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Industry Information and Statistics SPI Data Helps Processors Manage Their Businesses . . . SPI's 43rd Financial & Operating Ratios Survey is open for participation through April 29, 2005. This important management tool takes the financial pulse of the plastics processing industry, with results presented as composite operating statements, balance sheets and statistical data. SPI members can add to the benefit of the survey by participating; the more respondents there are, the more valuable the published results will be. SPI is actively seeking the participation of all plastics processing companies in the United States. We hope you will encourage other processors in your industry or area to complete the survey. Participants will receive a free confidential, customized electronic report that provides the company's rank in key statistical ratios. To complete the survey, link to the Web at https://secure.verisconsulting.com/SPIFINOPS/2004/. For more information, contact Tommy Southall, (202) 974-5257; e-mail tsouthal@socplas.org.
SPI Annual Report On the Way . . . SPI's Annual Report for 2004 is a concise summary of the many services, business solutions and cost savings provided by SPI's programs and activities throughout the year. The report gives members an overview of the value received in return for their dues investment, as well as an understanding of the active involvement of both SPI staff and committed members in promoting the viability and growth of the plastics industry through advocacy, outreach and business development initiatives. The report, along with its companion piece, the Year in Review, has been mailed to all SPI voting representatives, but any SPI member may request a copy by contacting Paula Weis, (202) 974-5282; e-mail pweis@socplas.org. To download a printable PDF of the Annual Report and Year in Review, link to the SPI Web site at http://www.plasticsindustry.org/about/news.htm.
Johnson Chosen to Head EPA . . . President Bush Friday nominated Stephen Johnson, acting head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to take the top job there, replacing Michael Leavitt, now serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Johnson, who spoke to SPI's Executive Board and governance group members last fall about his Agency and the association's excellent working relationship with it, has been with the EPA for 24 years. In announcing the nomination, President Bush called Johnson "the first professional scientist to lead the EPA." The Unknown Price of Our Regulatory Tab . . . How much lower is your real income because of excessive regulation? And how much higher is unemployment because of too much regulation? In his latest syndicated column, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council Board Member Dr. Richard Rahn writes about the troublesome problem of the regulatory burden on U.S. consumers. Economists have made great strides over the last few decades, Rahn writes, but it is still very difficult to determine the true damage caused by government regulations. Furthermore, he says, until these costs are fully understood, onerous regulations will continue to inhibit and destroy our economic prosperity. "Politicians and government bureaucrats love to propose and enact new regulations under the guise of 'making things better,' but they rarely talk about, let alone give out, the new regulations' full cost," says Rahn. "With its full costs unmeasured, the growing regulatory monster is slowly strangling economic growth and eroding our liberties. And this is a global problem." "Hard-Hitting" Business Issues on the Agenda for Spring Conference . . . From a snapshot on the economy as seen by a Harvard-educated economist and an analysis of resin pricing and availability, to advice on competing in the global market from a 32 year veteran of international manufacturing around the globe, the Spring 2005 Business Conference of SPI's Machinery, Molders and Moldmakers Divisions will delve into a variety of hot business issues facing plastics machinery, molders and moldmakers. Planned for May 1-4, 2005, at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, AZ, the event also will include a keynote address from NBC News Commentator and Former Dean of the National War College, Col. Kenneth Allard, who will discuss "The War of Business Management." For more information or to register, link to the Web at http://www.plasticsmachinery.org/05mmmconference.htm or contact Jennifer Jones, (202) 974-5231; e-mail jjones@socplas.org.
