“Stay out, we’re full.” These words were carefully sewn onto a patch, surrounding an American flag.  It caught my daughter Lindee’s eye as she pointed it out to me in the Milwaukee airport.  Sadly enough, it wasn’t on a trash can or toilet stall, rather on the jacket worn by a fellow American. This occurred…

You may know that in 2011, a group of our younger members formed the ARM Future Leaders, a networking group open to anyone in the Association. The Future Leaders focus on troubleshooting, learning from one another, and becoming leaders in ARM and the rotomolding industry. They have also taken part in two plant tours –…

Recently, a customer sent in a PO for 300 pcs. of a brand-new rotomolded part – great news! Upon further examination, though, a major problem was discovered: the specified “MUST” ship date was 3 days from receipt of the PO. This would prove difficult to accommodate for a number of reasons, most significantly that it…

Cleveland’s had some tough times over the years, but things are looking up.  There hasn’t been a river fire on the Cuyahoga since 1969, Lebron was replaced by a slightly lesser known Tristan Thompson, the Brown’s are still mathematical contenders for the Playoff’s, and the 2013 ARM Annual Meeting is returning to the Rock and…

I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the principle of true leadership as of late. Every time I do, my thoughts turn to someone I always considered to be a fantastic leader … my father, Dwight Laws. Before he passed away, he was Director of BYU’s Independent Study department, one of the…

In their influential book Groundswell, authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff state “your brand is whatever your customers say it is.” So, in spite of our efforts to advertise, promote and communicate the superiority of our products and services, ultimately the customer’s perception is what counts. What is this brand stuff all about, and why…

I just returned from a trip to Mexico where I attended and participated in a seminar on rotational molding.  A couple of things struck me during that conference. First, it has always intrigued me how similar the issues facing rotational molders are no matter where they are in the world.  I suppose in some cases,…

I’ve been involved in this industry going on 33 years and I’m still impressed by the spirit of innovation that characterizes the process of rotational molding. Back when I started, you could travel a long distance before you’d see something made by the process, yet today it has become very common. I also think that,…

Stay tuned! The Association of Rotational Molder’s blog goes live on June 25. A wide variety of members will use this space to discuss the issues of importance to rotational molders. What’s being discussed at the water cooler on the shop floor?  What’s keeping them up at night? And much more. If you’re interested in…