By Shelly Otenbaker, president, WayPoint Marketing Communications In today’s plastics processing landscape, activity is not the same as progress. Injection molders and their suppliers are investing more than ever in marketing – new websites, digital ads, tradeshows, CRM systems and automation tools. On paper, it looks like momentum. But in reality, many organizations … [Read more...] about Creating Clarity: The Importance of Defining the Ideal Customer
2026 Issue 2
Get Out of the Rate Race… A Smarter Way for Manufacturers to Manage Healthcare Costs
By Troy Nix, executive director, MAPP Health benefits remain one of the largest – and most unpredictable – line items in a manufacturing company’s budget. Recent reporting underscores just how acute the challenge has become. According to The New York Post, US employers are facing projected healthcare cost increases of 7% to 10% over the next 12 months, the steepest rise in … [Read more...] about Get Out of the Rate Race… A Smarter Way for Manufacturers to Manage Healthcare Costs
Plastics Manufacturers Facing New Cost Pressure: Energy
By Liam Kelly, commercial solar account executive, Artisun Solar “When’s the last time you changed something in your business before you had to change something in your business?” said MAPP Executive Director Troy Nix. He asked this question during the kickoff of the 2025 Annual MAPP Meeting last December. For an industry already navigating the constant fluctuations and … [Read more...] about Plastics Manufacturers Facing New Cost Pressure: Energy
Hoffer’s Vision to Value: Building a Sustainability Framework
By Lindsey Munson, editor, Plastics Business Sustainability is not a new concept in the plastics industry. It has been shaped into various meanings across multiple platforms depending on a company’s goals, vision and intended impact. At Hoffer Plastics, however, sustainability is more than a guiding principle – it is embedded in the company’s DNA. For more than 70 years, it … [Read more...] about Hoffer’s Vision to Value: Building a Sustainability Framework
Manufacturers Experience Healthcare Cost Increases in the Past Year, Search for New Options
By Andrew Carlsgaard, benchmarking and analytics director, MAPP Healthcare and benefits strategy remains one of the most consequential business decisions US manufacturers make each year. In 2026, employers continue to face rising health benefit costs, tighter operating budgets and greater pressure to use benefits as both a retention tool and a financial management … [Read more...] about Manufacturers Experience Healthcare Cost Increases in the Past Year, Search for New Options