I had lunch today with a friend in the plastics industry-

[Beaker]

he's a broker for the bulk plastic(usually pellets, I think) that's used in injection molding machines- It's one of the most basic industries out there, in that it's used to make all sorts of plastic parts that are used for all sorts of applications...It's one of the first industries that will show improvement when the real recovery comes- and it isn't yet. and he isn't very optimistic. He's never been very political, but he knows that Bush has us on completely the wrong track, and thinks that they're lying about any "recovery" to try and talk up the economy. He's a little nervous about the future as well, and doesn't believe(well, knows actually) that manufacturing will never be back like before.

[Eloriel]

1. Thanks for the report n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Time to adapt.

While we listen to that giant sucking sound, those of who live here need to reinvent ourselves and figure out other ways to make a living.

That is why I am all for a national project such as the Apollo Project and putting everything we've got into figuring out alternative energy solutions. What better way to creat jobs?

[Journeyman]

3. I agree about an alternative energy project. . .

it's the one thing I believe Dumbya could have done to secure an honored place in history, and he blew it. Right after September 11, he had the opportunity to call this nation to be something better than it is, to secure our future and set us on a course of better relations with all nations and peoples of the Earth, but he just couldn't do it. He chose to whore for oil instead, thus securing his ignominy in history and furthering our national decline.

[proud patriot]

4. we must lead the world in the New Manufacturing market of Alt Energy

products .

To the moon

[BrotherBuzz]

5. Could be that parts...

are cheaper to inject overseas with cheap foreign pellets and that your friend is losing market share. Heck, with modest low tech assembly in America, foreign injection parts become MADE IN USA. In either event, I think your friend is correct, and I'm still trying to understand jobless recovery.

[Beaker]

6. the point is- American manufacturing is NOT recovering-

and most likely never will. My friend was talking in terms of the industry in general, not just his market share. and even that industry(the plastic pellets) is seeing heavy price competition from china.

sooner or later, somethings gonna give.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Your Friend Is Right

The chemical industry, as a whole, has been flat for nearly 24 months now. The price pressure from overseas is less an issue for the chemical industry, because the cost of shipping a low cost, commodity chemical from overseas overwhelms any difference in the cost to produce.

So, imported chemicals are not to the level of competition that imports can be in other industries. So, if it's not foreign competition in the CPI, then the economic take off is obviously not occurring. Any macroeconomic change is isolated to a few niche industries, most of which have the U.S. gov't as their largest customer.

I'll let you folks figure out which industries those would be.
The Professor

[xJlM]

8. Well I'm a laid-off process technician/moldsetter

I think the plastics industry is one of the best to be in, simply because everything is being made from plastics today. It's the way of the future, and a pretty good way to make good money (if you're not afraid of long hours and possibly getting filthy or burned). I used to be contacted by headhunters AT LEAST once a week, and I have a list of them about 150 numbers long. Although I was contacted by one a few months ago, I haven't heard or seen any other jobs mentioned that I would even consider at this time.

The price of plastic resins is pretty well regulated (it's of course based on the price of petroleum) so that even recycled plastics have to sell for the top price. The manufacturing of plastic products relies heavily on the use of high technology equipment, and simply cannot be done economically in Mexico or other second and third world countries. Believe me, the manufacturers have tried. Plastic products are mostly made in the USA, Canada, Europe, and of course Japan and China. I've worked at places sending parts for GM to Mexico, to be assembled there and then stamped "The Heartbeat Of America!", and other places sending containers to South America and Europe.

[depakid]

9. A Kick for insight

:dem: It's become an all too rare quality arounf here lately