by Dianna Brodine, managing editor, Plastics Business I’ll admit it – I have a few more gray hairs than I used to, and I don’t have TikTok on my phone. I don’t understand the “mom jean” trend, and I find it irritating that teenagers with YouTube channels make more money in a year than I will make in a decade. It’s possible that I am no longer cool. However, that doesn’t mean … [Read more...] about Stay Hip, My Friends
2021 Issue 2
Understanding Cleanrooms and Their Successful Use in Plastics Decoration
By Paul Uglum, president, Uglum Consulting, LLC Contamination in its various forms often is the largest contributor to yield loss in plastic decoration. This is especially true with decorated plastic that has highly reflective surfaces, such as high-gloss physical vapor deposition, piano black paint and high-gloss hard-coated lenses. Even with less sensitive processes and … [Read more...] about Understanding Cleanrooms and Their Successful Use in Plastics Decoration
M&A in the Time of COVID-19
by Todd Parsapour, investment banking managing director, Stout The global pandemic has dramatically affected people, governments and businesses during the past year. Many companies have had to navigate a very dynamic and volatile environment, which has included employee and customer health concerns, rapid changes in product and service demand, and supply chain disruptions, … [Read more...] about M&A in the Time of COVID-19
Manufacturers Losing the Battle Against Healthcare Insurance Companies
by Troy Nix, executive director, MAPP America’s insurance company giants receive billions and billions of dollars in profit, yet the cost of providing health insurance continues to challenge US manufacturers both large and small, and the impact of the pandemic has only added fuel and complete confusion to the fire. According to the most recent study conducted in 2021 by … [Read more...] about Manufacturers Losing the Battle Against Healthcare Insurance Companies
Blast from the Past: A Return to 1990s Economics
by Chris Kuehl, managing director, Armada Corporate Intelligence Remember grunge? Did you once sport a look featuring Doc Martens, dark flannel shirts and torn jeans while listening to Pearl Jam and Nirvana? If so, you are right in style for the return of 1990s economics. It has been almost 20 years since we have had to deal with anything approaching real inflation, and now it … [Read more...] about Blast from the Past: A Return to 1990s Economics