My Knowledge

Published September 29, 2008

Business

Prospect Mold Buys More Than $6 Million In New Equipment For Aerospace Expansion

They say it takes money to make money, and Prospect Mold Inc. is betting they are right. The Cuyahoga Falls manufacturer has invested more than $6 million in new equipment between this and last year, no small amount for a company whose annual revenue is about $20 million. But President Bruce Wright said the machines will allow the company to quote for bigger jobs in the aerospace industry, a critical element of his diversification strategy. Prospect makes molds from steel, composites and other materials. Molds form a cavity into which plastic is injected, creating consumer products or parts.. ...Akron Beacon Journal, 9.19.08
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General News

CEO Says Erie Plastics Could Be Sold

The final punch that would leave Erie Plastics on the ground came in March when Procter and Gamble Co. took its business elsewhere. It wasn't clear until Friday, however, that the blow would prove fatal to one of Erie County's oldest and best-known plastics companies. Erie Plastics Chief Executive Paul C. "Hoop" Roche announced Friday he's in discussions with Park Ohio Corp. to buy both the company's equipment and the plant on Route 6 in Corry. The new company would do business as Wellington Products. ...Erie Times-News, 9.22.08
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Automakers Increasingly Reuse Plastics To Save Costs, Trash

Empty water bottles, old carpeting and even old jeans are ending up in cars -- and not just thrown in the backseat or trunk. They're being recycled and turned into car parts, such as insulation and instrument panels, as automakers increasingly use recycled parts to cut costs and waste. For years, automakers have used recycled steel and aluminum in vehicle structures, hoods and engines. Almost all of the metals in the engine are recycled. Other recycled parts, particularly those made of plastic, have traditionally been kept out of the drivers' sight. Now these recycled plastics are taking a more prominent role in vehicles. ...Detroit Free Press, 9.21.08
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New Technology

Out Of Landfills And Reborn As A Bag -- TerraCycle “Upcycles” Trash

TerraCycle, the company Tom Szaky co-founded in 2001 and has run since, is aiming to make billions by collecting used plastic bags, juice pouches, cookie wrappers and other items that cannot be recycled and fusing them into everyday items like tote bags, pencil cases and messenger bags to be sold at some of the country’s biggest retailers. Mr. Szaky said the opportunity to “upcycle” trash, or turn it into new products, was vast because most of the items Americans use are not recycled. Some of the country’s largest manufacturers and retailers are rushing to form partnerships with TerraCycle because reducing waste can help bolster their image. ...New York Times, 9.24.08
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Archer Daniels Midland Co. To Collaborate On Bio-Based Plasticizers

Archer Daniels Midland Co said Monday that it has agreed to collaborate with chemicals and polymer maker PolyOne Corp. (NYSE:POL) on research to develop "bio-based" plasticizers based on agricultural crops. The Decatur-based grain-processing and ethanol giant noted that plasticizers, which are used primarily to make plastics softer and more flexible, are typically made of petroleum-based feedstock, but that the alliance with PolyOne of Cleveland will work on developing and commercializing plasticizers from corn and oilseeds. ...Chicago Tribune, 9.22.08
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