By Dianna Brodine, managing editor Plastics Business In many ways, 2017 has been a year of growth for the plastics injection molding industry and the US as a whole. The S&P 500 is up more than 20 percent since Q3 20161, unemployment is at its lowest since 20002 and manufacturing order activity reached a 13-year high in September3. Third-quarter 2017 merger and acquisition … [Read more...] about Processors Predict Sustained Growth in 2018
2017 Fall
4DX Strategy Pushes Ideas to Goal Execution at GreenLeaf Industries
by Nancy Cates, contributing writer Plastics Business Every manager has done it: Look at the P&L sheets and analyze production. Consider customer comments and complaints. Prep for the meeting. Invite all the players to gather in one room. Review strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Brainstorm. Put ideas on the board. Stir the pot. Swap out this concept … [Read more...] about 4DX Strategy Pushes Ideas to Goal Execution at GreenLeaf Industries
As Labor Pool Shrinks, Compensation Rises
by Ashley Burleson, membership and engagement manager MAPP Compared to 2016, more than half (57 percent) of jobs in the US plastics industry experienced wage increases above the current inflation rate of 1.9 percent. Across the board, plastics manufacturing positions, on average, experienced a 2.0 percent increase in compensation, according to the most recent Wage and Salary … [Read more...] about As Labor Pool Shrinks, Compensation Rises
Association News
600 Attendees Gather for 2017 Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference In October, nearly 600 plastics professionals gathered in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the annual Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference. This year's conference featured pre-conference sessions, motivational speakers, functional area networking and more than a dozen breakout sessions for attendees. From … [Read more...] about Association News
Podcasts for Leaders
by Dianna Brodine, managing editor Plastics Business Each quarter, Plastics Business staff has been offering five or six book selections on topics from building culture to storytelling to management techniques. In this issue, the focus is taken off the printed page - instead featuring podcasts that draw on the business experiences of leaders from all industries. Editor's … [Read more...] about Podcasts for Leaders