This week Plastics News publishes its annual ranking of North American film and sheet manufacturers. We have our top 100 companies in print and the rest of the list is online. Let's take a look at the data behind the ranking.
There are 171 firms ranked this year with combined sales of $36.2 billion. That's a 3 percent increase from last year. Film makers saw an average gain of 7 percent, but the real story is from firms added to the list. We've footnoted 13 acquisitions of previously unranked companies, plus added three and a startup. It's been a very busy ranking season.
The 2017 average sales per company is $211.5 million, which is 4.4 percent higher than our 2016 totals.
Film sales were $29.2 billion, up 2.7 percent. Sheet sales inched up to $6.8 million.
There were several really big deals noted this year: Berry Global Inc.'s acquisition of Clopay Plastic Products Co. Inc. and Laddawn Manufacturing puts it at the biggest dollar gain of $279 million.
But that is not the only big acquisition mover. Amcor Ltd. has a deal to acquire Bemis Co. Inc., TC Transcontinental Packaging acquired Coveris Americas and Sonoco Products Co. is now a player in the ranking by picking up Clear Lam Packaging Inc.
For a couple of other exciting data points I give you the 7.7 percent increase in average employees per firm and 5.7 percent increase in average resin throughput per firm.
