Effective immediately, Next Step will provide advertising, public relations and social media support for Silcotech.  Based in Bolton, Ontario, with a subsidiary in India, Silcotech is the leading silicone injection molding company in the world.  They provide complete turnkey molding solutions, from initial concept to high-volume production and commercialization, for silicone injection molded parts. 

“We are growing our business with a goal of doubling our sales over the next five years, and we are happy to partner with Next Step to help us promote our company and spread the word about what we’re doing,” said Dan Morris, Business Development Manager at Silcotech North America, Inc. “I’ve worked with Greg Hannoosh in the past and know that he and Mark Malloy specialize in plastics and really know our industry.  They are skilled marketers.” 

“I’ve known Dan Morris, and Michael Maloney for many years,” said Greg Hannoosh, President of Next Step Communications Inc. “In the past 25 years, Michael and Isolde Boettger have built a company from scratch to become the leading industry source for silicone molding, worldwide.  We look forward to helping them bring their business to the next level.”   

About Silcotech

Silcotech® is committed to delivering leading-edge silicone injection molding solutions. Our extensive range of services covers the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept to high-volume production. Our range of services includes Product Development, Prototyping, Mass Production, and Multi-Shot Silicone Molding, all executed under stringent Quality Assurance protocols.

Silcotech’s strength lies in our people – a diverse team of passionate visionaries and skilled innovators. As the driving force behind our success, our management and employees bring a wealth of expertise in silicone injection molding. With over four decades of experience, our co-founders and leaders have propelled Silcotech® to the forefront of the industry. Together, we foster a culture of collaboration, excellence, and continuous improvement.

Next Step Communications Inc. has been named the PR agency of record for Edge Industrial Technologies.   

Effective immediately, Next Step will provide public relations support for Edge Industrial Technologies.  Edge consists of three companies:  TGW International, Inc. of Wilder, KY; Pearl Technologies of Savannah, NY; and Leverwood Knife Works of Red Lion, PA.  Together, these companies make Edge Industrial the Industrial Knives and Punches market leader, serving the packaging, converting, plastics and printing industries. 

Eric Pfeiffer, Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Edge, said “We look forward to working with Greg Hannoosh and Mark Malloy at Next Step.  They have a unique combination of marketing expertise and specific industry knowledge that can help us increase our exposure and grow our business.”

“Edge is a great company and a great fit for us,” said Greg Hannoosh, President of Next Step Communications Inc.  “We have a lot of experience marketing to the industries they serve, and we know that they are committed to building their brand recognition.  We’re looking forward to getting started.”

 About Edge Industrial Technologies

 Edge Industrial Technologies is comprised of 3 industry leading brands – TGW International, Pearl Technologies Inc., and Leverwood Knife Works.  Edge companies are leading producers of industrial machine knives and blades, industrial punches and related equipment, for a wide variety of markets including packaging, processing, converting and print, as well as for general industrial applications. Edge Industrial Technologies is a global leader in the manufacture of these products, with plants in Europe, North America and Asia.

Where has the time gone? 

Here I am again – in Dusseldorf, Germany, a place where I probably never would have visited had the plastics industry not been my career choice.  It’s time again for the K fair, the largest plastics industry event in the world. 

My first K show was in 1992, back before there were cell phones, e-mail and laptops.  In those days, before I started Next Step, I was working for KONA Corporation, a leading plastics industry hot-runner system supplier.  I was responsible for the company’s booth design and set-up; and once the show opened, I’d work the booth with the sales team for the entire 8-day show.  If that wasn’t enough, I’d stick around Dusseldorf for a couple of days afterwards to tear the booth down and pack it up.  It was a 2-week effort, and it seems so long ago. 

As I sit here writing this on the opening day of K2022, I’m texting and e-mailing, scrolling through social media, and finalizing documents on my laptop – and I realize that I could do exactly none of these things 30 years ago.   

Some things have not changed – like the sheer immensity of this show, which continues to be the world’s largest fair devoted to plastics and rubber.  Also, the displays themselves; while the technology has changed by leaps and bounds, the exhibitors still pull out all the stops to show impressive displays of their latest and greatest machinery, equipment and materials.  The show has usually drawn upwards of 225,000 attendees in the past; it will be interesting to see the numbers this year, which is the first K show since the Covid pandemic. 

