Thermoforming Report

A 2026 Primer

In our September Thermoforming Report, we talked about 2025 being a tipping point for talent. The numbers are staggering – and frankly, hard to process. Like we said then, the time is now.

But how? Like everything else in business (and life), success requires assessment, planning, and execution. Let’s dig in!

Skills Gaps

It’s October 2025 – the fourth quarter. How appropriate that football season is underway, right? Now’s the time to figure out where your gaps are as you look ahead to 2026. 

1. Retirements. What retirements are coming next year? Have you invested time in capturing the knowledge and experience of those key team members before they walk out the door? When they do, what critical skills will leave with them? 
2. New Equipment & Training. Bringing new equipment online next year? What’s your training plan to get your team up the curve? Do you have a vendor agreement for onsite training? In my experience, classroom training is necessary – but the real learning happens on the floor. Just like football, practice is essential, but the real development happens during the game. Manufacturing is no different. When production happens, your team must respond in real time. Having an expert coach on the floor accelerates that learning curve.
3. Industry & Market Focus. What outside forces will impact you in 2026? We don’t have a crystal ball, but economic shifts, new regulations, and supply chain disruptions are constant. Have you built resilience into your operation? Into your supply chain? Into your leaders? (Our September blog tackled this very topic in depth.)
4. Your “Can’t-Live-Without” People. Do you have one or two team members you just can’t live without? If so, that’s not just a risk – it’s a hidden treasure. They hold valuable experience and practical knowledge that needs to be shared across the team. Think of it as turning a skills gap into a skills goldmine. Wouldn’t it make more sense to spread that treasure around and build a whole team with those capabilities? A strong bench wins games!

Industry Insight: What’s Driving 2026
PMMI’s 2025 State of the Industry report shows the key pressures shaping packaging and thermoforming going into 2026 – from workforce shortages and retention challenges to automation, AI, and shifting sustainability goals. The graphic below only scratches the surface of PMMI’s fact-packed, data-rich State of the Industry report –  a must-read visual on the forces shaping packaging and thermoforming in 2026.

These forces are exactly why now is the time to plan, measure, and act.

Planning

Once you’ve identified the gaps, it’s time to plan.

1. Retirements. For your planned – or even potential – retirements, now is the time to act. A quick search can reveal solid frameworks for both what to do and when to do it, but the key takeaway is this: start early. Succession and knowledge transfer should begin years, not months, before a critical retirement. Ideally, planning happens across four stages:
   • 1–5 years out: Identify potential successors and start skill development.
   • 6–12 months out: Formalize the transition and document key processes.
   • 1–3 months out: Begin training and knowledge transfer in earnest.
   • Final week: Wrap up, celebrate, and offboard smoothly.
     To minimize “brain drain,” also consider phased retirement, consulting arrangements, or paid mentorship programs to keep institutional knowledge in-house a little longer.
2. New Equipment & Training. If you’ve invested capital and new equipment is coming online, what’s your training plan? What’s your documentation plan? One effective approach is to dedicate a project lead with clear objectives and KPIs – including training metrics. You get what you measure, and that applies here too! And let’s not forget automation and AI. Do you have any initiatives underway that could reshape how your team captures, analyzes, or applies data next year?
3. Industry & Market Forces. What external dynamics could hit in 2026? You’ve likely reviewed some of these, but just in case:
   • European Union: The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) takes effect August 12, 2026, creating a unified legal framework and stricter requirements across the supply chain – from restricted substances (PFAS) to excessive packaging bans and conformity documentation.
   • United States: Several states (California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington) are implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, requiring manufacturers to fund the recycling and disposal of their packaging.
     These changes underscore the need to plan ahead – not just for compliance, but for innovation and efficiency.
4. Knowledge Transfer. For those “can’t-live-without” team members, you must find ways to spread their knowledge around. As we mentioned in September’s Thermoforming Report: capture what matters, standardize the exceptions, gather insights, build systems that preserve that ‘tribal knowledge’, and foster a culture of transfer.

The point is clear: if you’re not planning ahead – for retirements, new equipment, or external changes – your results will be impacted.

Making It Happen

Yes, the fourth quarter is always busy. But make time to work on the important, not just the urgent. That’s what separates teams that react from teams that win.

How? It starts with your leaders. They set the tone, call the plays, and guide the organization toward mid- and long-term success. And remember: you get what you measure. When metrics are tied to leadership development, knowledge transfer, or training initiatives, those efforts automatically become priorities – not afterthoughts.

The best game plans don’t live on paper. They’re executed, adjusted, and owned by the team. So, take the insights you’ve gathered this year, put them into action, and set your organization up to win 2026.

As your Thermoforming Talent Partner, we represent clients AND candidates! We’re here to help in any and every way possible! We provide hiring strategies, priority candidate searches, job searches, client & candidate introductions, interview tips, résumé facelifts, resignation strategies, and much much more. LET’S STRENGTHEN YOUR SEARCH!