Kickstart: Putting a price tag on NPE

We all know NPE is a big endeavor for the plastics industry. But as the final day of NPE2024 begins, take a moment to think about how big this is for the host city of Orlando, Fla., and the Orange County Convention Center.

"The impact that NPE2024 will have on Orange County will be significant. Not only is the show anticipated to attract 55,000 attendees but it is projected to have an economic impact of $141 million, making it one of our larger shows this year," OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester told Plastics News' Jim Johnson.

NPE, Tester said, is one of the few shows out of the 174 using the facility in the 2023-24 fiscal year to encompass all three halls at OCCC. It also stands out because exhibitors make products on-site. Most events see exhibitors bring in finished samples.

The strangest thing Tester said he's seen at OCCC isn't from NPE, but instead a full-size roller coaster built inside the exhibit halls for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo.

NPE organizers have signed contracts for the event to return to OCCC in 2027, 2030 and 2033.

Don't go looking for stickers the next time you buy an Apple Inc. laptop. The computer company is ditching the film-based items to meet its goal of "plastic-free packaging" for most of its products, the website 9to5Mac.com reports.

The website says Apple store employees received a memo May 7 that the stickers would not be automatically added to the new iPad Pro and iPad Air.

However, the company is shipping stickers to its stores so fans can still nab one if they buy directly from there.

Schenck Process Group's Food and Performance Materials (FPM) business is blending in with its new owner as its name officially changes to Coperion. Coperion is part of Hillenbrand Inc., the company that also owns Milacron, DME and Mold Masters.

Coperion is part of Hillenbrand's Advanced Process Solutions business. During a quarterly financial report, Hillenbrand executives noted APS is seeing strong sales to aftermarket and polyolefin customers. The Batesville, Ind.-based company has been cutting costs and jobs in response to slower sales recently.

In a May 6 news release, Ulrich Bartel, president of Coperion, said the acquisition of Schenk FPM was an "essential step" to creating a more diversified customer base. About 65 percent of FPM's sales are to the food market — almost half of it for pet food — with the rest related to chemicals and performance materials.

Hillenbrand announced its acquisition of Schenck FPM nearly a year ago.