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Society Of Plastics Engineers Southeastern New England Section S-17 " SPECIFICS" |
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Presidents Message Hello everyone please let me introduce myself to those members that do not know me. I am Shaun Bogan of Girioni Associates, a manufacturer’s rep company for the Plastics industry. I have been involved in the plastics industry for over 20 years since graduating from College with an ME degree. Since that time I have witnessed drastic changes in our industry that we are well aware of, many of them forcing local companies to eliminate their manufacturing operations, and in the worse cases close their operations all together. The Society of Plastics Engineers has also been affected by these market changes with reduced membership and participation at local and national meetings. Our excellent Board and I hope to help change that this year but we can’t do it without your help. With all the doom and gloom that we have all read about in the past years, it has been difficult to be upbeat about our industry but I see a bright future ahead. I feel it is the responsibility of SPE to pass the message on that our industry is still alive and even thriving in some areas. Things are cyclical and it is my belief that we have seen the bottom and are now moving in the right direction. I remember visiting my first molding operation in Nuevo Laredo Mexico almost twenty years ago where a custom molder was manufacturing plastic and metal engine components for Chrysler. The foundry portion of the plant was antiquated with young, seemingly disposable workers knocking sand off of castings with sledge hammers in 120-degree conditions. They never took a break and had "water boys" walking up and down aisles, dishing out water in ladles. On the other end of the plant the molding area was highly automated with 6 axis robots and the newest equipment available with a QC lab second to none. I went home contemplating our industry and my own immediate future and figured that within 10 years our local industry would be gone to Mexico. Many plants did move to south but my prophecy didn’t quite come true, our industry saw some of its most profitable years for almost a decade after my first visit to Mexico. Mexico began losing work to China and India and is no longer the Holy Grail that it once was. My point is that there is always a Mexico or China or India out there ready to take our work and jobs if we let it happen, we simply can’t! The Theme for this year’s program is how to stay competitive in the present environment, whether you are a tool shop, molder or any other processor. We hope to have plant tours and speakers that will show everyone that there are ways to survive and even grow in today’s difficult but not impossible business climate! Please try to find time to attend our meetings and give back to our industry that. Should you have any comments or suggestions feel free to email me.
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