Tim O'Toole

Rebounding When You Hate the Job or Business You Once Loved

“Take this job and shove it.” Every job has highs and lows. But if you start talking – or singing – like Johnny Paycheck, then it is time for a…

Crisis in the Workforce: Preparing Tomorrow’s Change-Makers

Manufacturers will need a whopping 3.8 million employees by the year 2033 to fill growth and replace retirees. Due to a skills mismatch between job seekers’ skills and the skillsets needed by…

Jimmy Jones Shares What the STI/SPFA Hall of Fame Means to Him

James Jones was inducted into the STI/SPFA Hall of Fame in 2024. We recently had an opportunity to talk with Jimmy about his career and what being inducted into the…

STI/SPFA Members Visit Capitol Hill

Members of the Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association (STI/SPFA) Legislative Advocacy Committee visited Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024, to meet with several key members of Congress. “We were met with warm…

Shoot at Something!

Leadership is simple! First and foremost, you’ve got to know exactly what you want, for your company, your department, or your project team. Sounds simple but when asked, most business…

U.S. Reshoring Surges as China’s Exports to the U.S. Plunge

U.S. imports of Chinese goods plunged by 13% last year to $500.3 billion, the biggest drop in 30 years. China saw its global exports slump by 4.6% to $3.4 trillion in 2023,…

Notes From the 2024 API Spring Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting

STI/SPFA Standards Engineer, Joe Mentzer, had the opportunity to attend the API 2024 Spring Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting in St. Louis. Below are notes of interest for STI/SPFA members.…

Align Municipal Procurement Practices with Asset Management and Sustainability Goals

Given the shortfall in resources needed to restore declining infrastructure in the water sector, “run to failure” is no longer a viable option. Maintaining assets in a well-designed asset manage­ment program…

Jerry Schollmeyer Discusses his Career and STI/SPFA Water Volleyball

Jerry Schollmeyer was inducted into the STI/SPFA Hall of Fame in 2024. We recently had an opportunity to talk with Jerry about his career at Morrison Bros., his legacy in…

The World Shifts to a New Economic Paradigm: Productivism

Global events of the past several years are compelling us to view the world through a different lens. The disruption of the pandemic, geopolitical risk, and new industrial policies are…