Special Focus:
IAPD Membership Directory

June/July 2010

Departments
Calendar of Events
Corporate Profiles
Economy Trends
Plastics Watch
Technology Corner
People & Places
Literature and Web Showcase
Product Showcase
Plastic Pipeline
Fabrication Services Showcase

Sign up for a complimentary subscription to
an educational e-newsletter, published by IAPD, highlighting the material of choice for today's applications.

IAPD third quarter economic climate survey

December 2009/January 2010

Third quarter 2009 data reflects continuing impact of the global recession’s impact within the plastics distribution industry. Respondents indicating sales growth dropped from 23 percent during the second quarter to 14 percent in the third quarter. Fifty-six percent reported that production fell versus 46 percent and 26 percent indicated a drop in backlog versus 46 percent reporting a drop in second quarter.

Only 19 percent of IAPD member respondents reported they would be hiring in the first quarter of 2010 versus 11 percent during fourth quarter 2009, while 70 percent indicated they would not be hiring new employees. Almost 44 percent of the respondents believed the availability of labor was better than the second quarter of 2009, while 30 percent indicated that the quality of labor also improved in the third quarter of 2009.

Tightening of credit markets continued to be felt globally. In total, 74 percent of respondents reported that credit availability had not changed while 84 percent reported that interest rates had remained the same from the second quarter.

Overall, almost 30 percent of the respondents indicated that they lowered their prices in the third quarter of 2009. This trend is continuing as 14 percent reported they would lower their prices in the first quarter of 2010 as well.