I have some great memories of this event. There was my first K show experience in 1992, and my first working independently as Next Step, in 1998.  In 2001, the show was held just two months after the September 11 terror attacks.  There was a much smaller contingent of attendees from the USA.  My flight to Germany was mostly empty; and at the show, I remember numerous people going out of their way to thank me for coming.

In 2004 (and 2007, and 2013), a group of Boston fans, myself included, paid a bar owner in Dusseldorf’s Altstadt (Old Town) to stay open all night, so we could watch the Boston Red Sox in the playoffs and World Series. The first game in 2004 was a legendary event and led to the Sox winning their first World Series in 86 years.  The games started at 2:30 a.m. German time, ending around 6:30, when we would trudge back to our hotels for 3 hours of sleep before getting up and going back to the show. Everyone who was there will never forget it.

I think of my family often at these shows. It’s hard to believe that when I went off to my first K show in 1992, my kids were 8, 6 and 4.  Now they’re that, plus 30.  My wife and kids remember helping me prepare and assemble press kits back in the day, when we would print out press releases, photo prints and captions, stuff them in folders, usually add burned CD’s and eventually USB thumb drives, etc.  Today, most of the press wants none of these things – just a link to the information online will do.

Today, K2022 opens.  Here’s to a successful show.  While it’s been 30 years for me, the K fair is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.  Long may it run. 

Photo - Source: Messe Düsseldorf

Next Step Communications Inc. has been named the PR agency of record for ACS Group.      

Effective immediately, Next Step will provide public relations support for ACS Group.  Based in New Berlin, Wisconsin, ACS is a leading supplier of auxiliary equipment to the plastics and other manufacturing industries.  Their well-known family of brands includes AEC, Cumberland, Sterling, Wabash, Carver, Sterlco, and their newest venture, MiVue Manufacturing Insight Service. 

 “We are excited to be working with Next Step,” said Cory Gagnon, Senior Marketing Specialist at ACS Group. “ACS is a company with a great story to tell, and Greg Hannoosh and Mark Malloy know our products and know the plastics industry.  As we continue to grow, we need to increase our PR efforts and we are confident that Next Step will help us do just that.” 

“We are thrilled to be partnering with ACS,” said Greg Hannoosh, President of Next Step Communications Inc.  “They have great legacy brands, as well as new ones, with a great reputation in the plastics industry.  We look forward to helping them increase their visibility and continue to build their brand.” 

 About ACS Group

 The ACS Group designs, manufactures, markets and supports one of the most comprehensive lines of auxiliary products. Utilizing our 100 years of expertise, the ACS Group Family of Brands enables our industrial partners to achieve their desired results by providing durable engineered products, services, and sustainable solutions.

The ACS Group maintains an expansive product line, which includes size reduction equipment (granulators and shredders), material conveying equipment, metering and blending devices, heat exchangers (mold temperature controls units and chillers), steam control equipment, drying systems, manufacturing insight services, and presses.  These products are marketed under such recognizable brand names as AEC, Sterling, Sterlco, Cumberland, MiVue, Wabash, and Carver.

Next Step Communications Inc. has been named the Advertising and PR agency of record for PCS Company.

Effective immediately, Next Step will provide advertising and public relations support for PCS Company.  Based in Fraser, Michigan, PCS is a leading supplier of mold bases, mold components, molding solutions, cutting tools and hot runner systems for the plastics injection molding, mold making, and die casting industries. 

“We are happy to be partnering with Next Step,” said Kory Kline, Director of Marketing at PCS Company. “Greg Hannoosh and Mark Malloy bring a lot of talent to our team, and they have the industry experience and connections to help us bring our marketing to the next level.” 

“We are thrilled to be working with PCS,” said Greg Hannoosh, President of Next Step Communications Inc.  “They are a company with a long history and a great reputation in the plastics industry.  We look forward to helping them increase their visibility and continue to build their brand.” 

 About PCS Company

PCS Company is a Misumi Group Company and is headquartered in Fraser, Michigan.

Founded in 1950, PCS Company is a team of industry experts providing solutions and innovative products for the plastics injection molding, mold making, and die casting industries.  We are committed to our mission of being the industry’s leading provider of high-quality, competitively-priced products and services while providing the highest level of customer service.

