R&D/Leverage, recently recognized as the first U.S. mold maker and Structural Brand Development Company to be certified "Made in the USA," has now launched Support Plastics USA, www.supportplasticsusa.com, a new portal site designed to promote domestic plastics suppliers and attract talented newcomers to the industry.
According to Robert Schiavone, global marketing director for R&D/Leverage, the new website gives mold makers, design houses and processors a unified voice, as well as a powerful "home" for an industry's worth of information and resources, as well as success stories. In a matter of weeks, 13 entities have joined Support Plastics USA, he reports.
"We are tearing down the walls separating customers and competitors and creating a joint effort to share the news of what we do in the U.S., when it comes to plastics design, engineering, and manufacturing," Schiavone says. "Simultaneously, we are working to foster pride in American workmanship and manufacturing prowess, in order to attract young adults eager to start their careers."
According to Schiavone, the initiative is a win-win, as the U.S. wins back plastic assignments from overseas. "Many large corporations believe they can profitably make products here," he said. "The timing is right - Pride In American Manufacturing is coming back. And as American Mold Makers and Engineers and Design Houses, we need to capitalize on this opportunity."
Although many grass-roots, Made In America online support groups have sprouted up, he says, "none of them supported our industry. So R&D/Leverage created such a group, and will continue to use our company's leadership role to make connections between the industry players looking to support the Plastics industry and American pride."
Schiavone recently addressed these related issues at Amerimold 2013 on June 13, Rosemount, IL; click here to read more.
ABOUT R&D/LEVERAGE
R&D/Leverage USA, headquartered in Missouri, services the food and beverage, home and personal care, and healthcare industries. It is the only company to offer both structural brand development and mold manufacturing capabilities. Structural brand development capabilities are upfront research such as retail audits that include trend and color study, ethnographic research, consumer focus groups, concept development, validation, and implementation. Mold manufacturing capabilities include full mold manufacturing for PET tooling, IBM tooling, injection molds, as well as unit tool development, testing, validation, and training.
