Strategic Management in the Plastics Industry explains how companies in the plastic industry can deal with specific problems that are not addressed in general management books. It is written for a broad audience in the industry, including aspiring professionals who wish to become managers, managers already in place who wish to round out their skills, consultants to the industry, and university students and faculty in plastics engineering and polymer chemistry departments.Strategic Management in the Plastics Industry outlines the fundamental elements in polymer manufacturing, compounding, distribution, and processing that make the plastics industry a unique business, and it shows how these factors affect management decisions. Using case studies and examples, it demonstrates how prudent managerial choices are made and illustrates management errors company leaders must avoid. The author also covers the "do's and don'ts" of acquisitions, product support requirements, culture and size transitions, and financial dynamics of the plastics industry. The material is based on the author's experience, extensive research, and interviews with managers throughout the industry.Although the plastics industry is in the midst of dramatic changes brought about by increasingly globalized competition and an unusually strong slowing of the world economy, the fundamental principles of how to manage successfully in the plastics industry remain unchanged. Applicable to companies throughout the wide range of sizes and segments that comprise this industry, Strategic Management in the Plastics Industry is the one resource you need to operate productively, manage effectively, and grow in the industry.