 We offer standard, off the shelf, and custom, made-to-order die and mold making supplies throughout North America. Our product categories include mold bases, mold components, molding supplies and solutions, hot runner systems, cutting tools, and our latest advancement into additive manufacturing.  We partner with our customers to provide innovative products and solutions that improve ROI and make our customers successful.  Our team of experts are located nationwide to best service you. We have branch facility locations in the United States in Fraser and Grand Rapids, Michigan and Torrance, California.  Our international presence continues into Canada and Mexico in order to expand our reach throughout North America.

Next Step Communications Inc. has been named the PR agency of record for MAC Automation Concepts, Inc. 

Effective immediately, Next Step will provide public relations support for MAC Automation.  Based in Woodstock, Illinois, MAC provides a wide variety of auxiliary equipment for plastics processors, including conveyors, box-fill systems, bins, loaders, and more.  Their products provide parts handling and factory automation solutions that help injection molders, extruders, blow molders and others improve their productivity and profitability. 

“We are looking forward to working with Next Step,” said Frank Eltvedt, President/CEO of MAC Automation Concepts.  “Greg Hannoosh and Mark Malloy know the plastics industry, and we’re confident they will help us get more exposure in the industry press.” 

“MAC Automation Concepts has been supplying the plastics industry with quality products for over 40 years,” said Greg Hannoosh, President of Next Step Communications Inc.  “We look forward to working with them to increase their visibility and build their brand throughout North America.”

About MAC Automation Concepts, Inc.

Established in 1980, MAC Automation Concepts, Inc. has earned a solid reputation for quality, innovative products and conscientious service. Staffed with experienced and dedicated personnel and supported by state of the art design and fabrication equipment, MAC has the resources to ensure consistent quality and support. 

Our mission is to provide superior quality and economic value to our customers with the best possible solution for each parts handling application. 

Maxi-Blast’s Annina Donaldson and ENTEK’s Tammy Straw are Chair and Vice Chair of NPE2024 Sales & Marketing Committee

The year was 2015, and the Plastics Industry Association was coming off one of the most successful trade shows in its history—the 2015 edition of its triennial NPE: The Plastics Show.  NPE2015, held in Orlando, Florida in May, drew over 65,000 visitors, an almost 20% increase over its 2012 attendance.  In December of that year, when the association met to begin discussions and planning for NPE2018, two women were added to the Sales & Marketing Committee.

While that fact did not get much attention at the time, it is making news today. That’s because those two women, Annina Donaldson and Tammy Straw, are now not only the Chair and Vice Chair of the NPE2024 Sales & Marketing Committee – they are also the first-ever female duo to lead any NPE committee in the show’s 75-year history.    

In a recent interview, Donaldson, of Maxi-Blast Inc. of South Bend, Indiana, and Straw, the Marketing & Business Development Manager for ENTEK Manufacturing of Lebanon, Oregon, talked about their roles and their goals; goals which include building enthusiasm and ultimately, attendance for NPE2024, which will be the first NPE show in 6 years. NPE2021 was cancelled due to concerns about the spread of COVID 19.

Strong Plastics Backgrounds

 Both Donaldson and Straw have substantial plastics industry experience. 

Annina Donaldson

Donaldson was named Vice President of Florida Operations for Maxi-Blast, Inc. in January 2006, when her father, company founder Robert Donaldson, decided to pursue retirement.  Now President of Florida Operations for Maxi-Blast, she works with her brother, other family members and employees in St. Petersburg, Florida where she focuses on managing the company and its Engineered Thermoplastics line of blast media for plastics and rubber cleaning processes. 

“I grew up in the plastics industry,” Donaldson said.  “At young ages my siblings and I would go to the factory, shred paper in the office or sweep the shop floor.  In high school, I would do random projects filling sample bags or separating plastic.  After graduate school and testing out other jobs, my father asked me to interview for a full-time job working alongside him and eventually taking over. I officially joined the company in 2006.”

Tammy Straw

Straw started at ENTEK in 1999 with no idea that she would be beginning a long and successful career in the plastics industry. 

“I was looking for a short-term job at the time, which has turned into a great career of 22 years and counting in plastics,” she said.  Straw heads up marketing and business development for ENTEK Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of twin-screw extruders, aftermarket spare parts and turnkey extrusion manufacturing plants.  It is a sister company to ENTEK International, which is the leading manufacturer of battery separator film for lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries worldwide. 

