Extrusion International 3-2024-USA

29 Extrusion International 3/2022 Packs Over 21,000 Meals Packed for Charity at NPE2024  The Plastics Industry Associa- tion announced over 21,000 meals were packed at the first ever com - munity service event at NPE2024, exceeding the association’s goal of 20,000 meals. The event, in partner- ship with Alliance Specialties and Laser Sales and U.S. Hunger, saw over 70 volunteers, including NPE attendees and exhibitors, come to- gether to make a difference in the fight against hunger. All meals were donated to Orlando’s Second Har- vest Food Bank for distribution to the local community. “I’m thrilled we were able to sur- pass our goal for this event,” said Whitney Taveras PLASTICS’ Direc- tor of Industry Engagement (Equip- ment). “We are grateful for the amazing team of volunteers who packed over 21,000 meals for those in need. The plastics industry is dedi- cated to supporting local communi- ties and this initiative was a true tes- tament to that mission.” “We were able to accomplish an amazing act of service at NPE2024,” said Tony Demakis, President of Al- liance Specialties and Laser Sales. “The event brought people togeth- er from across the plastics industry to serve others and make a differ- ence for people in need in the local Orlando area. I’m so proud we ex- ceeded our goal for this event and am thankful to PLASTICS and to all the volunteers.” U.S. Hunger is a 501(c)(3) that has activated more than 950,000 volun- teers to distribute over 160 million meals across the globe. https://ushunger.org/ Building Business in a Competitive Market  It was not only the effect it had on public health, the Covid pan- demic had a substantial impact on world trade, and its fair to say that the business scene today is fun- damentally different from how it looked in 2019. The shortage of raw materials, the restrictions on travel and transport, the rapid change in consumer shopping habits, to name a few, all had a major impact on how investment in the capital goods sector was perceived and played out for the manufacturers in- volved – and Vetaphone was forced to review and revise the way it did business. But, as with most crises, a new creativity emerged. Born of neces- sity, but based on good business practice, the company sharpened their focus on more efficient pro - duction methods of their leading- edge technology, and importantly, ramping up the customer support with additional technical staff and an enlarged parts store. Many of the customers operate 24/7, workingwith very finemargins that can be seriously affected by downtime. In this production envi- ronment, reliability is essential. The problem is that all production lines are made up of many working parts from different manufacturers, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. All machines can break down. But it’s how a supplier responds to a breakdown that makes the differ- ence between success and failure. This is especially the case in mar- kets like America, where customers are spread far and wide. Vetaphone knows that it’s necessary to offer the security of local support, which the company cannot do from Europe. That’s why Vetaphone has invested heavily in a full after sales back-up of parts and service technicians who are locally based in the US. The compa- nies main parts store, located in Rich- ardson, TX offers all Vetaphone’s American customers quick access to parts for next day delivery. The parts store is close to the ma- jor DFW airport hub and stocks 90% of all routine parts for Vetaphone corona systems. With no significant time zone difference or language is- sues to contend with that might de- lay order processing, the American customers are now assured of the best quality back-up available in the market – as well as the most reliable technology, of course. Bestof all are the testimonials from satisfied customers, who keep com - ing back for more. Robert Parker of Label King in San Diego for instance who said: “In my view, Vetaphone is the Cadillac of this market!” or Tim Takken of A-PAC Grand Rapids who stated: “We installed our first Veta - phone corona treater in 2018 and the second in 2020. Although it was an unknown brand to us, we have been well pleased with the result and their local support.” Vetaphone A/S www.vetaphone.com Vetaphone has invested heavily in supporting its global customers