It's the first time since 1999 that we have seen a net gain in manufacturing employment in this region.

It just seems, to a degree, like the stars are aligned in our favor.

Notwithstanding a handful of continued announcements regarding downsizing or closure, the prevailing pattern in our industrial sector has been one of growth over a couple of years.

I think our successful producers and manufacturers are those that have an entrepreneurial fervor. They remain inventive and proactive and keep looking for new technology that will keep them on the cutting edge. Those that ride a single pony are caught in a time warp and will probably see the world pass them by.

We're still seeing job cuts in manufacturing, and it's going to stay that way for some time.

It all comes at the same time, really. We're manufacturing runs and getting the big hits when we need them. We're also making the big defensive plays that were being made against us. By doing all of these things, we've been able to manufacture some runs.