Novatec, Maguire pull out of NPE

Under normal circumstances, auxiliary suppliers Maguire Products (Aston, PA) and Novatec Inc. (Baltimore, MD) say they would be building equipment to display and spending “hundreds of thousands of dollars” on NPE, but as these are not “normal times,” according to a joint statement from Steve Maguire, president of Maguire Products, and Conrad Bessemer, president and CEO of Novatec, the companies have decided to forgo the five-day event this June. Novatec’s John Kraft told PlasticsToday the companies expect to save $750,000 by not exhibiting, but stressed that wasn’t the point. “It isn’t so much a matter of how much we will save,” Kraft said, “because we intend to put most of that money into R&D for new products, personnel, new websites, and a 24/7 virtual trade show online.” Novatec was slotted with a 5000 sq ft space in the South hall, with Maguire to occupy 4000 sq ft in McCormick’s North building. Steve Maguire is the majority owner of Novatec. 

Novatec and Maguire laid out the alternative plans for the NPE investment in a release, saying instead of the triennial show organized by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI; Washington, DC), they will take resources budgeted for NPE2009 (June 22-26, McCormick Place, Chicago) and put them towards enhancing their web program, preserving jobs, and “dramatically accelerating our new technology programs.” The web program includes what the companies call a 24/7 virtual trade show where processors can undertake a web-based tour of new technology from their own computer.

Instead of incentivizing the companies to stick with NPE, Kraft told PlasticsToday that SPI’s Stimulus Package actually pushed the company towards exiting. “The stimulus package was weighted heavily in favor of the largest exhibitors,” Kraft said. “Our largest competitor has a space 60% larger than ours, but with the stimulus package, their cost for that larger space would have been almost the same as the cost for our much smaller space.” Kraft said the companies are not planning on exhibiting at any other North American shows this year.

In response to the decision by Maguire and Novatec to opt out of NPE2009, SPI president Bill Carteaux says, “SPI regrets Maguire/Novatec’s decision to cancel its exhibit at NPE2009, particularly when our NPE2009 Stimulus Package has made substantial incentives available for exhibitors.” In terms of where NPE2009 stands at this point, Carteaux said the total number of exhibiting companies is currently running 170 ahead of NPE2006 at the same point in time, with an average of 1500 sq ft of exhibit space sold per week to companies across the globe. SPI says hotel blocks and attendee registration numbers have started to spike in April, as they typically have, since historically almost 80% of all NPE attendees register after April 15.

“Much of the global plastics industry will indeed convene in Chicago June 22-26 to meet face-to-face with suppliers, professional peers, business contacts, and potential partners,” Carteaux says, “all looking for a way forward.” —[email protected]