Mentors

 When asked to name mentors in the plastics industry, besides her father, Annina Donaldson mentioned Gail Barker, the former President of Maxi-Blast.  “All my life, I watched my father strive to maintain his work ethic and grow his knowledge of the plastics industry,” she said.  Working alongside him was a daily mentorship program.  Gail, however, was the first person to really take me under her wing.  She was President of Maxi-Blast when I started in January 2006, when there were even fewer women in the industry than there are today.  Every day, she gave me advice about leadership, being a woman in a male-dominated industry, and how to work with family.  Gail passed away in December 2006, but the year she mentored me was, and is still, the most invaluable of my career.”

For Tammy Straw, mentors include John Effmann, the former Director of Sales & Marketing at ENTEK and long-time plastics machinery veteran; and Linda Campbell, ENTEK’s current Vice President - Extrusion Sales.  “John joined ENTEK in 2005 and brought with him a wealth of plastics industry marketing experience,” she said. “I learned a lot working alongside John for 10 years, and we grew ENTEK’s brand recognition in the industry over that time. John was the Chair of NPE2012, so from watching him I had exposure to NPE committee duties. When he retired in 2016, he let PLASTICS know that I was interested in joining a committee, and the next thing I knew I was on the Sales & Marketing Committee.” 

Straw has worked closely with Linda Campbell for over 20 years now. “Linda has been forging a path for women in manufacturing, women in plastics, and women at ENTEK throughout her career,” said Straw.  “She is passionate about mentoring women and making sure they are prepared when opportunities arise. Linda always makes time to assist others, presenting objective views and sound advice when asked. I truly appreciate her guidance and mentorship,” she said.

Goals for NPE2024

As Chair and Vice Chair of the NPE2024 Sales & Marketing Committee, Donaldson and Straw are charged with leading the efforts to generate excitement and ultimately, attendance for the event.  They oversee a committee that has a total of 13 members from a variety of large and small companies representing processors, equipment manufacturers and materials suppliers.  The committee manages a large and diverse set of marketing projects, from advertising, public relations and social media campaigns to outreach campaigns designed to attract both show exhibitors and attendees. 

Coming off the first-ever NPE show cancellation in 2021 provides a unique set of challenges for the NPE2024 committees.  Donaldson, who was Vice Chair of the NPE2021 Sales & Marketing Committee, is optimistic that the next show will be a big success.  “Our industry wants and needs to get back to exhibiting and attending at NPE and other in-person shows,” she said.  “NPE has always been an important event on the global plastics industry’s calendar, and we are working hard to make May 6-10, 2024 in Orlando the best NPE yet.” 

 Trailblazers

 Phyllis Hortie, Senior Director, Trade Show Services at PLASTICS, confirmed that Donaldson and Straw are the first female duo to serve as Chair and Vice Chair of an NPE committee. “According to the historical documentation we have on hand, Annina and Tammy are the first,” she said, “but there were three women who served in leadership roles previously.”  These included Marlena Heydenreich of Foremost Machine Builders, Inc., Chair of the NPE1994 Public Relations & Advertising Committee; Toby Royal of Krupp Werner & Pfleiderer Corporation, Chair of the NPE2000 Public Relations & Advertising Committee; and Tamara Greathouse of LyondellBasell Industries, Vice Chair of the NPE2009 Sales & Marketing Committee. 

 Each NPE committee has a Chair and Vice Chair.  Donaldson was quick to point out that Eve Vitale of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) is serving as the Vice Chair of the NPE2024 Content Committee. “This marks the first time in NPE history that there has ever been three women on the NPE Executive Committee,” she said. 

 Glenn Anderson, Vice President, Industry Affairs at PLASTICS, said that the Association is working hard to promote more diversity in its ranks.  “I have been in the plastics industry for almost 40 years, and while I feel our industry as a whole is quite diverse, that diversity isn’t necessarily as visible in the leading industry associations as it should be, including ours,” he said.  “We are taking the necessary steps to change this.  For example, in our latest PLASTICS magazine, we featured several dynamic women, including one building a career through a diversity-focused apprenticeship program at BASF.  In addition, we have recently filled two very important Equipment and Materials council director roles with remarkable women and look forward to expanding diversity at PLASTICS even more in the future.”  Anderson said that Leslie Jutte now leads the Material Suppliers Council, and Whitney Taveras was just recently promoted to lead the Equipment Council.  Both women were internal promotions at PLASTICS. 

