FPD Highlights - April 2007
SPI Activities in Support of FPD
SPI WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT - On May 1st, SPI will launch its Plastics Industry Career Center, a new online resource designed to help you recruit qualified plastics industry professionals. Many employers and job seekers today are discovering the advantages of shopping online for industry jobs and qualified candidates to fill them. But the one-size-fits-all approach of the mega job boards may not be the most efficient way to find qualified candidates. The new Plastics Industry Career Center will help streamline your hiring process with:
Unmatched exposure for job listings. SPI represents the largest audience of qualified plastics industry professionals.
Easy online job management. You can enter job descriptions, check the status of postings, renew or discontinue postings and even make payments online.
Resumé searching access. With a paid job listing, you can search the resumé database and use an automatic notification system to receive email notifications when new resumés match your criteria.
Company awareness. Along with each job posting, you can include information about your individual company and a link to your Web site.
SPI member companies will benefit from substantial discounts on all job posting fees! Beginning April 1, 2007 through June 1, 2007, use the promotion code MEM and you will automatically receive a 25 percent discount on the already reduced SPI member pricing for the job posting package of your choice. Don't miss this special introductory offer. Visit the Plastics Industry Career Center and receive targeted access to qualified plastics industry professionals, along with quick and easy job posting and online job activity reports. For more information, contact Barbara Darby, Manager, Workforce Development/PLN, 864/239-2939, ext. 4.
SPI WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Recruiting workforce talent from the military makes good sense... Most manufacturing companies are experiencing talent shortages. One solution may be to recruit men and women who are transitioning from active military duty to civilian life. RecruitMilitary is the only nationwide, full-service, military-to-civilian recruiting firm. It serves veterans of all ranks/rates and branches of the armed forces and will sponsor 32 RecruitMilitary Career Fairs in 2007. The turnout at similar events in 2006 ranged between 650 and 1,000 skilled veterans. The company draws job seekers from its own database of more than 145,000 self-registered candidates who have a military background and conducts advertising and public relations campaigns to attract additional personnel.
SPI supports Los Angeles initiative to stop plastic pellet loss To help mitigate the flow of plastic pellets into area storm drains, rivers, bays and the Pacific Ocean, SPI and other industry groups are working with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board on an enforcement initiative focusing on plastic manufacturers and transporters. Launched in January 2007, the Water Board's initiative includes: 1) Advising businesses of water quality permit, monitoring and reporting requirements, and assisting businesses with obtaining the necessary permits. 2) Notifying business owners of any violation of clean water regulations, and helping them develop and implement a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). For more information, contact Jill Brandts, 949/261-6979.
FPD Activities
SPRING 2007 CONFERENCE was held at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort in Santa Ana Pueblo, NM (near Albuquerque) March 25-27, 2007. Dan Loffa, AGC Chemicals Americas, and Kenneth Koziel, Saint-Gobain, were the conference co-chairs. The resort was fantastic and the business and Section programs were very interesting. The Processors and Coaters Sections each had over 25 attendees. A post-conference summary will be posted on the website soon.
FALL 2007 CONFERENCE is planned for The Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sept. 23-25, 2007. The Conference Chairmen are Tim Grattan, Daikin, and Dave Ely, Chromatics Inc. Confirmed presentations to date include "Trade Secret Protection," "Trends in Enterprise Software", and "Bar Coding/Warehouse IT."
FPD ANNUAL ASSESSMENTwas approved to continue at $750 by the Executive Committee.
MEMBERSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE - American Durafilm was accepted by the Executive Committee as FPD's newest member. The membership committee was authorized to proceed with a web based survey, an effort led by Terence Neville and Mike Patterson.
MONTHLY FPD HIGHLIGHTS - Please include E. Robert (Bob) Hill on your press release list at eben_hill@msn.com, so we can note your company and staff accomplishments and honors.
