Filed under: General Business Topics --- khevenor @ 12:52 PM

Much has been written about the competition from overseas service providers, but not much has been said about competition from overseas consumers. A recent article in Advertising Age magazine explains that as the spending power of consumers in emerging countries grows, marketing professionals are turning their attention to these high-growth areas and consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs) will be spending more of their marketing dollars overseas. Could this be a "double whammy" for U.S. converters and package printers? Not only will we see manufacturers looking for lower labor costs overseas, but we will see the design and marketing dollars that relate to those products moving as well. In the continued uncertainty of the U.S. economy, we can't afford to let any of this business slip away, so expertise, differentiation, and stellar customer service will be required to keep the work here. Will it work or is it too late?
- Keith Hevenor
Editorial/Conference Director
CMM International

Filed under: General Business Topics --- khevenor @ 12:55 PM

Much has been written lately about the environmental and economic effects of bottled water. Some groups claim that irresponsible disposal and inadequate recycling of these bottles is causing an environment crisis. Some claim that carbon effects of producing and shipping these bottles is the problem. Some claim that increasing reliance on bottled water is rendering this country's staggering capital investment in potable tap water useless.
An article in Time magazine this summer looks at some of the issues, while a recent story in Packaging World also looks at the pros and cons of bottled water.
I don't have the necessary knowledge to argue the environmental implications of our culture's obsession with bottled water, but I have always been puzzled by our willingness to pay so much for something we can get free almost anywhere. In most cases, a bottle of water costs the same or more than a bottle of soda or juice, which obviously required additional ingredients and processing. I guess it's sort of like our ridiculously overpaid professional athletes--as long as people are willing to pay, the costs will continue to go up.
Let me know what you think.

- Keith Hevenor
Editorial/Conference Director
CMM International

Filed under: Slitting, Cutting --- Reiny Schable @ 08:38 AM

To determine the cause of slitter blade wear, look for the tell-tale signature wear patterns on blades that will help you differentiate between blade-to-blade wear, and web-to-blade wear.

Once the distinctive patterns of wear are classified, the solutions will be easier to recognize and implement without resorting to "taking a stab in the dark"' or applying an unnecessarily costly solution to a relatively simple problem.

Continue reading"The causes of blade wear in slitters."