and hygiene.��“Our response to COVID-19��was emblematic of how we always approach safety issues,” O’Connor said. “We urge all who read this to do everything in your power to protect your employees and your company in combating C���ձ���-19.”��

What can manufacturers do to attract and retain talented veterans?��Samsung,��the��founding sponsor��of The Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America��initiative, hosted a webinar��to answer that question—with��industry��leaders, government officials��and veterans themselves all weighing in.����

The background:��More than��200,000 men and women transition out of the military each year, and��The Manufacturing Institute has estimated��that��manufacturers will need to fill 4.6 million jobs by 2028. With their technical skills,��ability to lead and follow under pressure and experience working in teams,��veterans bring exceptional value to the manufacturing industry—even more so during these challenging times.��

The lineup:��Titled “Veteran Reskilling in Today’s Economy,” the��virtual��event��featured��the following��speakers:����

• Samsung Vice President of Strategic Communications��Megan Pollock��
• Manufacturing Institute Executive Director��Carolyn Lee��
• Assistant Secretary John Lowry, Colonel, USMC (Ret.), Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service������
• Manufacturing Institute Vice President of Military and Veterans Programs��Babs Chase��
• Koch Industries��Outreach Strategies Manager��John Buckley��
• Sherwin–Williams Production Supervisor��George Clay��
• SHRM Director of Veterans and Certifications��Affairs��Andrew Morton

Industry:��Pollock and Lee��discussed��the work that��Samsung and��the��Institute��have done to��connect veterans with new careers��through��Heroes MAKE America,��which��offers training programs at several U.S. military bases.��Here are some key quotes:������

• Pollock:��“Service men and women have an incredible skill set that’s really specifically designed for the advanced manufacturing field. Hiring managers don’t always understand that, and oftentimes, veterans are not set up for success as they move into the manufacturing field, even though they’ve got all the skills they need. So…it’s not about reskilling; it’s about an understanding of the great skill set veterans have and how we can utilize them.”����
• Lee:��“We are training people in multiple branches, in multiple locations, with multiple skill��sets, and helping the broader military community transition into the sector.”��

Government:��Secretary��Lowry,��whose office helps support job counseling, placement��and training services for eligible veterans,��spoke��about��the value of��the Heroes program, saying:��

• “I’ve been incredibly impressed with the outcomes of the program—95%��graduation rate, 85–90%��placement rate, and 25%��placed in supervisory roles, which I think��suggests some of the leadership traits people pick up in the military can be applied well in a manufacturing setting.”

Veterans:��Chase moderated a panel of veterans—Buckley, Clay and Morton—who spoke about the Heroes program,��the advantages of veterans��in the��workforce��and��the importance of��engagement efforts.��Here is some of what they had to say:����

• Buckley:��“The Heroes MAKE America program is very comprehensive, and it really does a great job of preparing our veterans.”����
• Clay:��“When we start looking at what veterans are bringing to organizations, it’s a lot more than the common soft skills that you look at.”��
• Morton:��“Talent mobility is probably more important than acquisition��and probably more important than workforce development,��because that truly allows the employee to grow and to stay with the organization.”��

��Check out a recording of the event��.����

With�� now open for the 2021 STEP Ahead Awards, it’s a perfect time to revisit the impressive stories about STEP winners that we’ve covered this year.��

A brief recap:��The Manufacturing Institute’s STEP Ahead Awards are designed to honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering and production (STEP) careers.��The awards are part of the��STEP Women’s Initiative, which��aims to��shrink��the gender gap��in manufacturing, build��women’s��leadership skills and elevate��extraordinary women to serve as role models for current manufacturers and the workforce of the future.����

The nominations��process:��If you have a peer or colleague who deserves recognition for her leadership, you can����any��time before��October 2. Check out this handy nominations����for more information.��������

Since the awards began in 2012, The Manufacturing Institute has honored more than 1,000 extraordinary women across��the��manufacturing��industry. Here some of their stories:����

• Behlen��General Manager for Customer Fabrication��Heather��Macholan��(a 2013 STEP��honoree) is��working with��school labs��to��3-D print protective gear.��
• AAON��Community Relations Administrator��Stephanie Cameron��(a 2015 STEP��honoree)��is��working with her company to clean��medical facilities’ air��during COVID-19.��
• LAMATEK Vice President��Laura��Basara��(a��2017 STEP Ahead honoree)��has��helped her company��provide millions of pieces of foam for face shields.��
• Galley Support Innovations’��CEO��Gina Radke��(a 2019 STEP Ahead honoree)��wrote a book��to inspire other women to get involved in manufacturing leadership.��
• ID4A Technologies’��CEO and Founder��Rania��Hoteit��(a 2020 STEP Ahead Awards��honoree)��is��supporting��the manufacturing and distribution of critical medical devices and health care products.��
• Adafruit��Founder and��Owner (and 2019 STEP Ahead honoree)��Limor��Fried��is making electronic components for essential medical machines.��

President Trump’s plan to have businesses defer the employee’s share of payroll taxes is not going smoothly. The logistical difficulties are significant, and businesses have been expressing their frustration to the Treasury Department,����The Wall Street Journal (subscription).

