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
Financials
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
North American Outlook: Inflation Is the Focus
By Chris Kuehl, managing director, Armada Corporate Intelligence There has been a great deal of mood shifting as 2023 gets underway. At this juncture, it is as easy to find a pessimist predicting a deep and long recession as it is finding an optimist asserting the downturn will be mild. Why the variability? The easy answer is that some very significant motivators for the … [Read more...] about North American Outlook: Inflation Is the Focus
What to Make of Recession Angst
by Chris Kuehl, managing director, Armada Corporate Intelligence I really don’t want to be a media basher – really, I don’t. I understand that this is a tough task and that those in the media are trying to explain very complicated issues in a sound bite or two. I never know where blame lies – on the consumers who seem to have the attention span of a gnat or the media outlets … [Read more...] about What to Make of Recession Angst
Employee Benefits: Rising Costs vs. Necessary Incentives
by Maggie Taylor, writer, Plastics Business Employers in virtually every industry are struggling to attract and retain high-quality employees. Large and small businesses alike are scrambling to overhaul their wage and benefit structures to remain competitive in a highly volatile employment market. Many companies have found themselves locked in constant competition with other … [Read more...] about Employee Benefits: Rising Costs vs. Necessary Incentives