Plastics News by the year: 1992

As Plastics News marks its 25th year of publication, we take a year-by-year look back at some of the events, people and curious coincidences that have shown up its its pages. Check back through the end of the year (not including holidays) to follow along. This year: 1992.

January

Frank Macher, general manager of Ford Motor Co.'s automotive components group's Plastics & Trim Products Division says plastics suppliers should look at working together with metal suppliers in a multi-material approach. “Every day I hear plastics peddlers, aluminum peddlers and steel peddlers. Every day, I see contention, not cooperation.” Macher is now CEO of Continental Structural Plastics, which is seeking new possibilities for composites in the auto industry, and industry leaders continue calling for a multi-material approach to production.

February

The plastic Christmas tree market is beginning to consolidate as Noma Industries Ltd. of Toronto buys Hudson Valley Tree Inc. of Newburgh, N.Y. The Christmas trees are made by extruding PVC into a needle profile, notching the profile at fixed intervals to look like individual needles, then connecting those needles to wire branches.

March

A trio of adventurers will have to wait until fall to make their attempt at flying non-stop around the world in a balloon. The Earthwinds, with a PE balloon, was to take off from Akron, Ohio, but the conditions never allowed them to take off. (The first successful around-the-world flight won't take place until 1999.)

The Recording Industry Association of America sets a standard size for CD packaging: a 5 inch by 5 1/2 inch box, rather than a long box. This is good news for plastics processors who make the PS packages. “We are delighted,” says a spokesman for Jewelbox Advocates and Manufacturers. (No one tell him about digital downloads coming, OK?)

April

Toshiba injection molding machines return to the U.S. market after a 3-year ban imposed on the company for selling sensitive equipment to the Soviet Union. The company said it now hopes to sell 300 presses in the U.S. this year.

In a survey, half of all adults say they have not seen the recycling code placed on the bottom of bottles. And half of those who have don't know what it means. And 47 percent of consumers said they avoided plastic packaging altogether. “One in four still believe that plastic cannot be recycled,” noted a researcher.

May

Management at plastics firms in Los Angeles take steps to protect their property as riots hit the city. The manager of Injection Molders Supply Co. in Compton said he spent 48 hours at his warehouse, armed with a handgun, to ward off any potential problems.

Demand for laptops is expected to decline, but injection molders say small hand held devices are expected to skyrocket by 1995 and they are preparing for an expected boost in business. Photo & graphic, May 18.

June

General Motors Corp.'s new purchasing manager, Ignacio Lopez, meets with 600 suppliers and tells them that GM will be more aggressive in getting lower cost parts. Dow Chemical Co.'s Robert Albert says about 30 to 40 percent saw Lopez' arrival as “high risk,” and another 30 to 40 percent as “high opportunity.” It will affect the way we all do business,” he predicted. (Those of you who saw the shift in supplier relations that came in Lopez's wake, pat yourselves on the back.)

July

Tech Medical Inc. buys a Maine mold maker and moves it “lock stock and barrel” to its home in Tempe, Ariz. Tech is aiming to be an industry leader with both molding and mold making for the medical industry.

Smith Corona Corp. is moving its typewriting manufacturing operation from Cortland, N.Y., to Mexico. The plant has 71 injection molding machines and processes up to 7 million pounds of resin each year. “Unfortunately, [the move] is absolutely necessary in view of the predatory pricing by foreign competition in our industry,” the company says. (Raise your hand if you had no idea Smith Corona was still making typewriters in the U.S. in 1992.)

August

Polystyrene recycling is still stuck in the slow lane. Companies blame a lack of collection and poor perception for expanded PS for the lack of growth for the material.

Hurricane Andrew slams into Florida and Louisiana, shutting down several plastics processing companies. “A lot of our personnel have lost their homes. We're trying to extend a hand wherever we can,” says George Thorne of Miami Lakes, Fla.-based Industrial Plastic Products Inc.

September

New regulations in Europe are opening the potential for polycarbonate to be used in car headlights. Glass now controls the market, with an estimated 29 million pounds of glass for headlights each year. The U.S. and Japan have allowed PC headlights for more than a decade, but Europe has been slow to make a move.

October

The League of Women Voters is publishing a plastics handbook. The “Plastics Primer” is an effort to balance the often politicized debate involving plastics, the group said.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing USA Inc. is adding 10 injection molding machines at its plant in Georgetown, Ky., adding them to its existing six reaction injection molding presses. The new presses will produce ABS and polypropylene bumper fascias and instrument panels. (Toyota and its competitor, Honda, are an exception among automakers, with in-house molding for major plastic parts.)

November

The American Plastics Council will spend $18 million on image advertising, with televised ads emphasizing consumer benefits for plastics.

December

PN's first ranking of blow molders has a tie at the top of the list, with Constar International Inc. and Johnson Controls Inc. each posting $445 million in sales for the year. Constar was a pioneer in PET bottles, but ended up in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Its North American holdings were purchased by Plastipak Packaging Inc. Johnson Controls, meanwhile, got out of packaging. Amcor Ltd. now owns what was JCI. Amcor's Amcor Rigid Plastics division was Number 2 on this year's Blow Molders ranking wit $2.27 billion in sales, while Plastipak was right below it at Number 3 with $1.84 billion in sales.