By the time this column is published, we will be halfway through the first quarter of 2023, giving us an indication of how the year will unfold for the PVF industry.

A cut of 2 million oil barrels per day resulted from Russian-led allies, a move that caused already high prices to rise further. This results from Russian pressure on fellow members of the 23-member group known as OPEC.

December is the end of a turbulent year for the PVF sector of our economy: supply-chain constraints, rising costs of material, labor shortages, escalating energy costs, international conflicts and a political environment hostile to fossil-fuel energy sources.

While the Russo/Ukraine war has put Europe into an energy hassle never before seen, Russia is putting a squeeze on Europe’s NATO group due to its siding with the Ukrainians.

We are midway through the fourth quarter of the calendar year 2022. The months of November and December are not only impacted by the holidays, limiting the number of shipping days — we all will be impacted by rising fuel costs.

The PVF industry, unlike many manufacturing sectors, demands industry experience of its leaders. Much of the sector’s success is attributed to that experience. Also, rising inflation brings recession to the mind of the Federal Reserve and its chairman.

Oil and gas prices continue to stay high because of low inventory, low production and high demand. This summer, the United States consumed larger amounts of natural gas to meet electricity demand. Read on to discover what else is happening in the energy sector.

Subcontractors should be aware of state consumer protection laws as they can be used against them in a breach of contract situation. Read on for the result of a Connecticut case where a subcontractor defrauded a general contractor out of a 30 percent deposit.

As inflation causes food, housing and other costs to rise, the fear of recession rears its head.