Groups Plan International Food Packaging Conference . . . SPI's Food, Drug and Cosmetic Packaging Materials Committee (FDCPMC), along with the Food Products Association (formerly the National Food Processors Association) will present an "International Conference on Worldwide Regulation of Food Packaging in the Era of the European Union SuperRegulation, BSE, GMOs and Potential Bioterrorism." To be held June 20-23, 2005, at the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington, VA, the event will feature experts from government and industry around the world discussing regulatory obstacles to global marketing of food packaging materials and efforts to overcome those obstacles. Among the confirmed speakers are Dr. Luigi Rossi, principal administrator of the Health and Consumer Protection at the European Commission; Dr.Mitchell Cheeseman from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Food Additive Safety; Dr. Marissa Padulla of MERCOSOR (Brazil); and Jack Donald of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Invitations also have been extended to speakers from China, Thailand, Japan and Korea. For more information or to register, link to the Web at http://www.plasticsindustry.org/public/fooddrug.htm#Events or contact Susan Howe, (202) 974-5223; e-mail showe@socplas.org. For more information about SPI Link, mailing list additions/deletions, or to receive the publication by e-mail, contact Paula Weis, (202) 974-5282; e-mail pweis@socplas.org. More About SPI: Vision and Mission . Membership . Business Units . Regional Offices . News and Publications . Calendar of Events . Terms and Conditions of Use |
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NPE 2006 Exhibit Space Drawing Attracts Record Crowd . . . Audited figures from the recent NPE 2006 Drawing for Exhibit Space indicate that the space contracted by exhibiting companies amounts to 82.3 percent of the targeted at-show total of 1-million sq.-ft. with fifteen months remaining before the exposition. Drawing for Exhibit Space for the triennial international plastics exhibition was held in Chicago February 22 and 23, and attracted 787 participants, a record number for the event. Of the 857 exhibitors signed on at the Drawing, 137 were companies with addresses outside the U.S. (as distinguished from U.S. subsidiaries or affiliates of foreign companies), and another six were multi-exhibitor "country" pavilions sponsored by organizations outside the U.S. The combined space taken by these two groups was 181,190 sq.-ft., or 22 percent of the total assigned at the Drawing. This space figure is already larger than the corresponding total at the show itself in any previous NPE year, continuing the long-term growth in the international importance of NPE, noted Tim Stojka, chairman of NPE 2006. "Amidst a strengthening economy and a world situation that is more stable and encouraging than at any time since 2001, we fully expect to achieve our exhibit-space target for NPE 2006 and our targeted number of exhibitors as well," said Stojka. "Traditionally the number of companies taking space at NPE Drawings is far smaller than the at-show total. By June of 2006, NPE attendees will have the exhibits of 2,000 companies to choose from." Sponsored by SPI, NPE 2006 will be held June 19-23, 2005, at Chicago's McCormick Place exhibition center and will be the largest international plastics show of the year. For more information, link to 
Health Care Update . . . Congress now has before it both a House and Senate version of related health care legislation. The Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005, (S. 406 and HR.525 in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively), would "help small businesses access greater health insurance options and lower premiums" by allowing them to band together through Small-Business Health Plans (also called Association Health Plans or AHPs). Leading the charge in this bipartisan effort is Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), who have met with support from their peers. Just last week, the House Committee on Small Business discussed the legislation in a hearing "Prescriptions for Health Care Solutions," and the proposed legislation in both the House and Senate has already garnered support from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation's largest small-business advocacy group. On the flip side, groups such as Blue Cross Blue Shield and many of the big labor unions have voiced strong opposition, saying in a March 2 letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, "AHPs are not a solution to the access and affordability problems facing small firms and would, in fact, make the current problem even worse, resulting in higher premiums and less secure coverage for the vast majority of small businesses. AHPs would also take away critically important consumer protections that millions of Americans rely on today." To learn more about health care as it impacts the plastics industry, link to the SPI Web site at 
EPA Ponders Risk Assessment Methodologies . . . According to Risk Policy Report, a draft article being prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for publication in a peer-reviewed journal asserts that the agency's scientists lack sufficient background knowledge to support the use of "probabilistic" approaches to determine toxicity risks from chemicals, despite industry's support for its use. Probabilistic approaches involve using a range of values, instead of single point estimates, as inputs in risk evaluations. EPA officials began reviewing using the approach in setting "safety factors" last year.
Conference To Deliver Fresh Ideas for Bag Manufacturers . . . U.S. manufacturers of plastic bags continue to struggle under a variety of pressures from state and local lawmakers and regulatory agencies, finding their products targeted for de-selection and even elimination. In response, SPI's Film and Bag Federation (FBF) plans a can't-miss opportunity to gain cutting-edge business insights and survival tips from industry experts during its 2005 Spring Conference. To be held April 3-5, 2005, at Disney's BoardWalk Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL, the agenda includes a look at Wal-Mart's new recycling program, as told by Jared Bowen, vice president of operations and development for the world's largest retailer. Also planned is, "RFID Tags: Can Small Companies Afford to Implement," presented in tandem by Bowen and Alan Wyne, IS Manager for Rollpak. A panel discussion, "Bag the Bay City Tax," featuring Laurie Hansen and representatives from Manning, Selvage and Lee, will delve into the $0.17 per-bag fee recently imposed in San Francisco and its implications for bag manufacturers across the country. To learn more about the conference or other FBF activities, link to the Web at