This spring Mr. Chain is attending three trade shows/expos. Brian Majestic-Sales Manager, will be traveling to San Antonio, Texas to display our products at the 2012 DPA "Saddle Up for Profits" Show. The show is dedicated to the promotion of safety products.
May 1st kicks off the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Maree Mulvoy-President, Brian Majestic-Sales Manager and Bambi Steffen-Order Entry will be attending.This year's show is very exciting as we launch our new lawn edging: The Lodge Collection and The Orleans Collection.
Finally, the GSA Training Expo in San Antonio, Texas begins May 15th. Shirley Singletary-Customer Service and Alexandria Bower-Marketing will be in attendance. As our government sales increase, we look forward to furthering our knowledge of government contracting and gaining exposure in the arena.
KeepAmerica.com CEO, David Seliktar, has made a commitment to American jobs and the domestic economy by creating a website dedicated to selling goods manufactured in the U.S. With these efforts, if every American spent an extra $64 per year on American made products, Americans could potentially create over 1 million jobs in the U.S. in 2012.
Learn more here: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHp8_reSTvM]
Over 2000 American made products are available on the eCommerce site including New Balance tennis shoes. New Balance made their first pair of shoes in 1938. Currently, they are the only US manufacturer of athletic shoes. They too are "Committed to American Workers."
Mr. Chain products, especially the smaller chain sizes, are extremely versatile and fun to use. One application lies in the art of jewelry making. Plastic chain does not have the added weight of metal chain which allows the jewelry to be more comfortable to wear. The chain can be cut to any length and with 18 colors the possibilities are endless! What you do with it is all up to your imagination.
Girlprops has created some unique pieces, one is pictured below. Sport this particular piece at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan and be the envy of all your friends!
[caption id="attachment_1027" align="aligncenter" width="226"] Cherry Necklace on Plastic Chain in Red with Red finish (3/4" Links from Mr. Chain)[/caption]
The plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the United States, providing significantly to the nation's economy.
The U.S. plastics industry employs more than 1 million workers.
The U.S. plastics industry creates $327 billion in annual shipments.
There are nearly 18,500 plastics facilities in the United States.
The plastics industry has a presence in every state.
Since 1980, U.S. plastics industry shipments have grown 3.4 percent per year.
Over the past 26 years, productivity in plastics manufacturing has grown 2.3 percent per year, which is faster than productivity growth for manufacturing as a whole.
The above information came from the SPI Plastics Data Source, which also includes individual state data.
Over the past five years, plastic material has gotten an increasingly bad reputation. There are many commercials promoting the use of reusable water bottles and reusable shopping bags and slamming the same items made of plastic. Many consumers are unaware of the truth.
Society of the Plastic Industry Business Blog, In The Hopper, first drew our attention to "the folks at Bag The Ban, a website sponsored by bag maker and recycler Hilex Poly." By utilizing humor, Bag The Ban has been able to capture a large audience in an effort to spread the truth about plastic bags.
Below are a few facts about plastic bags from baganxiety.com.
Plastic grocery bags are made from U.S. natural gas. Unfortunately, the same isn’t true of many reusable bags -- they’re often made from foreign oil. (That "eco-friendly" bag in your closet might have more oil in it than your car’s engine.)
Plastic grocery bags are 100% recyclable. If you live in a community with curbside bag recycling, just toss them in with your other paper and plastic products; if not, drop them off in your grocery store’s plastics recycling bin. (Your bags even have the little recycling symbol on the bottom, so you know it’s true.)
In an effort to spread the truth about plastic materials, their benefits and wide range of uses, Mr. Chain encourages all of you to arm yourself with the facts.
According to CNNMoney, many United States businesses are searching for domestic suppliers and steering clear of China. Some may ask why? There are many examples in the full article (view here) but here are a few reasons: Too Expensive, Poor Quality, Production Delays and Higher Cost per Unit. Inc.com infers the "Two issues are behind the revival: the rising price of Chinese manufacturing and the uncertainly regarding the American economy." The lack of consumer confidence in the U.S. economy has left business leery of committing to large orders from their suppliers.
In the past year Mr. Chain has seen evidence of this. Everything Mr. Chain sells is manufactured, produced and shipped from our plant in Northern Michigan. Our customers value the timely arrival of their shipment and know lead times are very reasonable.