The problem:��Employers are worried about the administrative burden. Plus, they’re concerned they may be liable for the taxes of employees who have changed jobs. And lastly, if Congress refuses to forgive the taxes, companies will be on the hook for a huge tax bill next year.

While companies await guidance on how to implement the President’s executive order, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in an interview on Wednesday that he can’t force firms to stop withholding those taxes. Some tax experts say that companies will be disinclined to take the chance.

51�Թ��� involvement: In remarks yesterday to 51�Թ��� members, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig urged companies to continue weighing in with policymakers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been outlining an economic plan that will focus more on domestic consumption and markets, easing back from China’s reliance on trade and foreign investment, the Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Xi has been speaking publicly about this “domestic circulation” (as it’s translated) since May, according to Chinese officials. The details haven’t emerged yet, but more news should come out of the October “plenum,” the meeting of the Communist Party’s top leaders.

The chips are down:��U.S. sanctions are already having an effect, with telecom company Huawei reporting a shortage of processor chips that will stall production. The Chinese government recently announced it would provide tax cuts and other forms of financial help to its domestic chip industry.

What’s the prognosis?��Some experts think these measures won’t make much of a difference, however. As Paul Triolo, head of the geo-technology practice at Eurasia Group,����CNBC, “The preferential treatment outlined in the new policies will help in some areas, but in the short-term will have only marginal impact [on] the ability of Chinese semiconductor firms to move up the value chain and become more competitive globally.”

Interpreting China:��The Financial Times (subscription)����on U.S.–China relations: that China has taken a much more cautious attitude toward confrontation in the past month or two. For example, top Chinese officials have seemed to suggest that China is willing to talk and unwilling to let the relationship degrade further.

Meanwhile, in Taiwan��. . . U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar discussed a trade deal with Taiwan on a high-profile visit to the country (though he didn’t spell out the details). While he was there, Chinese fighter jets flew across the median line in the Taiwan Strait.

Producer prices in the United States surged 0.6% in July, the largest jump in almost two years, according to . Meanwhile, core prices—what you get when you take out food, energy and trade margins—rose 0.3%. That was the third month of an upward trajectory.

What’s going on: Congress’s frantic spending to help us weather the pandemic isn’t increasing inflation. But that’s because there’s so little demand nowadays—businesses can’t raise prices because they need more customers to start buying again.

The 51�Թ��� breaks it down: “Even with sharp increases in raw material costs in July, overall costs remain in check for now, especially on a year-over-year basis,” said 51�Թ��� Chief Economist Chad Moutray. “Given the deflationary pressures seen in the economy in the spring months, it should not be a surprise that prices would bounce back strongly at some point.

“For its part, the Federal Reserve has pursued extraordinary monetary policy measures to help prop up the economy—providing a financial ‘bridge’ for consumers and businesses during the slowdown in activity, and it remains committed to its stimulative stance for the foreseeable future.”

Worldwide cases of COVID-19 have reached 20 million, according to the World Health Organization, with nearly 750,000 deaths. WHO��Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference that there were still “green shoots of hope,” citing successful control measures in South Asia, New Zealand and more recently Europe.

Here are some other data points as we move through yet another month of the pandemic:

The U.S.: totaled less than 50,000 for the second day in a row yesterday. Meanwhile, the country has 5.1 million confirmed cases overall. Some good numbers, courtesy of Johns Hopkins University:

• The seven-day average of new cases was well below the two-week average, at 54,409 compared to 57,433. That’s a sign that new cases are declining across the nation.
• The one-week average was below the two-week average in a clear majority of states (37).
• Deaths, meanwhile, are pretty similar for the one-week and two-week averages (1,051 and 1,049, respectively). Unfortunately, a handful of states are showing a rising death rate.

Children: COVID-19 cases among American kids are rising markedly, to a new study.

