Extrusion International USA 6-2020

28 Extrusion International 6/2020 EXTRUSION INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS Call for Nominations for „Thermoformer of the Year“ seeking candidates who pos- sess the same exceptional qualities and will inspire the next generation.” The 2019 Thermoformer of the Year award was present- ed to Thomas Haglin of LIN- DAR Corporation. In Novem- ber 2019, the SPE Thermoforming Division Board of Directors announced its decision to shift the conference format from annual to biennial. The Thermoformer of the Year award will continue to be presented in conjunction with the conference. THE SPE THERMOFORMING DIVISION Juliet Goff: juliet@kal-plastics.com https://thermoformingdivision.com „ The Societyof Plastics Engineers (SPE) ThermoformingDivision has announced a call for nominations for the Thermoformer of the Year Award. The award recognizes an individual who has made a signi fi cant contribution to the thermoforming industry in a technical, educational, or managerial capacity. The nomina- tion deadline is March 31, 2021. Nominations will be evaluated by the SPE Thermoforming Division Board of Directors during the Spring boardmeeting inMay. The 2021 Thermoformer of the Year will be recognized at the awards dinner held during the 28th Annual SPE Thermoform- ing Conference ® , which will take place September 20-22 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “We are approaching the 40th anniversary of the Thermo- former of the Year Award, and prior honorees continue to in- spire us,” said Juliet Goff, SPE Thermoforming Division Board Member and Recognition Committee Chair. “The Division is „ Shipments of primary plastics machinery (injection molding and extrusion) in North America increased by double-digits in the thirdquarter, according to statistics compiledand reportedby the Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Committee on Equip- ment Statistics (CES). The preliminary estimate of shipments value from reporting com- panies totaled $306.7 million. It was a 15.8% increase, following a 4.5% increase in the second quarter. Compared to the third quarter last year, plasticsmachinery shipmentswere 4.6%higher. The value of shipments of single- and twin-screw extruders grew 27.4%and 17.5%, respectively, in the third quarter. “Shipments of plastics machinery have increased for two con- secutive quarters. The double-digit increases in the third quarter are in sync with the quicker-than-expected turnaround in other plastics end-markets in addition to healthcare and consumer es- sentials,” according to Perc Pineda, PhD Chief Economist of PLAS- TICS. “Most likely, shipments ofmachinerywill also increase in the fi nal quarter of 2020 as the economy continues to recover.” The CES also conducts a quarterly survey of plastics machinery suppliers asking about present market conditions and expecta- tions for the future. In the coming quarter, 76.0%of respondents expect conditions to either improve or hold steady compared to a year ago – higher than the 36.0% that felt similarly in the second quarter. As for the next 12 months, 89.8% expect market condi- tions to be steady-to-better, signi fi cantly above the 48.0% in the previous quarter’s survey. “It appears that the second quarter was the trough of the busi- ness cycle, as the economy slowed due to the pandemic. Recent datapoint toan industry that’smovingtowards thepre-COVID-19 level of activity. The industrial production index on plastics prod- ucts manufacturing rose for fi ve consecutive months through September,” said Pineda. “The plastics industry is an essential industry, and businesses stayed open to ensure uninterrupted supply for products in the healthcare sector,” he said. “The pace of economic recovery, however, is not without risks, and its path will depend to a great extent on the containment of the coronavirus. Nevertheless, the overall outlook for plasticsmachinery and the industry has turned more favorable in recent months,” Pineda added. Plastics machinery exports in the third quarter totaled $298.8 mil- lion – a 3.4% increase from the previous quarter. Imports rose by 16.2% to $754.6 million, resulting in a $455.8 million trade de fi - cit, 26.4% larger than the previous quarter. Canada and Mexico remained the top export markets for U.S. equipment suppliers in the third quarter. The combined exports to the USMCA trade partners totaled $124.5 million –representing 41.7% of total U.S. plastics machinery exports in the third quarter. Double-Digit Growth in Plastics Shipments in the Third Quarter PLASTICS Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) Katie Hanczaryk, khanczaryk@plasticsindustry.org Plastics Industry Association plasticsindustry.org