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
Business Planning
Maintaining Business Stability Amid Political Turbulence
by Jeff Bush, author and fiscal authority Have there been times during your career when outside influences affected the course you had set, tossing your business plan into a turbulent storm of chaos? You may have been elated – or dismayed – during the recent election, but in either case, the powers that be in Washington, D.C., likely have you scrambling for directional control … [Read more...] about Maintaining Business Stability Amid Political Turbulence
Strategic Alternatives Through an Owner’s Eyes: Ownership Transitions
by Joellen Sorenson, director Stout The satisfaction of succeeding as a business owner can be unparalleled - achieving millions in sales by starting with an idea and a plan, weathering ups and downs and giving dozens, hundreds or even thousands of employees a chance to earn a living. Inevitably, there will come a time when change is necessary, and one of the most … [Read more...] about Strategic Alternatives Through an Owner’s Eyes: Ownership Transitions
Moving on Over: Manufacturing in China Helps Grow US Operations
by Brittany Willes, contributing writer Plastics Business Overseas manufacturing. It's a phrase that likely conjures images of overcrowded factories in distant lands while American factories sit abandoned and rotting. It is a phrase that can leave a bad taste in the mouths of some Americans, but - as with most stories - there is more than one side to consider. Some … [Read more...] about Moving on Over: Manufacturing in China Helps Grow US Operations
2017 Plastics Industry Outlook: Optimistic and Automated
by Ashley Turrell Burleson, operations support specialist MAPP, Inc. More than 90 percent of plastics processing executives anticipate either steady or increased business activity for 2017, according to the recent State of the Plastics Industry Report from the Manufacturers Association for Plastics Processors (MAPP). In its 17th year, MAPP's annual State of the Plastics … [Read more...] about 2017 Plastics Industry Outlook: Optimistic and Automated