When a plastics processor rolls out a new product or alters the design of an existing one, it usually involves its engineering, marketing and sales staffs from the initial planning stages. But the company's resin and additive suppliers may be left out until the projects are cleared for take-off. Rowmark, a Findlay, Ohio-based extruder of thin-gauge plastic sheets for engraving and thermoforming applications is finding that early supplier involvement in its product development cycle can smooth a product's path to market by lowering raw materials costs and sidestepping disruptions in the supply chain.
Source: Purchasing, http://www.purchasing.com