Summer 2004 | Trade and Industry Development

Summer 2004

Trade & Industry Development Magazine

Determining your company’s needs and finding places or solutions to satisfy them is a daunting task. Hopefully this edition of Trade & Industry Development will help the decision making process. A good place to start is our two-part “Special Report,” where experts offer excellent advice in assessing your company’s needs, both internally and externally. Once you determine to take the process further, look to our “Feature” articles for solutions in the plastics and manufacturing sectors. If you are considering expansion and need a cost effective way to do it, look to the federal government. In the article entitled ‘Get in the Fast Lane,’ many options are available to companies needing efficient space and a qualified workforce. Finally, for an overview of the plastics and manufacturing sectors, look to the “Industry Outlooks” provided by SPI an NAM. These national associations provide unique perspectives on the economic recovery for their respective industries.

In this issue

Building Logistics: Planning for Facility Expansion Needs

BY: Lawrence Wal

Companies whose operations are constrained because they have outgrown their current facilities and machinery have several options to consider before building new facilities. They can outsource a portion of their operations, hire a logistics company to handle distribution, employ additional shifts, purchase better manufacturing ormaterial handling equipment, invest in more efficient computer systems or lease a new facility. However, each of these options has its set of pitfalls. more....