Thomas News Highlights

Cloud Wars Podcast: Oh My: Supply Chains Have Become Sexy! - Episode 30

In this episode of Uphoff on Industry, Tony Uphoff and Bob Evans discuss supply chain disruption: why everyone is talking about it and the impact on the consumer economy over the next 12 months. 

Cheddar News: Liquor & Consumer Good Shortages

Shawn Fitzgerald, CMO at Thomas, an online platform for supplier discovery and product sourcing, was interviewed on Cheddar's News Wrap where he explained that the supply chain has been hit hard in terms of shipping and trucking opportunities as well as in the production of liquor bottles and labels. He discusses how the disruptions have also entered into consumer areas like furniture and household goods but noted the pandemic disruptions are likely temporary.

Supply Chain Dive: Shortages have created a 'traffic jam' in construction

The home building industry is facing labor constraints and shortages yet demand for material continues to remain high. 

Sourcing for building materials on supplier platform Thomasnet.com is up 115% year over year according to an August statement, with demand for lumber-related categories up an average of 81% year over year.

Cloud Wars Podcast: Disruption Is Headed Your Way - Episode 29

In this episode of Uphoff on Industry, Tony Uphoff and Bob Evans discuss disruption: why it’s coming for the manufacturing industry and many others. Key themes include The millennial generation's dissatisfaction with "knowledge work" and the increasing interest in wanting to make things and the repositioning of technology as it advances and transforms. 

SCB Podcast: This Report Says Manufacturing Is Coming Back to the U.S

Strong evidence of a reshoring trend — the relocation of production from China and other parts of East Asia back to the U.S. — can be found in the 2021 annual report of sourcing specialist Thomas. Listen to The Supply Chain Brain podcast where Bob Bowman interviews Tony Uphoff as they discuss the impact that could drive $443 billion in U.S. economic value over the next year. 

AZ BigMedia: Here's how building material shortages are driving up home prices

As of this past April, lumber prices had risen 86% year over year while the price of steel rose 67%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the Thomasnet.com platform, our data shows that sourcing for building materials is up 115% year over year, and demand for lumber-related categories is currently up an average of 81% year over year.

Retrofit: Thomas Releases Statement about Proposed Changes to Buy American Act

Tony Uphoff, president and CEO of Thomas, has released the following statement regarding the new proposed Buy American Rule, which states that products purchased by the federal government need to have a greater percentage of their component parts made in the U.S., in efforts to strengthen American manufacturing:

Producers & Procurers iQ: A Print Sourcing Dilemma: The United States or China

The days of assuming China's advantage in lower cost and higher output are over. More and more American companies have ended their sourcing relationships there and are, instead, working with U.S. suppliers. According to an April 2020 Thomas survey of 878 North American manufacturing and industrial sector professionals polled during the Covid-19 pandemic, 64% of companies across manufacturing and industrial sectors "are likely to bring manufacturing production and sourcing back to North America to avoid similar difficulties in the future."

Authority Magazine: Tony Uphoff On How To Use Digital Transformation To Take Your Company To The Next Level

As part of the series on Digital Transformation, Authority Magazine interviewed Tony Uphoff about leadership lessons learned, having had a ringside seat at every major technology transition over the last 25 years. 

Realtor Magazine: The Construction Conundrum

With inventory still low, more home buyers look to plan B: new builds. But that, too, has become tough with land and labor growing scarcer and supply chain struggles lingering. 

Because of the prices, as well as significant shortages, many architects, builders, and homebuyers are asking two key questions: How long will the surge continue and why did it happen in the first place? Tony Uphoff, president and CEO of Thomas, which provides analysis and tools that reflect the buying process, says his company data shows a steady surge in sourcing activity for lumber over the last year.