Originally posted in April 2011. Four companies that are thriving after the recession, and how they are doing it. Miles Free is the Director of Technology and Industry Research for the Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA). He has 36 years of hands-on experience in the areas of manufacturing, quality and steelmaking. How do you interpret the current situation for manufacturing? MF: Our industry is probably in the best position it’s been in 31 consecutive months. Our PMPA Business Trends Report is an index that reports on sales, and our last one with 80 shops reporting was at 111 that are…