Officials of Milacron Inc. have cleared up any doubt: The largest U.S. maker of plastics machinery will exhibit at NPE2009.
Milacron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy March 10 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Cincinnati.
A combination of factors — the Chapter 11 status, the global recession and the fact that several other machinery companies have withdrawn from NPE2009 — has caused some people to question whether Milacron would exhibit.
Dave Lawrence, president and chief executive officer, laid to rest those rumors in an announcement issued April 16.
“Despite the financial challenges we are all facing, one thing that has been clear is the unwavering support from the industry for Milacron,” Lawrence said. “The trend for some industry suppliers is to pull out of the show, but we feel that being there for our customers, and continuing to support the industry that has been so good to us, is the right decision.”
A Milacron executive, Glenn Anderson, is vice chairman of the NPE2009 Operations Committee for show organizer the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. of Washington. At Milacron, Anderson is vice president and general manager of injection molding for North America and the global extrusion business.
Based in Batavia, Ohio, Milacron makes injection molding presses, blow molding machines, extruders, structural foam molding machines and D-M-E mold components.
Bob Starr, director of global marketing services for D-M-E and Milacron's NPE Committee leader, said SPI's “stimulus package” to reduce costs for exhibitors has helped machinery makers.
“We've been able to maintain a prominent presence at the show while keeping our costs in line with a smaller footprint,” Starr said.
Details about Milacron's trade show exhibit, and the number of machines it will show, are not available yet.
But at the show, Milacron will focus on “earth friendly” technologies aimed at energy and scrap reduction, sustainability and other cost-saving efforts.
Lawrence said Milacron did not need bankruptcy-court approval, since exhibiting at NPE2009 is considered “an ordinary course of business.” Milacron's lenders support the company exhibiting at the show, he said.
Milacron officials said there are strong benefits for exhibiting in the show, scheduled for June 22-26 in Chicago. That includes keeping a pulse on the industry, hearing the needs of customers firsthand and sharing ways the company can help customers remain competitive.