Plastic manufacturing continues to evolve as technology improves and human knowledge expands. Today plastic material is taken for granted as it is a part of many aspects of our lives. Taking a minute to appreciate how it came to be may help us to respect the material a little bit more.
[caption id="attachment_941" align="alignleft" width="200"] John Wesley Hyatt[/caption]
1868-John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, more popularly know as cellulose nitrate, a material commonly used in plastics.
1909-Dr. Leo Hendrik Baekeland experimented with synthetic resins which lead to the creation of Bakelite, a sturdy but mode-able material.
[caption id="attachment_942" align="alignright" width="206"] Dr. Leo Hendrik Baekland[/caption]
1929-Cellulose Acetate was introduced as a safer product that also had the ability to be molded and shaped.
1930s-Commercialization of polystyrene took place during this decade that later became the 3rd best selling plastic material.
1940s-Polyethylene was developed during WWII to fill the need for superior insulating materials use in products such as the radar cable.
1950s-Polypropylene became the plastic material to compete directly with the metal industry by its strength and dimensional stability.
Today, Mr. Chain manufactures products out of both polystyrene and polyethylene. More recently, it appears that there is renewed activity in the plastics industry. What do you think the plastic industry will do in 2012?
All over the world, people are beginning to see the unlimited number of benefits plastics have to offer due to organizations aimed at raising awareness. Here in the US, the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), is dedicated to exploring avenues of sustainable growth of the global plastics industry, and communicating the industry's contributions and benefits. SPI offers a wide range of resources including a suppliers directory, business development, even trade shows much like the National Hardware ShowMr. Chain attends.
[caption id="attachment_927" align="alignleft" width="253"] DuPont Engineering Polymers--Polymer Producer of the Year[/caption]
However, there are organizations all over the world supporting and promoting the plastics industry such as the Annual Plastics Industry Awards held annually in London. The UK has come to highly respect the awards banquet and it is often referred to as the "Oscars of the plastic industry." The awards seek to provide insight to current innovative development and uses of plastics. The event was launched in 2001 and continues to be a popular and growing event. "This event is dedicated to rewarding innovation and exceptional performance. The Plastics Industry Awards acknowledge the best companies and the best people in the market." (http://www.plasticsawards.com/ )
Plastic Industry Awards are given in many categories, below are just a few:
M R Products recently completed its annual inventory of all materials and finished products including plastic chain, stanchions and accessories. This year, as in the past, the office and plant employees worked together as a cohesive unit allowing the entire inventory process to be completed in less than 2 days!
Rob-General Foreman, Tim-Warehouse and Jeannie-Inventory
Shirley-Customer Service
In addition to reducing the amount of time for the entire inventory process, the office employees were able to touch and feel the product as well as observe the work that goes into an order from its entry to final preparations on the shipment.
In the past, many were concerned with the use of plastic materials and the effect it has on the environment and our health, especially when used for packaging consumer goods. However, strong evidence has emerged for both the pro-plastic and anti-plastic arguments. Here are some of the top reasons to choose plastic in 2012.
SAFETY. Not only do we use plastic chain and stanchions to promote safety and reduce injury, plastic has been proven to be a safe material to use. Here at Mr. Chain, we have reformulated all the colors, with the exception of safety orange and safety green, of our chain and stanchions to be free of heavy metals. Our safety green and safety orange chain and stanchions still contain the heavy metals to aid in the fade resistance when they are used out-of-doors. We are currently experimenting with these two colors and positive they too will soon be free of heavy metals. In additional to our products being free of heavy metals, plastic does not shatter or break when dropped. It is a great alternative to glass or metal especially when used around children.
RUST RESISTANT. Unlike metal products, plastic products are rust resistant therefore allowing a wider and more versatile range of use. In addition to being rust resistant, Mr. Chain's products are also fade and weather resistant.
AESTHETICALLY PLEASING. Along with the flexibility and many uses for plastic in general, Mr. Chain products are aesthetically pleasing with their bright colors and many shapes and styles. Below is a photo of our lawn edging that adds the perfect finishing touch to any landscaping project.
ECO-FRIENDLY. Before plastics were recyclable, it was understood that it could take up to 500 years to disintegrate on earth. All of Mr. Chain’s products can be recycled. In addition to the long life of plastics, we can all use the material with ease knowing it doesn’t have to end up in the garbage.
Plastic Chain is intended for decorative purposes only. Not intended to support heavy objects. Plastic chain must not be used where a break might cause damage or injury.
