By Dianna Brodine, vice president, editorial, Plastics Business A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a three-day leadership experience at the Kansas Leadership Institute. It was a mentally exhausting examination of what I believed about leadership, how my personal style helped or hindered the people around me, and the ways in which I could thoughtfully change the … [Read more...] about Booklist: Step Back to Let Others Lead
2023 Issue 2
A Collision of the Global Supply Chain: Politics, Inflation and Alternative Sources
By Chris Kuehl, managing director, Armada Corporate Intelligence Not that manufacturing has avoided talking about international issues in the past, but there have been new developments that have been pushing these issues to the forefront – especially for the plastics industry. There is an old adage that asserts, “When elephants fight it is the mice that suffer.” The US and … [Read more...] about A Collision of the Global Supply Chain: Politics, Inflation and Alternative Sources
Plastics Executives Report Encouraging Outlook for Automation
By Andrew Carlsgaard, business relations manager/analytics director, MAPP Based on feedback from 86 processing executives, MAPP’s 2023 Automation Report outlook for automation in the US plastics industry generally is positive, with increasing interest in adopting automation technologies to improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. Like many other manufacturing … [Read more...] about Plastics Executives Report Encouraging Outlook for Automation
New Tax Law Rewards Manufacturers for Going Green
By Teri Samples, partner and CPA, Wipfli The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) gave a boost to the manufacturing industry. Specifically, the new law rewards plastics processors for various investment initiatives to either incentivize or reward taxpayers who engage in a variety of clean energy practices. Many times, these investments make good business sense, with shorter than … [Read more...] about New Tax Law Rewards Manufacturers for Going Green
View from 30: CMG Plastics Combines Sight and Sound to Increase Safety
By Lindsey Munson, editor, Plastics Business Inspired by Kmart® and its “blue light special” method to entice customers to hurry throughout the store and shop the discounts, CMG Plastics creatively took the iconic “blue light” method and innovatively launched it in its Brantford, Ontario, facility. Like Kmart®’s method, CMG’s goal is to entice employees to hurry “out of the … [Read more...] about View from 30: CMG Plastics Combines Sight and Sound to Increase Safety