• The number of cases in the last two weeks of July make up a full quarter of all children’s cases since March.
• While kids make up only 8.8% of cases nationwide now, they were only 2% back in April.

A caveat: researchers aren’t sure whether this rise is a product of increased infections or improved testing capacity. And fortunately, children make up only a small proportion of hospitalizations. But this data is at least concerning, as many of the nation’s children prepare to head back to school.

Along with the many other things not happening this year are a wide variety of infrastructure projects. A report released by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association lays out the extent of the delays and even cancellations, reports . A few of the numbers:

• About $9.6 billion in projects have been delayed or cancelled.
• 16 states have nixed or postponed projects worth about $5 billion.
• 20 local governments are responsible for the rest, at $4.54 billion.
• 44 states, transportation authorities and local governments expect to see a drop in revenues . . . which could translate into less funding for infrastructure down the road (so to speak).

Why infrastructure matters: One industry that relies on infrastructure is, of course, transportation. And very soon, transportation will help save our economy and public health: once the COVID-19 vaccine is ready, it must be distributed nationwide.

Right now, delivery companies like UPS, FedEx and DHL are bolstering their networks and capacity to ship medical goods in anticipation of the vaccine, reports. Here are some of the details:

• Preparations include building “freezer farms” capable of storing millions of doses of the vaccine at low temperatures. UPS has started work on two such facilities, while FedEx is adding at least 10 freezer facilities.
• The companies will also need a lot of dry ice, which keeps medical supplies cold during transport.

This will be the largest vaccine distribution effort in history. Preserving and improving our infrastructure means that future generations, when faced with other health challenges, will be able to distribute medicines easily. And meanwhile, it will enable manufacturers to keep the economy thriving as only they can.

51�Թ��� involvement: Last month, the 51�Թ��� and 118 manufacturing organizations sent to Congress urging it to pass a long-term surface transportation bill, in part because of the challenges surrounding COVID-19.

The big picture: The 51�Թ��� has been an advocate for infrastructure reform long before the pandemic and will continue long after. 51�Թ��� Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy Robyn Boerstling recently made the comprehensive case for infrastructure investment in a blog for

And for the full slate of 51�Թ��� recommendations, check out its “Building to Win” plan for candidates and elected officials, which the 51�Թ��� will keep promoting throughout the campaign season and during the next administration.

Most of us are extremely grateful to have the internet nowadays—it keeps manufacturers’ high-tech operations running and provides entertainment for our socially distanced evenings. But the U.S. needs continued, substantial investment in broadband access and will do so long after the pandemic is over. One reason, of course, is that manufacturing is increasingly high-tech and high-skilled, which means demand will keep rising for fast, reliable and universal connectivity.

So in light of our renewed appreciation of all things digital, here’s a quick reminder of the policies that the 51�Թ��� is promoting, courtesy of 51�Թ��� Director of Innovation Policy Stephanie Hall. As she puts it, the federal government needs to take the following steps:

• Modernize federal partnership programs and appropriate funds to increase broadband deployment in hard-to-serve areas and to close the digital divide.
• Fund efforts to help us understand where broadband is needed and who needs it most.
• Create a smart regulatory environment that allows the private sector to design, build, finance, operate and maintain our digital infrastructure.

Recent actions: The 51�Թ���—and manufacturers across the country—are calling on Congress to include broadband funding in its COVID-19 response. In a May letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the 51�Թ��� asked Congress to “support investment in our broadband infrastructure system, maximize consumer choice in how they connect and reduce regulatory barriers that can slow manufacturers’ ability to deploy current and next-generation broadband infrastructure.”

As Congress continues to work on COVID-19 response funding, the 51�Թ��� will keep pushing for broadband access.

As American companies race to create an effective COVID-19 vaccine, they’re facing skepticism from minority communities, according to (subscription).

The problem: This reluctance makes it especially difficult to create diverse clinical trials that gauge whether the vaccines work safely. Public health officials say that vaccines need to be shown to work safely and effectively across all ages, races and backgrounds, and especially among the high-risk. Black and Brown Americans have been impacted disproportionately by the virus—and without their participation, an effective vaccine may face longer odds.

The solution: Companies and researchers are working with churches, minority physicians, radio programs and other media sources for communities—not to mention recruiting in places with high minority populations.

The bigger picture: Clinical trials in general suffer from a shortage of minority participants. Only 9% of participants in clinical trials for new drugs last year were Black, while whites made up around three quarters of participants, according to the FDA.

• The good news: Many pharma companies recognize the problem and are working to increase the diversity of their trials—including ., . and , to cite just a few.