Opinion
Now that Rubber & Plastics News' inaugural Best Places to Work in the rubber industry is under our belt, I will say I was quite pleased with how the whole process went. And more than that, I really learned a lot about the eight companies that qualified to be named among the "Best Places to Work."
Cooper Standard made some moves that might become a more common occurrence among automotive suppliers if the global vehicle market continues to slow.
At first glance, a hose seems benign enough. At its core, a hose has a tube, reinforcement and a cover. Then you add on some couplings and fittings, and that's all there is to it. Right? Well, not exactly.
One of the things I like about covering expos in our industry is the chance to learn about companies I'm not familiar with, as well as meeting people I haven't come across in my more than 31 years covering the rubber sector.
There is no doubt that the executive branch of our federal government is embroiled in plenty of conflicts these days, ranging from small to very large.
It's true that significant strides have been made in terms of environmental impact in the rubber and related industries, but it's equally true that much still needs to be done, and that this work will take time.
Like many old-time manufacturing sectors, the rubber industry rightly was looked on as a "good old boys" club for decades. While at most gatherings the vast majority of attendees are still males, there's evidence that the numbers may be a bit closer than in years past.
As a material, LSR started out slow, but recently has started to reach its potential in terms of market penetration and being a viable option for a wide range of elastomer parts.