Management

Today's metalworking environment has changed dramatically over the past two decades but many apprenticeship programs haven't matched those changes.

Phillips Plastics Corp. announced that it has started the process of changing its name to Phillips-Medisize Corp., reflecting the acquisition of Medisize, Inc. last August.

Tessy Plastics is investing $4.8 million to expand its plant in Lynchburg, VA, to target the medical disposables market.

The expansion will create 60 new jobs, according to an announcement by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

"As the second injection molding company expansion announcement in Virginia in the last 45 days, this project is testament to this important plastics processing sector," said McDonnell.

Retirement brings with it a lot of major decisions, especially for company owners who've grown a successful business over many decades like James Dow, founder, President and CEO of Diversified Plastics Inc. While there are many options, the one that Dow chose to continue the success of his 35-year-old company was to sell to the employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Coming to pharmacies this fall is a battery-operated ingestible pill that sends signals to a skin-mounted patch to indicate your response to medications, including heart rate, respiration and temperature.

Proteus Biomedical (Redwood City, CA) and Lloyds Pharmacy of the United Kingdom are launching Helius, a digital health product in the vanguard of a wireless revolution that will create an estimated $4 billion market in the healthcare field.

The last two decades have been a roller coaster ride for many molding companies and their employees. But for three long-time plastics industry management people, the lessons learned have been incorporated into their injection molding business, which started out small but has seen good growth and expansion.  Three partners, all vice presidents, are Rod Bricker, Gerry Phillips and Jerry Williams. The trio started Prism Plastics LLC.

Clare Goldsberry wrote an interesting article on what happens when buyers put so much pressure on their Tier 1 suppliers that they end up in a price fixing investigation with the Feds. This is usually simply about money.

But first, a short lesson in contract law. You get an RFQ, and you quote the job. The result is one of three basic purchase orders.

PVC is under heavy fire again - and this time the shots are coming from major corporate customers, not public health researchers. Kaiser Permanente, a huge West Coast health provider, is banning use of PVC in tubing and bags and P&G is replacing PVC packaging in toothbrush containers with PET, which is more easily recyclable.

It's not too late to make a New Year's Resolution, so here's one for molders and moldmakers: "I resolve not to be the weak link in the supply chain." In the latest Supplier Survey report from the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), it was evident that the supply base is a huge concern for the Tier 1 suppliers.

Hubertus Schulte, who recently stepped down as CEO of compounding extruder supplier, Leistritz Extrusiontechnik, has taken over responsibility for technology and production within the management team of Engel Austria.