Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
March 24, 1997 01:00 AM

EX-SPI CHIEFS URGE CAUTION IN APC MERGER

Steve Toloken
Assistant Managing Editor
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print

    WASHINGTON — In moves that highlight processor skittishness about merging the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. with the American Plastics Council, nine former SPI officers are urging SPI to reject any deal unless APC decides to ``take a proper place under the SPI banner.''

    Seven past chairmen and two treasurers of SPI sent a letter March 11 to current Chairman Patrick Jack, senior vice president of chemicals at Fina Oil and Chemical Co., that said ``to do otherwise runs the risk of a perceived `takeover' of SPI by APC, which we are fearful will divide the membership and the unity we have all strived to maintain.''

    Those who signed the letter include former chairmen Ripley Gage, chairman of Gage Industries Inc.; Robert Hoffer, president of Hoffer Plastics Corp.; and William Bradbury, former president of PMS Consolidated; and former treasurer Bruce Ray, president of Ray Products Co. Inc. A copy of the letter was obtained by Plastics News.

    Jack responded that many of the issues in the letter have been solved. Both SPI and APC have agreed that SPI's balance between processors, machinery makers and resin suppliers and its name will be maintained after any merger.

    He said: ``I don't have any reason to believe the balance in a unified organization will be any different than it is now.''

    Concern over the shape of any potential merger is also bubbling up from the ranks of SPI, with the Molders Division board unanimously passing a resolution at its March 12 meeting reflecting ``strong feelings'' that SPI remain a processor organization, according to Donald Dew, division chairman and president and chief executive officer of Diemolding Corp.

    ``If there was an alternative structure, it potentially has a negative impact on support they would get for processor issues'' such as workers certification, dues restructuring and the Framework for the Future, he said.

    The SPI Moldmakers Division also is considering a resolution on the ``terms and conditions'' of any merger, said Jerry Lirette, the SPI board representative for mold makers and president of D-M-E Co.

    ``Everyone is in favor but the question is under what terms and conditions,'' he said.

    SPI President Larry Thomas declined to comment and APC President and CEO Red Cavaney said the letter is an internal SPI matter. APC Chairman Robert Gower, chairman of Lyondell Petrochemical, did not return a telephone call.

    SPI and APC officials previously have said that their merger talks are in a ``feasibility study'' phase. APC is made up largely of resin suppliers. APC members are also part of SPI, but that organization gets about 40 percent of its core dues from processors, 40 percent from resin suppliers and 20 percent from machinery makers and others.

    The letter from the former SPI officials said that a single organization to represent the plastics industry is preferred to the current split, and said the signers are ``grateful for the helping hand'' from chemical company CEOs who lead both APC and the Chemical Manufacturers Association.

    ``On the other hand,'' the officials wrote, ``we do not believe the APC's 26 members should now create a plastics industry crisis by seeking to take over SPI or have it bend to APC's will.''

    Jack said that ``the perception that the chemical industry is taking over the plastics industry trade association — I have a hard time understanding that.''

    Members need to let the task force studying unification do its work, he said.

    He said he was ``disappointed'' that the letter writers were not aware that SPI's board passed a resolution on Jan. 24 saying that preserving the group's organization and name are ``high priorities.''

    Several officials who signed the letter said they could not give specific examples of why they suggested that chemical companies want to ``take over,'' but William Mericle, SPI chairman from 1983-84, suggested larger companies may not like that a small injection molding company has the same voting power as DuPont. Robert Hoffer, SPI chairman from 1973-74, said the concern about how APC would change SPI is more of a what-if situation.

    The letter said APC should return to its original missions of solid waste and advertisements to promote plastics, and ``should not be using its resources on matters like mold lien legislation, the creation of state organizations and the like.''

    APC and SPI combined their state government lobbying arms in January, an effort for which APC pays about 90 percent of the cost, said APC President and CEO Red Cavaney. The two groups simply combined their existing state lobbying efforts and expenses, he said.

    A statement of unification principles adopted by APC Jan. 14 said that ``if preliminary prospects for unification are not deemed likely, such efforts should be sunsetted and the joint state government affairs arrangement revisited.'' Cavaney said that APC is committed to the joint effort and has found it ``extraordinarily successful'' but said that if the two organizations do not ``come together, the larger question of who pays for what will have to be discussed.''

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Illinois AG sues 14 firms over PFAS contamination
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Illinois AG sues 14 firms over PFAS contamination
    2
    Auto supplier Seoyon E-Hwa to invest $76M, add 740 jobs in Georgia
    3
    Higher sales, lower profit for LyondellBasell
    4
    Slowing demand for thermoformed PET leads to Genpak plant closure
    5
    Top-dollar deals, repeat buyers highlight 2022 M&A
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified