Kickstart: Still expecting storms

It's been quiet so far in 2022 on the tropical storm front, but weather forecasters are warning that residents and businesses (including, of course, materials producers) along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico still need to be prepared for an active storm season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said earlier this month that its experts still predict an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, although the likelihood of that happening has dropped slightly, to 60 percent rather than 65 percent as predicted in May, NOAA said in a news release.

AccuWeather also still predicts a "high chance for high-impact hurricanes" in the U.S.

The early part of the season has been slow so far, with three named tropical storms. AccuWeather researchers expect 16 named storms in 2022, down slightly from a forecast of 16-20 named storms, but the forecast for the number of hurricanes remains unchanged, with expectations of six to eight hurricanes, with up to five of those being major storms.

"Our biggest concern is for a high chance for high-impact hurricanes," AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said in a news release.

Even without an official declaration of a storm, heavy rainfall has caused havoc near Dallas, where up to 8 inches of rain on Aug. 21 and 22 caused flash floods, and emergency management officials elsewhere in Texas and Louisiana warned of continuing problems from the rain.

Rotomolding is continuing its evolution from a quiet corner of the plastics industry to one filled with acquisitions, investments and expansions.

This week's print issue of Plastics News includes our ranking of North American rotomolders, where Tank Holding Corp. has solidified its hold at the top of the rankings with an estimated $550 million in sales in the region. The company has been rapidly growing through a series of acquisitions — more than 17 in just three years — including the January acquisition of Dutchland Plastics LLC.

Myers Industries Inc., sitting in the No. 2 spot with $220.8 million in sales, has also been in the acquisition arena. Its investments include Trilogy Plastics, purchased in August 2021.

But the news isn't just about acquisitions. Hollee Keller, PN's editorial research coordinator, has more details about a big year for rotomolding in her All Things Data blog.

You've heard a lot about reaching out to more communities in search of workers, but what exactly does that require?

Lindsay Chappell of our sister paper Automotive News writes about the experiences at Gentex Corp., an automotive mirror and electronics specialist in Zeeland, Mich., that already offered wages of $17.50 per hour.

Then it turned to the Spanish-speaking community near its hometown.

"How do you come in and apply for a job if the application is written in English, if the interview is conducted in English, if the benefits are explained in English, if training is in English and if your supervisor only speaks English?" Dan Quintanilla, director of talent acquisition for the 5,400-employee supplier, told AN.

Gentex created a Spanish-language-only production line to assemble exterior auto-dimming mirrors, with Spanish-speaking line workers, supervisors, housekeeping and engineering.

The program, which Gentex calls LEP, for Limited English Proficiency, now employs 130 and is expanding to eight Gentex plants.