Top 5 Stories of 2015
Plastics Business
As Plastics Business embarks on its 10th year, we paused to see the topics with which our readers spent the most time. We found that readers often check through our archives, referring to information published as far back as 2006. The following stories, published in 2015, were the top reads for nearly 25,000 visitors to the website.
- Designing the Perfect SMED Cart
Having the right tools available during changeovers can significantly impact the time it takes to accomplish the task. Standardized SMED carts ensure the tools are at hand, reducing the back-and-forth that often occurs as technicians realize the equipment needed is next to another machine or missing altogether.
- An M&A Market Update for the Plastics Industry
There continues to be strong demand for plastic companies across all end markets and manufacturing processes. Although acquisition demand is strong, there currently exists a general lack of quality deals in the marketplace, resulting in a supply/demand imbalance (i.e., more buyers than sellers). Global plastics M&A volume increased 4 percent during 2014, and despite a 4 percent drop during the first half of 2015, demand and overall activity are expected to remain strong.
- Vaping in the Workplace
In recent years, the use of e-cigarettes (also known as vaping) has become more popular among adult smokers in the United States. The World Health Organization deemed them safer than traditional cigarettes as most do not work by combusting tobacco. While some states have moved to include e-cigarettes in their indoor smoking regulations, many states have yet to formally address vaping in public spaces. This has led to an interesting debate for employers as to whether to allow vaping in the workplace.
- Automotive Insert Molding Drives Growth at Microplastics, Inc.
Growing complexity in the automotive, medical and electronic component industries is challenging molders across the country. Microplastics, Inc., in St. Charles, Illinois, has embraced the electrification of those industries as an opportunity, driving its insert molding capabilities, engineering expertise and ability to quickly adapt into a company that twice has been recognized as a Top 500 Fastest Growing Private Company by Fortune magazine.
- Quality Mindset at Crescent Industries
Crescent Industries is the largest employer in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, a town with a population of 4,500. As the company approaches its 70th year, Eric Paules has a deep appreciation for the legacy created by his grandfather, father and uncle, and an excitement for the possibilities of what the next generations will bring.
