COMMITTEE ON EQUIPMENT STATISTICS ANNUAL & QUARTERLY REPORTS

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Tommy Southall
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infoserv@socplas.org

Order Information | Executive Summary | Equipment Definitions

Providing data available only from SPI, these uniquely valuable studies report annual and quarterly data on shipments -- in units and dollars -- of plastics injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, auxiliary equipment and plastics equipment components (screws and barrels), based on data collected directly from the equipment suppliers.

The reports are available in either of two options: an annual summary (includes 4th quarter report) or the most recent quarterly update.

SPI's exclusive, current and accurate business survey of the plastics machinery and auxiliary equipment industry is a "must-have" for anyone who needs to follow this sector of the plastics industry. Order your annual or quarterly report today!

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2006 ANNUAL REPORT

The Society of the Plastics Industry's Committee on Equipment Statistics has published its 2006 Annual and Fourth Quarter 2006 Report. This report provides data on equipment shipments for the entire year 2006 as well as the fourth quarter of 2006, relevant economic indicators and plastics equipment trends and a forecast for 2007.

SPI's CES publishes this report to be a beneficial and important tool for examining and understanding the U.S. plastics machinery and equipment industry.* Companies that manufacture or import injection, extrusion, blow molding, auxiliary and component equipment that are not currently participating in the SPI Committee on Equipment Statistics may be eligible to participate in the program. Participants receive detailed monthly or quarterly reports on shipments in these plastics equipment sectors. For more information, contact SPI's Machinery Division at (202) 974-5296, visit us online, or write us at SPI Committee on Equipment Statistics, 1667 K Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006-1620.

Report Contributors
The SPI's Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) contributed important data and direction in the publication of this report. A comprehensive list of participants reporting their own confidential company statistics to the CES through its third party fiduciary is included in the appendix.

Research Consultants
The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. prepares this report using data compiled by VERIS Consulting, LLC, which conducts numerous primary and secondary research studies for plastics equipment manufacturers, raw material suppliers and plastics processors. VERIS specializes in using Internet technologies to efficiently and accurately collect information and provide knowledge to a broad array of industries.

The industry analysis that appears in this report was contributed by Mountaintop Economics & Research, Inc., a supplier of market analyses and forecasts for decision makers in the plastics industry. Mountaintop founder Bill Wood is a Harvard-educated economist with more than 18 years of experience in industrial market analysis.

Primary Plastics Equipment Shipments
CES participants – manufacturers or importers of plastics equipment in the United States – shipped slightly more than $1 billion of product in 2006, excluding components and auxiliary equipment – a 4 percent decrease from 2005.

2006 Fourth Quarter Review and Outlook for 2007
After adjusting for inflation, total U.S. business investment in industrial equipment (the category that includes plastics machinery and equipment) expanded 6 percent in 2006 when compared with 2005. This is higher than the 3.3 percent growth rate for the overall U.S. economy in 2006. Unfortunately, the strongest growth in both the overall economy and also in the capital spending data occurred in the first half of last year. In the fourth quarter, the growth rate for business investment in capital equipment was up only a modest 1 percent when compared with a year earlier, and it was down 1 percent when compared with the third quarter total. This gradual downtrend may well persist through the first half of 2007, but spending for new equipment should begin to pick up in the second half of this year. For 2007 as a whole, the forecast is for no change in total investment for new industrial equipment when compared with 2006.

The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., April 2007

Table of Contents

Plastic Equipment Covered and Equipment Definitions

AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS: Auxiliary equipment and systems include those items that support the primary processing machines (injection molding equipment, blow molding and extrusion equipment). They include circulating temperature controllers, chiller and cooling towers, plastic material blenders, plastic resin conveyors (pneumatic), bulk storage tanks, dryers, granulators and robotics. All auxiliary numbers include both imports and exports.

BLOW MOLDING: Blow molding is a method of forming hollow articles out of thermoplastic materials. Blow molding machinery includes: extrusion blow molding machines (single and multiple stations) with accumulator heads and continuous extrusion heads for mono and multiple layers. All blow molding numbers include domestic machines and exports as well as imports.

COMPONENTS: Components include plasticating and rubber processing barrels, as well as plasticating screws used in injection molding equipment and single screw extrusion machines.

EXTRUSION: Extrusion processing is the method employed to form thermoplastic materials into continuous sheeting, film, tubes, rods, profile shapes and filaments, and to coat wire, cable and cord. Extrusion machines include single screw machines such as blown film, sheet, cast film, extrusion coating, laminating, pipe, profile, tubing, wire, cable, fiber, textile, compounding, pelletizing and reclaim. They also include twin screw machines, which are sheet film, extrusion and pelletizing. All extrusion numbers include both imports and exports.

INJECTION MOLDING: Injection molding is the principal method of forming thermoplastic materials. Machine types included are: vertical/horizontal, electric/hydraulic and multi/single material machines. All injection molding numbers include both imports and exports, unless otherwise noted.

Additional information regarding plastic processing methods...

* This report of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) Committee on Equipment Statistics has been developed in accordance with our antitrust guidelines for statistical programs. Individual company data is collected by a third-party fiduciary, VERIS Consulting, LLC (VERIS), in Reston, Virginia. Only aggregate data is included in this report; all individual company data is held in strict confidence by VERIS. The report is believed to be as accurate as possible, based on data reported through our program and our antitrust guidelines, but SPI, MOUNTAINTOP ECONOMICS AND RESEARCH, INC., and VERIS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR ANY OTHER MATTER, REGARDING THE CONTENT OF THE REPORT. SPI, MOUNTAINTOP ECONOMICS AND RESEARCH, INC., and VERIS also disclaim any liability associated with the accuracy of the data or information contained in the report and are not responsible or liable for its use.

Quarterly Reports

In addition to the annual report, SPI's Committee on Equipment Statistics also publishes quarterly reports on U.S. machinery and equipment sales.

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