Bash says, recently, however, they’ve seen signs of improvement. In addition, Elliott will supply the compressors for the new ethane cracker plant that Shell Chemical Appalachia is building in Beaver County.
Elliott’s new equipment business has traditionally been cyclical, she says.
“During this market slowdown, we’ve invested in our manufacturing infrastructure in order to be ready for the market recovery and a corresponding increase in the demand for new equipment,” Bash says. “We have also continued to invest in the service side of our business, including new service centers in India and China, and one now under construction in Saudi Arabia.”
How to reach: Elliott Group, (724) 527-2811
Cautiously optimistic in a time of political uncertainty
A new political environment always brings change, but under the Trump Administration manufacturers are waiting to see what happens next.
Antonis Papadourakis, Ph.D., president, CEO and country speaker for the NAFTA region of LANXESS Corp., says there’s a lot of uncertainty. Some may be positive and some could be negative.
Corporate tax reform and less regulation may help the manufacturer grow, but free trade could be impacted by changes to trade agreements, he says.
At AccuTrex Products Inc. government regulation — along with rising health care costs — remain a big challenge.
“Being a contract manufacturer, our industry is driven by the requirements of our customers. We support numerous industries such as aerospace, mining, gas and oil, steel and heavy equipment,” says Martin P. Beichner Jr., president and CEO at AccuTrex. “The general downturn in all of these industries has had an adverse effect on our business. Much of the downturn can be attributed to government regulation.”
AccuTrex has been on a yearlong cost savings journey, which has been fairly successful, he says. It has included strategies like changing vendors or restructuring vendor agreements.
In manufacturing today, you have to review your major cost drivers on a regular basis, keep up with changes in equipment and continue to seek out new markets, Beichner says.
How to reach: AccuTrex Products Inc., (724) 746-4300
