Resin Market
Where is resin pricing today? Where is the price of film? Is there a disconnect or did we see that the shift to higher pricing is a cause from manufacturers and not resin suppliers. As we see our industry, like other industries, gobble each other up to create as they use nice little words like, “Synergy”, I can tell you that we woke up one day and when we weren’t watching, prices crept up and they are staying up. I don’t think I will ever see gas prices below 2.00 in my lifetime again. I may never see stretch film at 2 lbs for a dollar. According to CDI, resin fell 3 cents but the future looks like the market will be holding on and pricing will only be affected by another 3 cent drop from now until the end of the year with fluctuations higher and lower.
Paper Market
The world is flat but not in the world of paper. Paper, despite our dream that email would eliminate the usage, well, it didn’t work. Paper is becoming a scarce commodity and the lead times and availability are going out. We are seeing increases and I am not challenging anything they put in front of my face anymore. My shock collar is working, every time I want to fight the Paper Industry, I get shocked, it’s modifying my behavior. Don’t look for moderation in this market soon, it won’t happen. More and more, this is a world problem and will continue to drive the North American market more so than ever. I just came back from my Dentist today and after 10 minutes, I have to say that I gave up more than my name, rank and serial number and it’s about the same torture of trading in paper right now.
Ron’s view:
Memorial Day is upon us and many of you know the call to service for our company is sacred. So many of the members of Alliance Plastics are veterans and on Memorial Day, we find it our solemn day to reflect upon the many who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us all.
Memorial Day was established officially in 1971 but prior to Memorial Day being recognized as an official federal holiday, it was known as Decoration Day to commemorate those who were lost in the civil war. I have had the privilege of going to the Battles of Fredericksburg, Antietam, Bull Run, Chickamauga, Yorktown, and Normandy. Going there, I can almost feel the scared young men and women who sacrificed all they had. When you go to the beaches of Normandy and you see the sand where these brave men jumped off the landing crafts and see the 3 football fields length of pure hell on earth that they ran through to liberate the world from tyranny, it makes you proud to be an American.
I could only imagine what these heroes were thinking as they looked behind and only saw the punishing sea and the pure carnage in front of them. With this, I leave it to someone who can tell it better than I can with a simple poem.
Recessional
BY RUDYARD KIPLING
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine-
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget-lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget-lest we forget!
Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget-lest we forget!
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law-
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget-lest we forget!
For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard,
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,
For frantic boast and foolish word-
Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!
No more words need to be said………Happy Memorial Day, Lest we forget-lest we forget