What Keeps You Up At Night?: Recent Episodes
Brennan Lafferty
A one-on-one discussion with executives in the plastics industry with Plastics News Publisher Brennan Lafferty.
You know things are going well when 20 percent and 30 percent growth is what your business is dealing with the last couple years. That’s the situation Tom Thompson finds himself in at Teel Plastics.
Tom Flannery, president of Formula Plastics, discusses how his company picked which customers to work with to foster the incredible growth this Mexico-based plastic molder saw in 2020 and continues to see this year.
Petra Cullman, executive director, exhibitions, at Messe Dusseldorf, talks about her organization's first foray into South America, the status of trade shows globally and the triennial K2022 and what plastics industry visitors can expect to see in Germany next year.
Many qualities separate Sussex IM from its competitors in the plastics industry. CEO Keith Everson discusses its in-mold labeling business, the unexpected growth from 2020, its new clean room and more for this 500-employee operation in Wisconsin.
Entrepreneur Ana Silva launched Comitatvs two years ago in Boston, hoping to bring sustainable materials to smaller companies that struggle to access and afford such plastics.
Dielectric Manufacturing is part of the family-owned manufacturing fabric in the plastics industry with the third generation of leaders like Michael Esser Jr. taking on key roles as the company expands.
Matt Seaholm, vice president of government affairs at the Plastics Industry Association, discusses bag bans, single-use plastics and the 2021 legislative agenda for his organization.
Some manufacturing companies have wellness programs, but few boast the full-time employment of nurses like DiLuzio. She and Welton discuss the Plastek Group's safety measures during the COVID-19 outbreak, how employees are coping and the company's longstanding wellness program.
Polytech Plastic Molding has created a new faceshield that owner Jim Benton says aids in halting the spread of COVID-19 in more than one way.
The general manager of DeKalb Molded Plastics talks about his new product, his hopes for 2021 and how the the Indiana-based molder is planning for new customers.
Sustainable Plastics Editor Karen Laird talks about the COVID crisis in Europe, the Fakuma trade show and some of the big stories she's worked on in 2020.
Cascade Engineering President & CEO Christina Keller talks health (physical, financial and mental) for her team, success in the waste management sector and the unknown that is 2021.
As chief inclusion officer, Karen Carter is leading Dow's efforts on equality, diversity and justice issues set against the backdrop in the U.S. of deaths in the Black community that led to protests domestically and worldwide.
The head of GW Plastics talks about his experience helping the Vermont governor open up businesses in his home state and investments GW is making as it expands.
Tammy Barras, president of Westec Plastics in Livermore, Calif., discusses the capital investments her company is making now to keep up with medical-related business demand this year and possible reshoring projects in household goods in 2021.
Viking Plastics CEO and President Kelly Goodsel gives his global perspective on the plastics industry, especially the automotive industry.
Grocery stores, eating at home and recycled plastics all line up for Cathy Browne, general manager at Crown Poly in Huntington Park, California.
More talented women in the workforce is one of the priorities of Stephanie Baldi, vice president of human resources, at Westfall Technik.
John Hoskins, chief commercial officer at Ernie Green Industries, discusses the growth of the medical industry and its positive impact on key suppliers like his company.
Nicolet Plastics CEO Tony Cavalco has never seen his sales staff as busy as it today, an amazing development during a time when most sales teams are grappling for ways to interact with customers.
The Robson Co. is using its injection molding machines to jumpstart a humanitarian effort in Alabama that has stretched from Michigan to throughout the Southeast.
Jeff Ignatowski, vice president of sales and marketing at Grand Traverse Plastics, discusses how this Michigan-based plastics company remains aggressive during an uncertain business climate.
Geoff Foster, president of Core Technology Molding, talks about the growth his North Carolina company is experiencing despite the global economic slowdown.
Human resources managers face new challenges in the face of a pandemic with many workers at home and yet some essential workers still reporting to the factory floor.
The president of a plastics company in Connecticut near New York City finds himself in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. His response: Shift his manufacturing process to help combat the virus.
An interview with Troy Nix, executive director of three associations: MAPP, the Manufacturers Association of Plastics Processors; AMBA, the American Mold Builders Association; and ARPM, the Association for Rubber Product Manufacturers.