In a poll conducted by sponsors of the FabTech International & AWS Welding Show, manufacturing executives said the lack of employee skills is the leading obstacle to growth. The company said this achievement is the next step in providing systems and services, meeting the ongoing customer demands for high levels of quality.

That response runs counter to wisdom that says current oil prices or the weak U.S. dollar hurts growth of the U.S. economy.

Manufacturers said oil prices were the second most inhibiting factor for growth, followed by tax policies, the weak U.S. dollar, the U.S. financial commitment to Iraq, and the credit crisis.

“In many respects, this finding is not surprising as we have heard for many months from leaders in the metal forming, fabricating and welding industries that their biggest challenge today is finding skilled workers, especially young people, who can tackle the increasingly sophisticated tasks required in manufacturing today,” John Catalano, show manager at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), said. The SME was one of the event's sponsors.