February 2026 Volume 8

INDUSTRY NEWS

planning. Knowing and being able to be nimble with one’s own data is going to be key to success in the uncertainty we are currently facing. Utilize the orders and shipments survey, trade partners, operational consultants, and your own team to ensure that new and creative ways of thinking are brought to the table. The ability to remain flexible combined with the ability to adjust business up or down depending on marketplace fluctuations is paramount to success. The Wipfli team has extensive experience in the manufacturing industry and works directly with many manufacturers on their sales processes, including forecasting, costing, quoting and market penetration. If you would like to learn more about our capabilities, please reach out.

About Wipfli Wipfli, a top 25 U.S.-based advisory and accounting firm, regularly conducts market research within the manufacturing industry to examine key trends, benchmarks, and forecast indicators. The company has collected and analyzed millions of data points from thousands of manufacturing companies across multiple processes, including tool builders, plastics processors, metalformers, forgers, die casters, screw manufacturers, and contract machinists. As a leading manufacturing benchmarking resource, Wipfli has more than 9 years of trended manufacturing operations and business data. The company conducts its Manufacturing Pulse studies during the first, second, and third quarters of each year, which allows analysts to trend data year over year and identify insights helpful to the industry.

RECRUIT NEW FIA MEMBERS & GET REWARDED! MEMBER-GET-A-MEMBER

Share the value of your membership with other forging producers and suppliers. As an active member, you know first-hand the many resources your membership provides. Our FIA Member-Get-A-Member Referral Program is the ideal opportunity to let your forging industry peers know all about the educational opportunities, news, networking, and resources that FIA membership provides. The Member-Get-A-Member Referral Program gives you an opportunity to reach out to others in our industry that could benefit from an FIA Membership. Refer them, and if they join the association, you earn some cool FIA swag!

Rewards: • 1 referral – FIA Polo Shirt • 2 referrals – FIA Jacket • 3 or more referrals in a calendar year – two complimentary registrations to the FIA Annual Meeting of Members

Contact Tricia Abruzzino for more information. Phone: 216-781-6260 Email: tricia@forging.org

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