 Straw has been to every NPE show since 2003.  When asked about what she sees as the importance of her role, she said “ the history of leadership at NPE is no different than the history of the entire plastics industry, and there hasn’t been a lot of diversity. Neither Annina nor I want to be labeled as trailblazers, but we do feel it’s important to show those entering into careers in plastics that our industry is more diverse than ever before, and that women and minorities have a strong place and strong voice in this industry. I have witnessed this change first-hand over the past 22 years and both Annina and I are honored to be a part of it.” 

Next Step Communications Inc. has been named the PR agency of record for Globeius, Inc. 

Effective immediately, Next Step will provide public relations support for Globeius.  Based in Miami, Globeius is the new name for Soluciones Plasticas/Plastics Solutions, Inc., a well-known company that has served the Latin American plastics industry for almost 40 years.  Globeius is now a growing organization serving all of North and South America, providing importation, distribution and technical support services to plastics processors.  The company provides a wide variety of products that help injection molders, extruders, blow molders and others improve their productivity and profitability.  In addition, Globeius has expanded its operations to serve the agricultural and industrial markets. 

“We’re excited about our growth, and we are excited to be working with Next Step,” said Ernesto Sosa, President of Globeius.  “Greg Hannoosh and Mark Malloy have a long and successful track record in the plastics industry, both domestically and internationally, and we are confident they will help us.”

“Ernie Sosa, David Sosa and Graeme Sands are well-known industry professionals who have decided to combine their many years of expertise to rebrand and expand their business,” said Greg Hannoosh, President of Next Step Communications Inc.  “We look forward to working with Globeius to help them increase their visibility and build their brand throughout North America.”

Next Step Communications Inc. has been named the PR agency of record for the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoforming Division. 

Effective immediately, Next Step will provide public relations support for SPE as the Division ramps up its efforts in advance of its 28th biennial SPE Thermoforming Conference, being held September 20-22 in Grand Rapids, MI. 

“We’re excited to be working with Next Step,” said Steve Zamprelli, Division Chair of the SPE Thermoforming Division.  “We want to aggressively promote our Division and we have a lot of great stories to tell.  Greg Hannoosh and Mark Malloy both have a long and successful track record in the plastics industry, and we are confident they will help us.”

“The SPE is a great association,” said Greg Hannoosh, President of Next Step Communications Inc. “SPE’s Thermoforming Division is an impressive group of companies and individuals who do a great job promoting their industry and technology.  They are also very active in supporting the industry’s next generation of leaders by providing numerous scholarships to students.   We support their mission and look forward to helping them increase their visibility.”

Next Step Communications Inc. has announced that Mark Malloy is joining the agency. 

Malloy, a well-known plastics industry veteran, is joining the agency as a Partner and purchasing an equity stake in the company.  He will work closely with Greg Hannoosh, Next Step’s Founder and President, to service Next Step’s existing clients and to acquire new customers to grow the business. 

“2021 is a big year for Next Step,” said Greg Hannoosh.  “We are entering our 25th year in business, and I’m excited to be bringing Mark on board as a Partner.  He is a true professional who understands B2B marketing, and has spent his entire career in the plastics industry.  The combined plastics industry marketing experience we have is second to none and will be a big asset to our customers.”  

Malloy was most recently Business Development Director and part of the original investor group for Plastics Machinery Magazine.  That publication, started in 2014, was sold to Endeavor Business Media in 2020.  Prior to that, he worked in advertising sales for Crain Communications’ Plastics News.  He started his career with Progressive Components of Wauconda, IL, where he served in various sales and marketing roles, including managing advertising programs and trade shows.  He earned his Business Management degree from Barat College and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.

Malloy will work for Next Step from his home office in the northern suburbs of Chicago (Grayslake, IL), where he lives with his wife Susan and son Jonathan.     

“Greg Hannoosh and Next Step have a reputation as the gold standard for marketing agencies in the plastics industry,” said Mark Malloy.  “I’m happy to be taking this ‘next step’ in my career and look forward to working with Greg to grow the business.”  

Malloy’s contact information is:  tel. (224) 234-8275, e-mail mmalloy@next-step.com. 

Thanks to everyone who attended the June 25th Plastics News livestream, I enjoyed doing it! If you missed it here's a recording from Plastics News, check it out. If you want to know what PR is, why it matters, and how to do it, it's 30 minutes well spent. Let me know if you have any questions you'd like answered. PR is so important and valuable to your company - take advantage of the many opportunities that are out there to get press coverage! #publicrelations #marketingcommunications #presscoverage #plastics #getnoticed #spreadtheword Next Step Communications Inc.

