Plastics News Daily Report - May 9, 2018 - 76

76 ‹ PLASTICS NEWS DAILY REPORT ‹ May 9, 2018

Processors cite need for collaboration 20/20 Custom Molded
with resin supply chain in report
Plastics prepares for
Plastics News Report
More than 90 percent of respondents to a survey of plastics
industry professionals said supplier collaboration is essential to
driving value in their business.
Some 76 percent agree that
the future development of sustainable products to meet consumer demand can only be done
through supply chain collaboration.
Those findings were published
at NPE2018 in a Plastics Industry
Materials & Technology Trends
report conducted by the research
division of Plastics News.
The report was designed to
uncover key business issues impacting the plastics supply chain,
explore the changing preferences
of brand owners and consumers,
and gain insight into the evolving
role of material suppliers.
"From a timing perspective, it
was important to produce this
report to coincide with one of
the premier plastics trade shows
in the world to show what has
changed in the industry since
the last NPE in 2015," said Kelley
Trost, research director of Plastics News.
The report was based on an
April 2018 survey of 634 plastics
business professionals and was

sponsored by Nova Chemicals
Corp.
Key findings include:
* The highly visible role of materials suppliers. Suppliers are expected to understand customers'
needs, enhance supply and delivery services, develop high-quality
products and provide advanced
technical support. Ninety-two
percent of respondents say that
supplier collaboration is critical
to driving value in their business,
while 73 percent agree that the
success of their business is directly related to their materials
suppliers' success.
* The impact of an evolving
market. Changing consumer
preferences, demographics and
brand owner demands are challenging suppliers, converters and
plastics packaging manufacturers
to realign product offerings, technological capabilities and growth
strategies to be competitive.
* Adapting to a changing supply
chain. From product design, component specification and supplier
selection, to the manufacture of
high-performance products, the
value chain from chemicals to
plastics has become increasingly
complex. To meet this challenge,
companies are focusing on operational excellence, driving innovation and collaboration.

* The shifting focus on sustainability. "Recycling technology"
tops the list of technologies that
need to be enhanced to better
meet the growing demand for recyclable packaging.
"We had an excellent response
to the survey," Trost said. "The
broad cross-section of participants and high percentage of indepth answers to the open-ended
questions provided great insight
into the industry today, such as
companies' priorities and challenges, and what they need to
stay competitive in the global
market."
More than half of the respondents were plastics processors.
Others included original equipment manufacturers, suppliers,
mold makers, distributors and
brand owners.
"The results of this survey
are timely and shed light on the
state of the industry," said Alan
Schrob, marketing group leader
of rigid products for Nova Chemicals. "There are important lessons that companies should take
advantage of to stay ahead of the
curve."
Copies of the complete report
are available at Plastics News'
booth W6663 at NPE2018, PlasticsNews.com or at Nova Chemicals' NPE suite at W207AB.

arrival of huge press
By David Hutton
Plastics News Staff
When it comes to parts and machinery, 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics Ltd. never does anything small.
The Holiday City, Ohio-based custom molder specializes in low-pressure structural foam gas-assist injection molding. It is now reaching
new heights with a 6,600-ton Milacron press at its Ohio plant. The
machine features a 200-pound shot.
20/20 Custom Molded Plastics is
an exhibitor at NPE2018 in Orlando, Fla. According to President Ron
Ernsberger, the press is among the
largest in the industry and the largest produced by Milacron.
"They will build and assemble
the machine right on our floor in
Holiday City," he said.
The machine features a platen
so large, it had to be cast in China
because there isn't anyone domestically who can cast the platen. It
will be shipped to the U.S. by boat.
Ernsberger also noted that the
company is working with Ranger
Automation Systems for a robot
large enough to work with the machine.
And the shot size sets the bar for

BOOTH S34022
20/20 CUSTOM MOLDED
PLASTICS LTD.
the industry.
"It really is one of the first machines of its size and output," he
said. "We will be able to sell in areas
nobody in the industry has been
able to go."
The company is investing about
$20 million in an expansion at its
Holiday City facility, including the
new machine.
In 2017, 20/20 Custom Molded
Plastics purchased a second plant
in Bluffton, Ind., and David Rupp,
Ernsberger's partner in the company, said the company is in the
design phase of an expansion at the
facility.
"If everything goes perfectly, we
could start work in March of 2019,"
he said.
The company spent $27 million
to acquire the facility, and the expansion is expected to cost about
$10 million and will ensure the company can bring larger presses into
the facility. It also will include a 125ton crane.

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