economics
Energy-Saving Dryer Pays Off In an Uncertain Economy
Plastics processors struggling through the recession need to save energy costs where they can, they need an affordable means to do so, and they could use energy-saving technology that pays for itself during times when plant throughputs are variable and below optimum capacity utilization.
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Outlook - April 2009
Despite the high hopes that prevailed at the beginning of 2009, it is increasingly apparent that a self-sustaining recovery in the U.S. economy will not get under way until 2010.
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Outlook - March 2009
The U.S. economy remains mired in the worst downturn since the Great Depression, but recent indicators suggest that demand for many manufacturing products at least started to stabilize in the first quarter.
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They’re Multiplying Everywhere!
Preoccupied as you may have been lately by high resin prices, a stagnating economy, overseas competitors, hurricane disruptions, and the credit crunch, not to mention the chaos on Wall Street, you may not have noticed something new and different sprouting up all around you, so to speak.
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Economic Outlook - June 2008
The U.S. appliance industry remains stuck in the throes of a two-year downturn that has seen domestic production fall 15% from its peak in 2006. But the good news is that the decline is decelerating, which indicates that it will soon hit bottom and will start the recovery phase shortly thereafter. Appliance output was down 8% in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the same period a year earlier. We forecast a more moderate decline of 2% in 2008 followed by a 4% to 6% rise in 2009.
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Economic Outlook - May 2008
Plastic bottle demand will pick up gradually in the second half of this year as the U.S. economy, particularly consumer spending, slowly regains momentum.
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PUR Machinery Gains in Versatility and Economy
Polyurethane equipment at K 2007 in Dusseldorf showed incremental advances in cost-effectiveness and ability to handle a wide range of applications.
Read MoreYour Business Recycle Pricing - December 2007
Recycled products are in hot demand as virgin resin prices continue to escalate. As a result, recycled PS prices have gone up 3垄 to 8垄 over the past year, and recycled PVC in some markets has risen up to 10垄/lb. Still, recycled material remains more affordable than virgin, but it is getting tougher and tougher to find. However, the outlook for recycled pricing and demand 2008 is as uncertain as the future state of the U.S. economy.
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Making Safety Profitable
Worker safety and health are every molder’s responsibility, but the approach taken by Mack Molding Co., Arlington, Vt., helped it gain significant production and revenue returns.
Read MoreDon’t Miss the Plastics ‘Weather Report’
No one can predict the weather for certain … and the same goes for movement of the economy.
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