In Memoriam

Bill Bregar 5/29/1961-4/6/2020

Richard Devellian  11/5/1936-5/27/2020

The plastics industry has lost two very important and influential people over the past couple of months.  I’d like to share some thoughts and memories on the lives of Bill Bregar and Richard Devellian. 

Bill Bregar & Greg Hannoosh, 2007

Bill , who was one of the most well-known and productive journalists the plastics industry has ever seen, died of an apparent heart attack on April 6th at the age of 58.

Bill worked with Plastics News since 1989.  In a recent column celebrating 30 years of Plastics News, he and his colleague Audrey Laforest bantered about the grizzled old pro (Bill) making way for the millennial (Audrey), and how Bill had filed over 4,600 stories over his 30 years at PN.  4,600 stories – seriously! 

I knew and worked with Bill on a regular basis all those years.  Our paths would cross often at numerous industry events, both domestic and international. 

For anyone who ever worked with Bill – you’ll understand what I’m about to say.  He was one of a kind, and as I liked to tell him in my usual Boston-bred unfiltered way, a ‘real whack job’.  He would laugh out loud when I said that to him, and come back at me with the usual replies that I can’t publish here.  It was OK – we were friends.

I saw the real journalist in Bill come out after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  I had written and distributed a remembrance of Bob Hayes, a client and friend who worked at Netstal, Inc. who was killed on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center. 

Bill saw the story and called me.  He wanted to take it a step further – he wanted to really dig deeper into Bob’s life, to talk with his widow, to tell a larger story.  I hesitated but after talking with Bob’s coworkers, who knew him best, I gave Bill the info he needed.  The story he ended up filing on Bob’s death was, in my opinion, one of his best works. See Bill’s 2-part article here: Part 1, Part 2

Bill’s love of sports rivaled mine and over the years we would bet on Boston-Cleveland playoff games, and we always paid up.  The attached photo of Bill is one of my favorites.  It was taken in Dusseldorf, Germany in 2007 at the K show.  The Red Sox had just beaten the Indians in 7 games to advance to the World Series.  Our bet was that the loser had to wear the winning teams hat for one day at the show.  So Bill reluctantly put on the Red Sox cap, allowed someone to snap this picture, and to the best of my knowledge he wore the cap all that day. 

Sometimes Bill would call just to discuss random things, or send a handwritten note – I remember receiving a card with a really nice note from him when I had to have surgery in 2016 and miss the K show that year.  In 2019 he endured the tragic, untimely death of his wife Nancy.  I talked with him a few times after her death and he was understandably shaken, but he seemed to be doing OK, all things considered. 

I stopped what I was doing and took a few deep breaths when I saw Don Loepp’s post on April 7th that Bill had died.  There have been several remembrances of Bill posted over the past two months that have done a great job of capturing the type of person he was.  But the best thing I’ve seen so far is the creation by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and Crain Communications of the Bill Bregar Memorial Scholarship.  This scholarship will support ‘aspiring journalists and business communicators in the plastics and manufacturing industries’.  Bill would have loved that – a scholarship in his name for two of the things he loved best – journalism, and the plastics/manufacturing industry.  I have made a contribution to this scholarship fund and hope you will consider doing so as well. 

I am proud to have known Bill and will miss him – I already do.   RIP my friend. 

Richard Devellian

 Dick, the former Founder and President of KONA Corporation, died in a biking accident on May 27th in Jackson, NH.  He was 83. 

In 1986 I was 26 years old and looking for a new job.  I saw an ad in the local paper for a ‘Promotions Manager’ at a company in Gloucester, Mass. that I had never heard of.  I called and spoke to a guy, asked him a few questions, and he suggested I come in for an interview.  ‘Can I get your name and title?,’ I asked him, thinking I was talking with someone in HR. “I’m Dick Devellian, the company President,” he said.

Dick hired me and I started that fall, reporting directly to him.  I had no idea at the time how lucky I was. 

