PMM covers plastics equipment like no one else: Talking Points
Journalists are prone to periodically stop and consider if they are doing the best job possible in connecting with their readers. Good ones do, anyway.
We launched this magazine and website in 2014 with the idea that the plastics industry would be well served with more information on new processing machinery and equipment. We saw an important need to go beyond just regurgitating press releases, adding context and asking questions to provide a fuller report.
Are we doing a good job?
During the first six months of 2026, Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing (PMM) covered 159 pieces of processing machinery and equipment. One of our competitors wrote about 59 pieces, and the other did not cover individual machines at all.
Since 2014, we have written about more than 5,300 different pieces of equipment, as well as extensively reporting on the technology of plastics processing.
I would like to think that we have provided plastics processors with information they need to make informed decisions on capital expenditures and to be more profitable. That has always been our goal.
We are dedicated to continuing that mission. Tell us what you think.
Plan now for NPE coverage
NPE2027 is less than 10 months away. Suppliers are already thinking about how many pieces of equipment they can cram into their spaces, what booth signs should say, and how much everything is going to cost.
We are thinking about how we will cover the big show and how we can make the pre-show issue in early 2026 as useful as possible.
Our coverage starts with you. Put a note on your calendar now to send us your information on the new machinery and equipment you will have at the show as soon as it is available.
PMM’s research found that 82 percent of our subscribers plan to attend NPE and that the average attendee will visit 26 booths. There will be more than 2,000 exhibitors on the show floor, so just hoping a PMM subscriber visits your booth is not a good gamble.
The best plan is to make sure your new products are included in our pre-show coverage. That gives an attendee a reason to seek you out.
What about the 18 percent of PMM subscribers not planning to attend NPE? You can reach them as well by sending your new product information to [email protected].
Ron Shinn, editor emeritus
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About the Author
Ron Shinn
Editor
Editor Ron Shinn is a co-founder of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and has been covering the plastics industry for more than 35 years. He leads the editorial team, directs coverage and sets the editorial calendar. He also writes features, including the Talking Points column and On the Factory Floor, and covers recycling and sustainability for PMM and Plastics Recycling.