Bad news but should we be worried?

The UK’s plastics industry has been reporting a largely positive picture these last few months, aside from the construction sector, which is understandably still feeling poorly. All in the garden looked rosy…

And then Dow and DuPont go and admit that things are actually pretty rotten. So much so that jobs are being shed and plants closed. Today was a black Wednesday for the global plastics industry – long dark shadows were cast over its length – and Europe got mentioned by both behemoths as being a principal cause for concern.

So who do we believe – the global bellwethers or the UK’s processors, machinery companies and distributors? Surely we can’t be having it both ways. Either we’re doing okay or things have got so bad that major players need to realign their businesses… isn’t that how it works?

Okay, I’ll admit that my ‘either/or’ analysis is simplistic and flawed but for two giants of our industry to come out on the same day and admit that things have gone wrong is worrying no matter which way you view it.

Sadly the PRW crystal ball – well, PMMA ball actually – is looking a little cloudy at the moment but I feel sure that there are sages and soothsayers out that that have tapped into the source and can add comment and observation on this topic.

So what’s your take on today’s doom and gloom?

Send your thoughts to aclark@crain.com and we’ll look to compile the best of ‘em for publication early next week.

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