2020 used to mean seeing perfectly, then last year happened and 2020 became synonymous with so much more. Confusion, fear, and loss come to mind, but I prefer to think about 2020 as a year where America showed its ingenuity. We should all be proud of the creativity that was brought to bear to combat the virus: multiple vaccines developed in less than a year, distilleries turned into disinfection suppliers, restaurants going online to deliver curbside via ride-sharing services; the list goes on. Darwinism is often called “survival of the fittest,” but it is really “survival of the adaptable,” and what we have all accomplished in 2020 demonstrates that we will continue to adapt to make it through this difficult time, together.
Like most businesses, Pleiger Plastics had its share of challenges in 2020, but we like to focus on what we did right and how we will move forward into 2021 and beyond. We are proud of our efforts in 2020 to adapt our Sales and Manufacturing processes to meet the challenges of our customers while managing inventories to minimize supply chain disruptions. Most importantly, in a business-like ours, where everything we make is custom, and employee knowledge is our greatest asset, our biggest successes were keeping our team fully employed and working safely in disinfected facilities throughout the pandemic, while keeping our customers supplied with their critical parts.
2021 will no doubt have its challenges, however, we are looking forward to working with our old reliable business sectors like screen printing squeegees and stock shapes to recover, while also investing for the future, by extending our most technical products into new markets. Pleiger’s cellular foams are unique in their performance characteristics, with potential across so many market segments and we are excited to invest in 2021 to increase capacity for these products. In addition to foams, new 3D printing capacity is being brought online to increase flexibility and print envelope size, new urethane systems are being evaluated to further enhance product capabilities and new staff is being hired to better service our customers.
With our growth over the past several years, and with Production and Sales investments we have made for the future, Pleiger Plastics has outgrown our 2013 expansion (15,600 sq. ft.) and we are starting the process of constructing a new building at our Washington, PA facility.
We wish all of our employees, customers, and suppliers a safe and successful 2021, and while there is uncertainty about what the future brings, Pleiger Plastics is betting on America and her hard-working people in the new-year.
Regards,
Michael J. Savage, P.E.
