In our last blog, Phil shared his takeaways from the NPE trade show. This month, we hear from Erica on her experience at the IAPD Leadership Development Conference in June.
Workforce recruitment & retention
Earlier this year, Finger Lakes Extrusion spoke with local high school students about career opportunities in performance plastics. At the conference, Erica participated in a discussion about recruiting more young people to the industry.
“We talked about reaching young people in high school and making them aware of the opportunities in the skilled trades. And changing the perception of what manufacturing is today. The technology we use is especially interesting to younger generations. We have to keep working to expose them to these good paying, stable careers that can provide economic security,” said Erica.
Vocational schools and community colleges are key partners in educating and training workers in advanced manufacturing, and offering apprenticeship programs that place students directly in jobs after graduation. The group also discussed the growing importance of mentors in helping workers strengthen their skills and advance in their careers.
“We recently invested in a training program for five of our extruder operators,” added Erica. “Investing in our people benefits them, our company and our customers.”
ESG
Companies are working to determine the best path forward on ESG, or environmental, social and governance.
“We’re a very environmentally-conscious company and deeply committed to sustainable practices that minimize our impact on the environment. At the conference, I learned we’re not alone when it comes to ESG. There are a lot of moving parts and pieces, and like many others, we’re considering what’s in the best interest of our partners and customers and what they need from us,” said Erica, who is a member of the IAPD Environmental Committee.
She added, “We give careful thought to these issues when we evaluate vendors and how they align with our values and commitment. Our company is equally dedicated to providing a consistently positive and supportive work environment for our team, and contributing to the health and vitality of the community where we live and work.”
Legislation
Extender producer responsibility (EPR) legislation dominated conversations about the impact of government policies on the performance plastics industry.
Basically, EPR shifts waste and recycling management services from municipalities to manufacturers. It makes plastic producers responsible for collecting and recycling or disposing their products at the end of their life. Several states in the U.S. have implemented EPR programs for plastic waste and about a dozen more have introduced some form of EPR legislation.
“While we certainly support efforts to reduce plastic waste, many of these proposals, as currently written, would have significant cost and operational impacts on companies like ours. How would we track where our products end up around the world and get them back after their useful life, which varies by application? How would we pay for that? Would we have to invest in new equipment? We are a small business. These are significant factors for us. Our industry must keep educating the public and raising awareness about performance plastics – we are not the same as single-use plastics,” said Erica.
Finger Lakes Extrusion’s recycling and reuse program results in nearly 100% reusable materials and products.
Erica said the company has made a more concerted effort to engage with lawmakers at every level of government, giving them tours of the facility and an understanding of the challenges small manufacturers face.
“The overall takeaway is there is power in numbers. We need to work together as an industry to stay engaged with each other and with all of our stakeholders. There are more opportunities than obstacles,” said Erica.