FPD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE - Mike Haley, Dyneon; Preston Hollier, Solvay Solexis; Matt Kajfez, Saint Gobain; Evan Laganis, AGC Chemicals; Terence Neville, Acton Technologies; Steve Schwartz, PCM; and Eric Walsh, DEWal Industries, were nominated to renew their terms of service. Nominated as new members were Richard Perrinaud, Arkema, and Brandon Redmond, Jrlon. The nominations will be sent to the membership for e-mail ballot.
WINTER 2007 ISSUE OF FLUORONEWS has been posted in full color. Since the electronic only format was not well received, we will again issue printed copies starting with the Summer 2007 issue.
FLUOROGUIDE - We did full updates of FluoroGuide and the related Section and Member tables in early November 2006 and early March 2007. We plan to do updates of the section and membership tables every 4-5 weeks to keep them current, and do full updates of FluoroGuide 3-4 times per year. The next full update of FluoroGuide is expected in June 2007. Please check your company input on our website and give Bob Hill any needed further revisions at eben_hill@msn.com.
FPD WEB SITE HITS continue to increase steadily. We continue to add a steady stream of new content to our web site, and are now posting post-conference summaries, including the conference program, a list of attendees, and more.
FPD Section Activities
FPD Section activities continue to be strongly emphasized at all of our conferences. The PFOA issue is a major issue in all sections.
Coating Section had over 25 attendees at the Spring 2007 Conference. The group wants to increase its efforts in reaching out to coater member prospects. At the Spring Conference, the Dux Area provided a valuable presentation. There were also presentations from 3 coatings suppliers, and a discussion of regulatory issues.
PTFE Processors Section - The name of the Section has been changed from PTFE Processors to the Processors Section, reflecting the wider scope of its membership and breakout subject matter. The Spring Section breakout also had over 25 attendees. Cognex was the main presenter. The Section is working to increase processor participation.
Wire & Cable Section - The Section is focused on life cycle analysis and green building products.
Industry Highlights
W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES (GORE) announced in late February 2007 that the first patient has been enrolled in a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved IDE study for the 45 mm GORE TAG® Thoracic Endoprosthesis for treatment of aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta. Grayson Wheatley, MD, Arizona Heart Institute, enrolled the first patient in the multi-center clinical study which will assess the safety and efficacy of the 45 mm GORE TAG Device for the primary treatment in patients with aortic inner diameters adjacent to the aneurysm ranging from 37 to 42 mm. "We're pleased to have initiated this study by enrolling the first patient," said Dr. Wheatley. "The procedure went very smoothly, and the patient will likely be discharged from the hospital in 2-3 days. Without the availability of this 45 mm GORE TAG Device, the patient's only alternative would have been open surgical repair which typically requires a hospital stay of 8-10 days."
In March 2005, Gore received FDA approval to market the GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis in diameters ranging from 26-40 millimeters. Through 2006, approximately 16,000 GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprostheses have been implanted worldwide. The GORE TAG Device internally relines the thoracic aorta and isolates the diseased segment from blood circulation. The GORE TAG Endoprosthesis is comprised of an ePTFE graft with an outer self-expanding nitinol support structure to combine both device flexibility and material durability. The device is inserted by a catheter delivery technique through a small incision in the patient's groin.
DUPONT Good News! Teflon® has come out of your frying pan and onto your fingernails. Sally Hansen's Teflon® Tuff Nail Color has the strength and durability that we've always associated with Teflon® products. Cooks who already appreciate cookware with Teflon® are jumping on the Teflon® Tuff nail care bandwagon. Chop, wash, prep, wash, cook, wash these are fingernails that really take a beating. Garden! Wash the car! Do anything you want!
SOLVAY SPECIALTY POLYMERS (Changshu) Co., Ltd.'s ground breaking ceremony event was held in Changshu, China on 2007-Jan-09. This project is Solvay group's very first world-class PTFE micronized powder production plant in the People's Republic of China. The plant is located in Jiangsu High-Tech Fluorine Chemical Industrial Park. Its foundation lifts the new curtain for Solvay to satisfy Greater China and Asia Pacific area's high performance materials' development.
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