Smart Manufacturers are Gearing up for a Turnaround in the Economy

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's assessment last week that the economy should start growing again later this year was a wake-up call for manufacturers and suppliers.

Though he warned in congressional testimony of "further sizable job losses" as the economy slowly sputters to life, his judgment that we have sunk about as low as we're going to go carried a welcome message: Get ready for the turnaround.

When the logjam breaks, a flood of new orders could flow to factories. Manufacturers will have to be able to gear up quickly or lose out. Now -- while customers are still scarce -- is when these businesses should be fine-tuning their operations to prepare for the recovery.

"They'll need as much efficiency as they can muster to be competitive," said Susan Helper, a manufacturing expert and professor at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School.

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