Organizations and households are increasingly paying attention to the types of cleaning chemicals they use due to concerns about toxicity and environmental impact. Contract cleaning firms are sensitive to client concerns about cleaning chemicals, because they have to compete strongly to win contracts in a fragmented industry with many participants.
February 22, 2019Data breaches have regularly been in the news over the past few years. From the Equifax breach to the Marriott breach – and seemingly every company in-between – it is abundantly clear that data security will grow increasingly complex and critical in the future. Maintaining data security and privacy requires diligent, proactive measures to be taken not only by data handlers, but also by legislators and consumers.
February 22, 2019The July 2018 rollback of the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards has roused debate, but any change that occurs is likely to be minimal at best.
February 22, 2019Roy Amara once said, “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run”. In the machine tool market, additive manufacturing promises to be revolutionary, enabling the production of parts that would be nigh-impossible to create with conventional machine tools. How is additive manufacturing going to impact the types of parts and profitability of machine shops in the future?
February 22, 2019Self-storage facilities are on the rise, particularly in the western United States. Service providers are finding creative ways to pinpoint optimal locations for climate-controlled units and an increasing number are turning vacant commercial properties – the blight of the e-commerce boom – into conveniently-located self-storage spaces.
January 29, 2019Corporate America is changing its ways as consumers demand sustainable packaging. For example, McDonald’s expects to use 100% renewable, recycled, or Forest Stewardship Council Certified packaging by 2025, while PepsiCo intends to use 100% recyclable packaging. Here’s a look at which packaging materials are in position to see the biggest benefits – and the biggest losses – from the shift to sustainable packaging.
January 28, 2019Ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) disrupted the US airline industry with a new business model – discounted fares in exchange for stripped-down service – and they continue to enjoy significant success. Global revenues for Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Travel Company, two of the three leading ULCCs in the country, grew at an average annual rate of 15% over the 2010-2017 period, roughly 3.6 times faster than the airline industry overall. Frontier Airlines is the other ULCC that participates in the US airline industry but is not publicly traded and does not publish financial data.
January 25, 2019Suppliers of fresh, frozen, and processed meat and poultry are facing increased competition from producers of meat substitutes. Manufacturers of such products include Beyond Meat, Kellogg Company’s MorningStar Farms, and Impossible Foods. As these companies continue to improve the taste and texture (e.g., ability to sizzle on a grill) of plant-based patties and other meat substitutes, more individuals are experimenting with these products. The increased availability of meat substitutes on restaurant menus and grocery store shelves is also spurring sales.
January 21, 2019In the US, a considerable number of cities and counties have passed ordinances banning foodservice disposables made from polystyrene foam. Some localities have even banned a wider range of consumer products made of polystyrene foam, such as beach and pool toys, coolers, egg containers, and marine navigation markers. While polystyrene foam bans have not made a large impact on total US demand yet, an increase in bans throughout the US by municipalities and foodservice companies could impact sales in the future.
January 14, 2019Between 2014 and 2017, polyethylene production expanded as chemical companies opened new facilities. Production is further expected to expand through 2022 as companies such as LyondellBasell and Shell bring even more capacity online. However, the US market for polyethylene is mature and saturated. So why are these companies still ramping up production?
January 7, 2019