Thermoforming Report

by Keith Brown, President & Owner, Siena Group

With “Made in the USA Day” just days away, the topic couldn’t be more timely. For this second part, we’ve done what manufacturers do best – dug in, looked around, and pulled together what’s working, what’s changing, and what matters most. Because in manufacturing, there’s always a way to keep moving – and we’re doing just that!

On Tariffs

At the May 2025 SPE Thermoforming Conference in Atlanta, Greg McCunn, recently retired Staff Engineer for composites and material engineering at farm equipment maker John Deere, was recognized for his accomplishments. During the Executive Forum that focused on the ongoing tariff battle, Greg stated, “We deal with tariffs every day. You deal with them all day long every day.  I guess my comment is ‘So what?’ We got them. Deal with it.”

This article in The CEO Magazine takes a similar ‘deal with it approach’, proposing that the best way to handle uncertainty in tariffs – and any other major impact on your business – is effective communication. The article cites in a big and bold heading: “Communications as a strategic resource.” The summary statement paragraph is definitely noteworthy!

“Ultimately, no company can control what tariff policies will prevail. But you can control if and how you communicate about them – to employees, investors, customers and policymakers. Bring your communications team into the room and to the table early to help you protect trust, guard against reputational damage and lead with credibility and transparency.” (CEO Magazine, 6/13/25)

TAKEAWAY: Tariffs are part of the everyday dynamics of manufacturing. Figure out how to onshore (as highlighted in ”Well-Played in USA: Why Onshoring Makes Good Business Sense”) or adjust accordingly.

On Recycling and the Changing Winds of Single-Use Plastics

In a recent LinkedIn article, Faerch’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Elisabet Sandnes outlined the company’s vision for circular recycling. The European-based firm – now expanding into the U.S. – is highly focused on sustainability. Sandnes explains, “Our path to circularity depends on two things: moving our customers away from virgin materials and into products made with circular, recycled plastic that is designed for recycling. Our goal is to make sure that high-quality plastic is not used only once and discarded as waste, but stay in the loop and live numerous lives as new food packaging.”  While gaps remain in the supply chain, Faerch is working to transform the system from being a “problem to becoming a potential for the industry”. 

Plastics News also featured insights from Conor Carlin, a plastics sustainability consultant and past president of the SPE, on the United Nations plastic treaty negotiations. “There’s going to be a lot of opportunity for discussion where countries are going to seek out experts.” , Carlin said, noting that the “SPE is very well positioned” globally to convene and engage across manufacturing sectors.

And in a recent spotlight from Packworld, Plastic Ingenuity’s earned a Silver Medal from EcoVadis, a global platform which provides sustainability ratings for businesses by assessing their environmental, social, and ethical performance across industries.

TAKEAWAY: Sustainability is not just a catchphrase. It’s the right way to do business.

On Innovation

FastCompany’s “Most Innovative Companies of 2025” highlights some truly creative applications of emerging technologies. As someone with a background in process engineering, their opening line resonates deeply with me:

“Advances in manufacturing (faster, cheaper, smarter) don’t always result from one big technological breakthrough: Much of the work of innovation involves building on what people have accomplished before.” 

It’s that thoughtful, incremental application of technology that drives real savings and momentum. One standout: Kraft Heinz.

Since 2022, Kraft Heinz has been integrating smart software across its supply chain with initiatives like Lighthouse (for real-time supply metrics), Connected Worker (a digital insights platform), and Digital Twin (live modeling of production processes). The results speak volumes:

• 40% reduction in supply-chain waste (8.5% in 2024 alone)
• 20% improvement in sales-forecast accuracy
• 35% improvement in inventory-forecast accuracy
• 6% increase in product yield across North American factories

In 2024, they added an AI-powered computer vision system to assess ingredient quality – already boosting cucumber inspection efficiency by 12%. Combined with other innovations, Kraft Heinz reports over $1.1 billion in gross efficiencies between 2023 and Q3 2024. (FastCompany)

Wow! For a $26B global company, those improvements are substantial! While those numbers may feel out of reach for $5M, $50M, or $500M businesses – in my humble opinion – the percentage gains are likely very transferable to any size organization – large or small. Could your company use a 12% increase in efficiency using AI-powered vision systems to assess your parts as they speed along the production line?!?

Meanwhile, Brentwood Industries (via Newswire) recently announced the launch of a new NPD lab focused on accelerating prototyping and product development for their rapidly growing medical device packaging business. Not only have they made significant investments in people – Product Designers and Developers – they also invested in infrastructure enabling and accelerating innovations. Kudos!!

Circling back to the broader innovation conversation: even in my own work, I recently explored a new AI-enabled platform from a key service provider that could meaningfully improve our business. Innovative opportunities are everywhere – if you’re looking.

TAKEAWAY: Innovating takes effort. Be deliberate and invest in it.

On People and Talent

Another recent Forbes article, “American Manufacturing Revival & The Skills Gap”, highlights the challenge with the resurgence of U.S. manufacturing: the talent shortage. While new investments and facility expansions signal long-term growth, the pipeline of people entering the field remains limited. The article echoes themes we’ve explored frequently: “modernizing education, public-private partnerships, reskilling and upskilling, and changing perceptions”. 

Read through our own thoughts and ideas on the topic of talent
June's Thermoforming Report: Part 1 of our 'Made in the USA' series
April's Blog: Our Manufacturing Future
April's Thermoforming Report: Hiring the Right People

It will take a concerted and coordinated effort to affect the hearts and minds of our future manufacturing professionals – from the Floor Associate to the Engineer to the Production Leader… and the C-Suite. 

TAKEAWAY: The future of U.S. manufacturing depends on how well we attract, train, and inspire its people.

Wrapping Up: The Outlook

In today’s complex environment, adapting to change isn’t optional – it’s daily life for manufacturing leaders. And they’re built for it! If you’ve spent time in the industry, you know: chaos comes with the territory! 

Many years ago, when I was in college, the phrase “Sh*t Happens” became pretty popular, showing up on bumper stickers and even making it into popular movies.  As I moved from Scientist to Process Engineer and on to Manufacturing Leader, I coined my own version: “Manufacturing Happens”. It’s a direct nod to the same reality – things will go sideways, and you need to figure it out!

As professionals in the world of manufacturing, the bottom line is that there has and always will be a chunk of chaos to work through. Names have changed. Politics have shifted. The world is smaller. But the core of manufacturing is still the same: plan, react, adapt, plan again, and make things happen… and do it all with great people working together for a common goal: to make things better, faster, and smarter.

FINAL TAKEAWAY: Manufacturing is resilience in motion – adaptation isn’t a trend, it’s the job.

At Siena Group, we are your Thermoforming Talent Partner! We’re here to help in any and every way possible! With more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing, hiring & recruiting talent, we bring a greater understanding of the companies we partner with and the candidates we pursue. Let’s Strengthen Your Search!