Just one year into publishing, Plastics News tackled the huge project of ranking North American custom injection molders. Some 236 firms were included in that first 1990 research campaign.
United Technologies Automotive was our first No. 1 molder, and IAC tops the chart this year. Since 1999, we've listed 1,211 unique firms.
Some 699 companies have fallen off the radar; that number alone is more than any of our other annual processor rankings.
Here are a few more tallies we can accumulate:
These first few figures demonstrate the resources in use over the last two decades, since our electronic record began: $625.7 billion in injection molding sales ranked, more than 3 million employees were working and 555,000 presses were in use.
We have noted 35 Chapter 11 reorganizations over that stretch, as well as 25 acquisitions by private equity owners.
Speaking of acquisitions, Berry Global Group Inc. is one of the most active in this area. In an amazing 17 out of our last 21 rankings, we have included a footnote for a Berry deal.
For more on injection molders and other rankings throughout the past 30 years, check out this week's edition of Plastics News, in print or the digital edition.