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Eptam Precision Solutions, a supplier of contract services to the medical device sector, has acquired Sterling Manufacturing and its wholly owned subsidiary, Albright Silicone. Headquartered in Lancaster, MA, Sterling is specialized in plastic and liquid silicone rubber injection molding for the medical device, life sciences, consumer electronics, and aerospace and defense markets. The transaction further bolsters Eptam’s presence in the life sciences, biopharma, and broader medical device market, and expands…

Photo: Getty Images There was a time, not so long ago, when you might have been excused for thinking that “sustainability” was mostly virtue signaling or aspirational fancy talk. But not today. It’s getting real, folks! I interviewed a molder this week for an upcoming article, and he voiced something that a number of you may be experiencing – and others will soon, no doubt. It used to be that…

Growth in plastics production in the coming years will drive increased use of fossil fuels into the mid-century and beyond, even as fuel consumption declines with the onset of EVs and more efficient internal combustion engines. “The petrochemical sector is one of the blind spots of the global energy debate, and there is no question that it will be the key driver of oil demand growth for many years to…

Medical molding and packaging specialist Comar has named Brian Larkin President and CEO, succeeding Mike Ruggieri, who will transition to the Chairman role and remain on the Board of Directors. Under Ruggieri’s 15 years of leadership, Comar evolved from a single-site, family-owned business to a multinational company with expanded customer relationships, broad innovation and design resources, and state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities, said Comar in the announcement. “Brian is the right leader…

Encina makes feedstock monomers from end-of-life plastics. In April, the company made news with a big investment to build its first commercial scale facility in Pennsylvania. Recently I spoke with Sheida Sahandy, Chief Sustainability Officer and General Counsel at Encina, about her vision for the circular plastic industry. Encina’s process begins with sorted, post-consumer waste from MRFs, along with high-value scrap material. A second sort is performed, removing contaminants and…

While we keep an understandably wary eye on inflation numbers, interest rates, and the stock market, something else is going on in the global economy that deserves our attention — a manufacturing renaissance in the United States, partly powered by baffling Chinese policies. The Sept. 26 edition of the New York Times carried an article under the startling headline, “Factory Jobs Are Booming Like It’s the 1970s.” US manufacturing has now…