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Processor of the Year

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2009 Stimulus Program

MOST-READ STORIES

NPE moving to Orlando for 2012 and 2015 November 17, 2009
Study claims prenatal exposure to certain phthalates affects boys' behavior November 16, 2009
Berry buying Md. plant from Superfos November 16, 2009
Medical-device tax would cost millions November 16, 2009
Coke rolling out bottles made from plant materials November 16, 2009

MOST E-MAILED STORIES

NPE moving to Orlando for 2012 and 2015 November 17, 2009
Polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC and PET resin prices rise in November November 19, 2009
Report: Onex planning IPO for Husky November 15, 2009
Berry buying Md. plant from Superfos November 16, 2009
Foodservice packaging firm announces new acquisition November 16, 2009

Perspectives

How to submit a Perspective

Room is testament to Drienik’s qualities

When you first step out into the manufacturing area at R&D/ Leverage (formerly known as R&D Tool and Engineering) to take a tour, you can’t help but stop and be amazed at a small 10-foot-by-10-foot room filled with pictures, a surface grinder and a decorative metal sign bearing the words “Ivan’s Doorway to Opportunity, His Gift to Us.”

Creative finance can minimize default risks

While credit remains extremely tight, the economy is showing signs of recovery. But instead of sighing relief, processors should be more vigilant than ever.

Plastics selection vital to avoid failure

It’s quite simple for anybody to design a plastic part, to some extent, but to make an effective design with a good knowledge of injection mold design, function and process are prerequisites for standard design skills.

Chicago wins with social media

I was a big fan of Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko, so I’m quite familiar with stories about political chicanery and election-fixing in the Windy City. So it was amusing for me two weeks ago to watch the results of a poll on PlasticsNews.com that asked readers, “Would you prefer to attend NPE 2012 in Chicago or Orlando, Fla.?”

Mold builders' conversations: then, now

Most mold builders — technology enthusiasts who don’t crave the limelight — do not nominate themselves or their companies for recognition. But recognize we must, for it is not only good for those receiving acknowledgment from their peers, it also shows the standard of excellence that is now prevalent in this industry.

Recycling brings man celebrity

As a packaging guy and a former participant on the Solid Waste Council, I know fact from fiction. One day while listening to a radio program, I heard an author perpetuating the perspective (born of both emotion and ignorance) for the average consumer that “Plastic is bad.” He was hitting below the (money) belt, and it was time to fight back.

The message in the small print

French carmaker Renault is currently running an advertising campaign in the United Kingdom pledging to have a range of zero-emission cars on the market by the end of 2012. The advertising shows some eye-catching designs but what interests me is the small print: “Zero emissions during use.”

Battered industry still standing

As I pen my last business commentary before retirement, the polymer landscape looks very different from the one that presented itself when I joined Plastics & Rubber Weekly in 1981.

Recycling plastics beats waste

A recent column on The Huffington Post Web site disparaged the use of plastic items and dismissed the recycling of plastic packaging. Too bad the facts were not referenced and the thinking was fuzzy.

Industry needs to get behind innovation

At Trexel Inc., where our mission has been to change the way manufacturers think about molding plastics components and systems, we have had a unique vantage point from which to view the innovative tendencies of plastics producers globally for the past 10 years.

Costs could defeat McCormick

As in the past, after the NPE plastics industry trade show has packed up and moved on, questions arise as to the value received from the show and McCormick Place and Chicago. As a person who has attended NPE shows since the 1980s and been responsible for our show booth design and setup for approximately 20 years, I believe I am qualified to comment on some of the conditions and issues within McCormick Place.

Advertising remains necessary

All too often when the economy slows, companies slash their advertising and marketing budgets, figuring they’ll wait until the economy rebounds to start things up again. This mind-set defies logic and ignores data.

REACH: polymer-specific issues

Polymers as such are exempt from registration and evaluation requirements under REACH. However, in the absence of registration by an upstream supplier of monomers and other bound substances (non-stabilizing additives) in a polymer placed on the EU market, Article 6(3) of REACH requires the registration of these substances in the polymer.

Marketing to post-recession customers

Can you see the light, the one at the end of the tunnel? For the first time in a long time, we’re listening to encouraging stories in the media about the uptick in the economy. Consumer confidence is rebounding as construction spending has increased; upward arrows on the stock market have more occurrences than downward arrows as of late; and banks are reporting profits.

Consider community a partner

There is an upside to the economic downturn. If your company is considering adding equipment, jobs or even consolidating operations, now is a great time to start a dialogue with local economic development officials. Communities are emerging as effective, creative business partners as they strive to attract and keep jobs and avoid erosion of their tax base.

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