While work on the first issue of 2025 is well underway, we paused to see which Plastics Business articles from 2024 caught the eyes of our readers. The following stories were the top reads from 2024 for visitors to the website.
- What’s in a Machine Rate?
When developing and evaluating machine rates for injection molders, there is hardly a one-size-fits-all option. Instead, a myriad of factors come into play, and those variables are unique to each company. Instead of looking at machine rates as a snapshot of data, molders should dive deeper into what variables need to be taken into consideration. Machine rates across the industry are just part of a whole and need to be reviewed regularly for quoting and budgeting purposes. - Hoffer Plastics Builds Careers Based on the Principle “People Matter”
As a third-generation family-owned business, Hoffer Plastics knows that its success is entirely due to its employees. With more than 350 employees, its statistics speak volumes from an average tenure of 14 years to 50% of general managers having started in entry-level positions, it is evidence that Hoffer Plastics nurtures, engages and enables its team. Hoffer Plastics’ slogan that proudly sits below its company logo – “There’s a part of us in every piece” – is a key driver behind each employee’s career growth plan. - Training Matrix: The Roadmap for Employee Advancement
Creating and conducting a training program is hard work, but it is worth the investment – because when employees gain knowledge, companies gain valuable expertise. However, creating a methodology that easily explains the program and the benefits it offers can be challenging. - US Manufacturers Face Threat of Increasing Healthcare Rates, Seek Answers to Protecting Margins
In an increasingly competitive landscape for hiring and retaining skilled employees, rising healthcare and benefits costs for employers in the US manufacturing sector have become a significant concern. The 2024 Health and Benefits Report, with data from MAPP, ARPM and AMBA, aims to provide US-based manufacturers with the most relevant data on the state of healthcare and benefits in the industry; and to arm decision makers with the knowledge required to minimize costs while still providing maximum value to their employees. - Beacon Engineered Solutions Implements Automation to Ease Labor Crunch
Minnesota-based Beacon Engineered Solutions earned the second place award in Labor Solutions at the 2023 MAPP Innovation Award ceremony for its entry describing the company’s 4DX Automation Team, which has applied automation technologies that save the company 11,000 labor hours annually. Manufacturers just beginning or in the early stages of automation can learn from Beacon’s recipe for success, and this article gives a close-up look at a few automation projects implemented – the inspiration, the processes and tools used and the lessons learned.
For more information and additional Plastics Business articles to read, visit www.plasticsbusinessmag.com.
