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REGIONAL REPORTS
March 2000 New Venue for North Carolina Legislative Reception The North Carolina Plastics Industry Legislative Reception will be held across the street from the State Capitol in Raleigh, N.C. at the Museum of History on Wednesday, May 17, 2000. Industry exhibits will be set up from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., followed by an Industry Issues Briefing. The reception will go from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The new location and earlier time frame should enhance the legislative attendance. A strong industry turn out each year is need to ensure that newly elected officials know how much plastics contribute to the state's economy. Positioning Your Company for Strategic Financial Transactions SPI South will host a workshop for plastics company owners, CEOs, CFOs and upper management on May 17, 2000 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Capital City Club in Raleigh, N.C. The workshop will provide instruction on how to assess the value of your company's assets; develop a strategic financial plan to match the goals of the company; and to market and negotiate a financial deal. Small breakout groups will develop a financial strategy for a hypothetical company with the assistance of professional financial advisors. Attendees receive a workbook containing pertinent terms, definitions and valuation methodologies. The cost is $125 for SPI members and $150 for nonmembers. Live Satellite Plastics Training Expanded for May Broadcast SPI's second test pilot for the Plastic Learning Network (PLN) proves successful once again. The 4-week, interactive satellite course for injection molding was broadcast in February to 129 students at a total of 12 locations in Florida and South Carolina. Another basic injection molding course starts May 16, and a basic extrusion course has been added which starts May 15. Both courses will be broadcast twice a week from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to community colleges and companies equipped with a satellite dish. The cost per student for SPI members is $250 and for nonmembers $280. A study guide for SPI's National Certification Program exam will be offered soon. For information call SPI South at 864/239-2939, Ext. 2. SPI South and the Film and Bag Federation Team-Up for Fall Conference The Hilton Resort at scenic Lake Lanier, Georgia will be the site of the joint SPI South and Film and Bag Federation Fall conference to be held October 19-21, 2000. The joint conference should increase networking opportunities for attendees. Lake Lanier was selected for its proximity to a major airport. Atlanta's Hartsville Airport is 55 minutes away. A joint industry committee from both groups will develop the conference program. Programs will appeal to the industry in general and will also include process specific programs. The conference is designed to keep executives from the office only 1½ work days. SPI South Distinguished Service Award Ballots Now Available On-line Although the recipient of the SPI South Distinguished Service Award is announced at the annual conference in the Fall, it is not too early to nominate someone for this prestigious industry award. Recently, the SPI South Board of Directors approved modifications to the nomination process so that candidates' qualifications can be better evaluated against the criteria. Therefore, nominees will receive a form to detail their contributions to promote the plastics industry, thereby removing the burden from the nominator. The deadline for nominations is September 1, 2000. For on-line nomination forms go to our web site at www.spisouth.org or call SPI South to have one faxed to you. Record Number of PlastiVan Visits to South For the PlastiVan Southern Tour 2000, SPI South coordinated over 20 visits. Twelve companies located in North and South Carolina sponsored this exciting polymer science program at elementary, middle and high schools in their communities. This means about 3,000 students, in these two states, will have learned about the history, processing and chemistry of plastics, as well as career opportunities that plastics offer. Some of the PlastiVan visits received television and newspaper coverage creating even more awareness of plastics contribution to society. SPI commends the following companies for their efforts to promote plastics in their communities: Lord Corporation, Mack Molding, Panther Plastics, Clariant Corporation, Polymers Center of Excellence, Dart Container, Consolidated Metco, United Southern Industries, R.C. Molding, Cryovac Division of Sealed Air, Precision Southeast, and Lati USA. Studies Show Most of Us Don't Know Studies have shown that most employees of plastics companies don't have a full appreciation of the benefits of plastics to society, and some even have negative opinions of plastics. To help foster a better image of plastics from within your company, SPI South is kicking off an employee awareness program. Enclosed for you to hang on your information bulletin board or in your break room is a "Did you Know" poster with facts about how plastics products improve our lives. SPI South has about twenty different posters that are available free of charge. Call 864/239-2939, Ext. 3 to request more posters. Certify Your Machine Operators at NPE At this year's NPE 2000, to be held June 19-23 at McCormick Place in Chicago, The National Certification in Plastics (NCP) exams will be given to certified machine operators in four major plastics processes (injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming and blow molding). The NCP Certified Operator exam tests the knowledge and skills of machine operators, and is used by companies as a benchmark for their training programs and to show customers that their employees have the skills to produce top quality products. By testing your operators at NPE, SPI offers test takers complimentary admission to exhibit hall and conference sessions, immediate exam results, and special gift for all that become certified. For information on certification call 202/974-5356 or go to www.certifyme.org. For information on NPE 2000 call 202/974-5235 or go to www.npe.org. Over 1,300 Students Attend Career Day in South Carolina Greenville Technical College welcomed over 1,300 high school juniors and seniors to its 2nd Annual Engineering Technology Career Fair. SPI South, Cryovac Division of Sealed Air and Unimark Plastics represented the Upstate plastics industry. Students were drawn to the plastics area to be a part of the PlastiVan chemistry demonstrations that took place near by. New Plastics Industry Legislative Event and Workforce Development Roundtable The South Carolina Plastics Industry will host a breakfast for the state legislature and officials on April 12, 2000 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Capital City Club in downtown Columbia. "This year it is very important to have a strong industry attendance, as SPI is trying to secure $75,000 in state funding for a portion of the Statewide Plastics Training Program," says Cryovac's Charles Barmore, event chairman. Bill Humphrey, the SPE National President, will present the "Economic Contributions and Needs of South Carolina's Growing Plastics Industry" to the legislators. Industry exhibits can be purchased for $200, and help to educate legislators on the benefits of plastics to society and the products manufactured in South Carolina. The cost of the breakfast is $25 per person. The details of the plastics training program will be unveiled at the Workforce Development Roundtable immediately following the Legislative Breakfast. The media will be invited to help generate publicity for the new training program and to create awareness for careers in plastics. There will also be a panel of experts in employee recruitment and training who will share information on resources and programs designed to help identify and train potential and existing employees. Governor Hodges' Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Budget Affairs, Frank Fusco, will speak on the Governor's plans for improvements to South Carolina education system at the roundtable luncheon. The Workforce Development Roundtable costs an additional $25 per person and includes lunch. For information call SPI South at 864/239-2939, Ext. 3 Legislators in Georgia and Tennessee Learn about Plastics On January 11, The Society of the Plastics Industry and the APC jointly hosted the fourth annual Georgia Plastics Industry Legislative Reception in Atlanta. Over 60 legislators and 50 industry representatives attended. Seventeen industry exhibits, displaying plastic products made in Georgia, demonstrated the diversity of the plastics industry in the state. Plastics executives conversed with legislators about the industry's needs and its contributions to the states economy. The Tennessee Legislative Reception on February 15 communicated the value of plastics to about 55 legislators. Prior to the legislative receptions, Maureen Healey of the SPI State Government Affairs Department outlined SPI's extensive outreach to state economic development agencies; 50-state monitoring system and its state regulatory compliance workshops and aggressive workforce development programs. For information on SPI's state government affairs initiatives, call 202/974-5219. SPI South Calendar 2000
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