One has to wonder, why do the prices that we pay for manufactured goods going down every year, including computers and cell phones going down every month. While prices we pay for health care, fees to our banks, closing costs, and costs to build new homes, new buildings are going up every year. This brings me to the original point, why are US foundries losing market share?

Technology has always helped businesses cut costs (if you never bought a fax machine or a computer for your business then I guess you don't have to believe that.) If you are in the norm, you would agree that every decade, there is a major innovation which helps businesses improve productivity. In the 1990's, it was clearly the pervasive use of computers and the productivity software that helped us produce more and more with less and less time and resources. I believe, this decade will see a pervasive use of the Internet and the web-based tools by businesses to cut costs AND to get new orders. It's not about automating transactions or doing reverse auctions, it's about spending less time and doing less travel to get new business; it's about reducing soft costs and administration costs. One web-tool that allows businesses to cut costs and get new customers is an e-marketplace.

buyCASTINGS.com is the world's largest e-marketplace for the Metal Casting industry which allows it's members to cut costs by getting volume discounts and service discounts on freight, shipping, computers, software, natural gas, electricity, and NOW healthcare, payroll, benefits and OSHA compliance needs. The buying power of over 900 participating companies and the efficiencies of buyers and sellers meeting through an e-marketplace ALLOW us to do that. In addition, we match our foundries and suppliers' capabilities with our buyers' needs.