KONA was just 19 people strong when I started there, but Dick and his business partners (Cam Steward, Paul Swenson, and Bob Eldridge) had a good thing going.  Not only had they invented some exciting new products for the plastics industry, they had a real vision for growing the company.  And grow it did – to the point where Dick decided to sell the company to Dynisco, Inc. in 1991.  He retired not long after that, even though he was only in his mid-50’s, and moved to Jackson, NH with his wife Clare.  He spent his last 25+ years in Jackson doing all the things Dick loved to do, outside of running a company; riding his bike, doing art, traveling, and spending time with his grandchildren. 

Dick was a tough boss but he was fair.  He expected, and got, a lot out of you.  He was a hands-on kind of leader, walking around and checking in on everyone, asking questions, giving suggestions.  He would hold regular company meetings where he shared all company information with the employees, including financials, and discussed plans for future growth.  He cared very much for the well-being of his employees and did what he could to help people out when they needed it.

For me, Dick was a mentor. I learned a lot from him, not only about great business and marketing tactics, but about having a strong work ethic.  He was the kind of guy who believed there was no substitute for hard work, and from hard work came great rewards.  On several occasions he gave me advice that I still carry with me to this day. 

 His love of the outdoors was legendary – he would go out on his bike in the Spring as soon as the Gloucester weather would allow it and ride almost every day, for miles.  He was an avid skier and hiker as well.  It doesn’t make me any happier to say this, but as it states in his obituary, he died doing what he loved best – cycling.

 The last time I saw Dick was in 2011, at a KONA reunion, where 30 or so of the original employees gathered at a Gloucester restaurant to celebrate old times.  He and Clare looked great and were getting ready to travel to Argentina to learn tango dancing (really).  I hadn’t seen him in 15 years, but he said to me and Diana ‘I think of you guys all the time,’ referencing our family and us bringing our four children to company parties in the early days. 

I always look back fondly on the KONA years.  As the leader of that company, Dick was a great motivator and he and his partners built something very special.  But there was a LOT more to Dick than his business acumen. 

Donations in Dick’s memory can be made to the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, PO Box 216, Jackson, NH. 

Q:  What do these B2B industry publications have in common?

A:  They’ve all come out over the past month, and they all feature advertising and PR produced by Next Step for our clients! 

Today I was looking at the stack of plastics, packaging and converting industry magazines piling up on my desk and took the time to catch up and look through them.  See those Post-it®  Notes sticking out of all of them?  Those are flagging pages featuring ads or articles that were produced by Next Step.  And this just represents some of the latest print magazines – there’s way more content online.   

We pride ourselves on getting it done for our clients.  Getting it done in our world means working hard every day to help our clients build their brand and communicate their message.  We do that in a variety of ways: 

• Advertising (print and digital)

• PR

• Literature

• E-mail marketing

• Trade show support

• Social media

• Video/multimedia

If you want help getting your company’s message out to the world, we can help – contact us today!

First day of the show - love that California sun!

Jim Callari of Plastics Technology magazine discussing the iMFLUX process at Wittmann Battenfeld's booth

Markus Klaus, Jack Walles, Tom Szambelan and Jukka Bjorkqvist of HAHN Plastics Automation Inc.

Jack Walles of HAHN discusses downstream automation with a visitor

iD Additives and their partner PCS had a busy show

Ron Shinn and Lynne Sherwin of PMM discuss Industry 4.0 with Sonny Morneault of Wittmann Battenfeld

Tony Radoszewski, President/CEO of PLASTICS with Nick Sotos, President of iD Additives

Carolyn Sotos of iD Additives at a customer plant visit - more to come on this!

This winter in Maine is the second warmest on record, so we really can’t complain.  But we’d be lying if we didn’t say it was a treat to escape to sunny Southern California for a few days in February to attend Informa’s Advanced Manufacturing Expo.  The show was great – and so was the weather!

We had three Next Step clients exhibiting at the show – Wittmann Battenfeld Inc., iD Additives Inc., and HAHN Plastics Automation Inc.  All three saw good traffic to their booths over the three days and reported great results.  We supported our clients by putting out their news to the plastics industry press before and at the show, and also through social media. Check out our slideshow to see some highlights!

One week from today is the start of the big Informa show in Anaheim, CA, which features five shows in one – PLASTEC West, MD&M West, Westpack, Design & Manufacturing, and ATX Automation Technology.  The show runs from Feb. 11-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

It’s a long way from Maine to California but I’ll be there, supporting three of our clients who are exhibiting at the PLASTEC West show (click below for their news):

Wittmann Battenfeld Inc. (Booth 4189)

HAHN Plastics Automation Inc. (Booth 2213)

iD Additives, Inc.  (Booth 3840)

We have some great press meetings lined up as well as an offsite plant tour, and it’s always fun at these shows to network with many of my industry colleagues.  I’m also looking forward to attending the PLASTICS event being held Wednesday February 12th.

