Everyone is looking for a silver bullet-that miracle weight loss pill, cold prevention remedy, or special golf swing training aid that makes you drive like Tiger. Most of the time, though, the silver bullet just ends up in your foot instead of helping you achieve your hopes and dreams. Then again, sometimes the silver bullet does exist, and companies occasionally write to me with their versions of what it might be. Two of the most interesting bear further examination.

Considering the size of the U.S. trade deficit, you would think that working with foreign suppliers would be old hat to most U.S. firms. Yet the fact is that foreign sourcing, particularly what is referred to as "low cost country" (LCC) sourcing, remains new and challenging to many companies, even as experience in this regard is becoming increasingly important.

The market overviews featured in this issue of CI provide a look at the industry as a whole-what did 2006 bring, and what lies ahead for 2007 and beyond?

The monthly memo from Editor-in-Chief Susan Sutton.

Although there is no official state warning threshold for non-food contact surfaces of glass and ceramicware, Proposition 65 warnings are an option for companies that want to establish a defense against allegations that ware exposes consumers in California to lead or cadmium.

Adapting your business in order to solve problems is a vital part of becoming (and remaining) successful. Every business has problems, and the best businesses are constantly in a problem-solving mode. But how should problems be solved?

The monthly editor's memo from Editor-in-Chief Susan Sutton.

In mid-July, the Ceramic Manufacturers Association (CerMA) was made aware of a new draft of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for the clay ceramics manufacturing industry.

I have talked about energy conservation in this column many times over the past several years. For those of you who are tired of my litany of energy tips, directions and summaries, you will be pleased to know that this installment is not about my work in that area. Instead, it is a report about the success of a hard-working manager in a plant I visited early this year.

While Mother Nature's extreme temperatures can be devastating, the thermal processes used in the ceramic and related industries are much more predictable, controlled and beneficial.