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American companies need to face this challenge and invest in research and development (R&D) costs that will bring forth a new level of engineering performance. Otherwise, we will be destined to a future of pushing used machines to a market overseas, which ultimately will leave us a country that no longer manufactures anything. To get out of this industry slump, companies need to spend money, preferably within the U.S. Reinvest in R&D — it will be a wise move in the long term. Now is the time to re-evaluate machine performance and to take a look around at what is still selling. Talk to your customers, listen to what they want and need, and go to work on providing it. Produce for them a top of the line, highest quality machine that can take them into the future, as far as they need it to go. Use this time to perfect your systems and remind the industry that the old adage "You get what you pay for" has never held more truth than it does in today's economy.

While the industry downturn certainly has been difficult, consider it from another viewpoint: this lack of "busyness" affords the best time to be introspective. Become a detail-oriented company and add those internal and external touches that often get passed up on deadline-driven schedules. Invest in quality and customers will invest in your company and its products.