Nearly 150 industry leaders participated in Plastics News' Executive Forum 2003, held Jan. 26-29 at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix. The event began Sunday with fun-filled, sun-baked casual networking capped by a marathon Super Bowl party. The next two tightly packed conference days featured 32 speakers and moderators who offered insights and candid dialogue on everything from honing your supply chain, getting lean, competing globally, designing and recycling products responsibly, gleaning M&A tips, and assessing end-market and materials prospects. See below for links to news coverage from the event. Tech Group's Steve Uhlmann (left) and Precise's John Weeks (right) receive the honors for their companies from PN's Robert Grace The shrimp and champagne flowed at Monday evening's sparkling awards reception for Plastics News Processor of the Year – co-sponsored by Ernst & Young Corporate Finance Inc. The event honored 2002's four finalists and revealed Precise Technology Inc. and Tech Group Inc. as the first co-winners in the award's seven-year history. Click here for full coverage. The event officially concluded Tuesday evening with a well-attended Mexican fiesta, followed Wednesday morning by an optional tour of Tech Group's highly automated mold-making Customer/Engineering Center in Scottsdale. News coverage from the Forum: Flextronics looks outside for complex molding help Vinyl siding makers seek to reinvent their product Medtronic counts on supplier competition Speaker expects volatile PE market this year Attitude plays role in company comebacks Lean practices help keep companies afloat More resin makers to do own compounding Resin Technology adds four to work force PET in N. America may feel short-term pressure TPOs gain vs. PVC, but have way to go Precise Technology, Tech Group tie for PN award Nypro, Tessy boosting business in China Big benzene prices, overcapacity plague PC M&A activity may be trickling back after drought Profine Molds beefs up competitiveness with R&D Forum co-sponsors: