Contact: Donna Dempsey
(202) 974-5218

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Summit to Bring Together United States, Canadian Plastics Industries

Washington (March 2, 2001) — The Canada-United States Plastics Alliance Summit, set for March 28-29, 2001 in Erie, Pa., will provide a forum to promote information exchange and cooperative ventures between the plastics industries of the two nations, while fostering overall plastics industry growth and competitiveness through an impressive program of speakers, business seminars, workshops and networking opportunities.

The event, which is being presented by a consortium of industry, academic and government organizations, including The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA), will focus specifically on the plastics industry in the Great Lakes Region, which includes upstate New York, Western Pennsylvania and Southern Ontario, and will include presentations designed to help companies in the region be more competitive.

“The summit is a unique opportunity for plastics companies, educators and government officials in the Great Lakes Region to explore opportunities for information exchange between the U.S. and Canadian plastics industries and discuss issues important to competing in a global marketplace,” said Donna Dempsey, SPI director of Mid-Atlantic operations. Canada is the U.S. plastics industry's leading trade partner.

A legion of industry and government leaders will be among the speakers at the summit. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge (R) has been invited to give the summit's opening address. Dennis Lauzon, president of Dow Chemical Canada, will be the keynote speaker at the March 29 luncheon.

SPI President Donald K. Duncan will share the results of SPI's economic study, particularly its findings with respect to the Great Lakes Region. Duncan also will discuss the industry's economic outlook for 2001 and beyond. In addition, CPIA's Faris Shammas will address the Canadian Cluster at the summit.

Business sessions will address manufacturing agility, environmental issues, e-commerce and workforce development. The summit also will include a tour of the Penn State-Erie plastic processing laboratory, one of the premier facilities in the United States.

The Great Lakes Region has one of the largest concentrations of the plastics industry in North America, comprising more than 2,600 plastics companies. The Canada-U.S. Plastics Alliance was formed in 1999 to facilitate trade, partnering, technology exchange, investment, educational alliances for training and research and identification of product and service suppliers. The first summit, held in April 1999 in Ontario, attracted more than 100 attendees.

For more information or to register for the summit, visit www.cpia.ca or contact CPIA at (905) 678-7405, ext. 243.

Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc is the trade association representing one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States. SPI's 1,600 members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw material suppliers. The U.S. plastics industry employs 1.5 million workers and provides $304 billion in annual shipments.

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association is an industry trade association dedicated to advance the prosperity and international competitiveness of the Canadian plastics industry in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. It has offices in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Back to Top

More About SPI:   Vision and Mission . Membership . Business Units . Regional Offices . News and Publications . Calendar of Events . Terms and Conditions of Use