While I have taken some time off, getting back to fighting trim, I have been fascinated by the chaos that seems to be surrounding the automobile industry these days.

There's always been a strange relationship between the synthetic and natural rubber sectors of the industry. That dates back to the birth of the modern day synthetic rubber industry, with the U.S. government project that led to the development of viable SR materials to replace the natural rubber supply that was cut off during World War II.

The winter/spring work travel season is coming to a close. In that time, the editorial staff will have covered at least 10 separate events.

There's no question manufacturing still can be a dangerous occupation. Conditions are nowhere near like they were even a couple of generations ago, but there still is the fear that danger can be around the corner in any industrial workplace.

I have no idea how long it will take for a safe, fully autonomous vehicle to enter production. But in the meantime, the industry is developing a large number of lifesaving devices and features, such as automatic braking, that are available on some vehicles.

It may sound strange to characterize a $1 billion company as a "small company," but that's the situation Lord Corp. found itself in.

Do me a favor, head on over to the newly designed website at rubbernews.com, and let us know what you think.

There's one general truth about the relationships between auto makers and their suppliers that doesn't change: The better the two sides work together, the more likely both sides will be successful.