Resin Market
“Do not go gentle into that good night, rage, rage against the dying of the light!” Dylan Thomas was actually writing these words about the resin companies. They have had their act of God and they used it to full advantage but the water had to dry sooner or later and the ugly truth of capacity has to open up. Resin capacity is running like a determined Cam Newton, heavy and hard to stop! I predicted resin would run it’s course in November, and I believe it’s going to come down later in the month and stretch into December. I know, I expose the resin companies for the oligopolies that they are, and the immense power they have. Wait a second, I am seeing a red dot reflect on my screen and it’s on my forehead.
Paper Market
I am receiving less money for my waste paper, oddly enough from the very company I buy my paper from, but no change in pricing. I am seeing offers out there but it’s common in the months of November and December. These are typical offerings as more firms are pushing out material as business slows, you will see a more active spot market with more offerings, which have been rare for a very long time. Long term, paper continues to be controlled tightly and more rumors of further consolidation will allow even greater pricing control in the future.
Ron’s view:
My daughter, Spencer asked me, “Why can’t you be normal?” I responded, “I don’t know why I am the way I am, I have always been this way. Do you want me to be normal?” She thought, maybe a little too long, and then she smiled and said, “Nah, normal is boring!” Those words made me smile and I wish this beautiful curse on her as well. You see, I was probably never accused of being normal my whole life and I bet everyone who feels like society pushes you into a square hole when you are a round peg feels the same.
I was recently asked by one of my customers, “tell me what makes you different than the competition?” I laughed, I responded, “How much time do you have?” I quickly with great energy leaped into as Shakespeare would say, “Let me count the ways”. Later that evening, I thought hard and long about all of these aspects of why we do what we do here at Alliance Plastics. I realize as well, we are a collaboration of many different personalities. We have walked with each other through the storms and the sunshine. We have comforted each other when we’ve lost loved ones. We protect each other from wrongs that are committed. More importantly, they believe maybe in that same mantra, “Normal is Boring!”
We love what we do, we are passionate about each other and we are passionate about our partners because we feel like you are an extension of our group, of our family. I know many of you love what you do for a living and I am humbled to have been bestowed such a great gift as this, to truly do something I love with people I love and respect.
So, why do we do what we do? Before I thought it was just maybe innately in our DNA, but I realize now it’s because we strive to change this somewhat mundane business. It’s to throw conventions in the air and to say, we can do better.
Sure, not all our experiments have been successes, the fish flowbee and the paper shredder/film dispenser was a bust, but some have been home runs. We brought the first downgauged concept to banding film, now we are the first with a nano-layered technology in banding film creating an even better product. We brought the first guaranteed stronger thinner edge guard to the market. We created Titanium Stretch Film that contains reinforced powerbands to make it the strongest stretch film in the world. We invented our Airforce Max to offer even greater breathability in films and to allow for less film usage with greater reinforced powerbands.
We don’t just challenge the industry standard, we reinvent it. We don’t sell direct, we don’t say it and create companies for our family members to compete against you. We don’t create shell companies that we sell material on ebay, Amazon or create medical and safety supply companies in disguise as packaging companies so we can compete against you. We are true to our bond and we know that if we break this bond, we denigrate our treasured Alliance with you. As we also take a moment to honor our Veterans who served, the sacred oath I took when I was in the military was bound by the principals of honor, duty and service.
In the Army, my Commanding Officer would tell us this oath is not given, this sacred oath is earned. So, here is the best way to describe why we do this, summed up in 3 easy sentences and felt by all our beloved team members:
- We do the things we do because that is who we are.
- We invent new concepts because we want to see change.
- We are loyal because we choose to do the right thing.
I believe our best years are ahead of us. Thank you for allowing us to go on this ride with you and I look forward to the future because we have so much more to offer you. We are just getting warmed up!