If you’re coming to the show please contact me, let’s meet up to discuss marketing!  Hope to see you there ~ Greg

October 15, 6:10 a.m., layover at Dublin airport on way to Dusseldorf - you never know who you’'ll see - old friend Jeff Williams of Plastics Machinery Magazine has been to more K shows than anyone we know!

Dusseldorf once again welcomed the global plastics industry for the triennial K fair!

View of the Rhine River which runs through Dusseldorf

Messe Dusseldorf is a huge fairground with 17 buildings, all filled to capacity for K

October 16, opening day of the show: Michael Wittmann (right) and Rainer Weingraber of Wittmann Battenfeld speak to the international press

A full room of reporters attended Wittmann Battenfeld’s opening day press conference at K

Dinner, October 16 - no trip to Dusseldorf is complete without traditional altbier and schweinshaxe!

October 17: the HAHN Group poses for a team photo!

Dinner, October 17: fun times at Casa Palmieri with the Plastics Technology/Gardner Publications and Wittmann Battenfeld teams!

October 18, Day 3 of the show: huge crowds line up at the North entrance to the fairground!

October 18: Farrel Pomini's Paul Lloyd (left) and Lori Sheehan (right) meet with Printz Holman of Plastics in Packaging magazine

October 18: Bill Bregar of Plastics News (left) with Markus Klaus (center) and Todd Hodrinsky at the HAHN Group booth

October 18: Tony Radoszewski, the new CEO of PLASTICS, speaks at the NPE2021 reception

October 19: Matt Naitove (right), Editor of Plastics Technology magazine, meets with Trexel President Brian Bechard (second from right), Trexel Global Product Manager/Sales Markus Betsche, and Next Step’s Greg Hannoosh (left) at Trexel’s booth

October 19: scene from the cafeteria in Hall 12 - this photo needs no caption!

October 20: flying home to Boston and passing over Prince Edward Island!

Time to work on your marketing plan for 2020!

It’s always surprising to us that so many companies spend a substantial amount of money on marketing, but they don’t have a plan.  Does this describe your marketing efforts?  If so, give us a call.

Next Step helps its clients prepare yearly plans and budgets for their marketing programs.  We sit down and analyze current programs, discuss goals and objectives, and once armed with this information we prepare a plan.  Once approved, these programs are put in place and executed.

Why is establishing a marketing plan and budget important?  There are several reasons, but think of it this way; when you identify what you want to do and establish your plan, you’ve already done the hardest part!  Doing this saves you time and money, and helps you market your company more effectively.  That plan becomes your road map, and you stick to it. 

We analyze all areas of your marketing program and help you decide where to allocate your resources.  Advertising, PR, E-marketing, Social Media, Literature, Trade Shows, Video, and others are all areas that need to be addressed. 

Please contact us to learn more about how we can help you prepare and execute a winning marketing program for your company!

Nick Sotos (l), President of iD Additives, and Next Step President Greg Hannoosh at the 2018 Plastics News Marketing Summit

Plastics News Publisher Brennan Lafferty (l) with the finalists for "PN Marketing Campaign of the Year" at the 2018 PN Marketing Summit

Happy May everyone, and I hope Spring has sprung wherever you are.  Our latest blog is about another blog just posted by our client, iD Additives on LinkedIn, check it out here:

Marketing 101 with Next Step Communications

Last October iD Additives was a finalist in the Plastics News ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’ competition, and was honored at the PN Marketing Summit in Chicago, an event that Next Step has sponsored, exhibited at, and presented at since its inception in 2016.  Carolyn Sotos at iD Additives wanted to talk with us about our efforts in helping get them recognized; it turned into a Q&A on Next Step’s background, our thoughts on marketing communications, and more.

We’re now in our 23rd year of helping companies like iD Additives get the most out of their marketing programs.  Contact us anytime if you’d like to discuss how we can help your company do the same!

The holidays are upon us once again.  How did you spend your Friday night, December 14?  Whatever you did, I’ll bet it doesn’t compare to Dave Preusse’s night in Winsted, CT.

Dave is President of Wittmann Battenfeld Inc. (Torrington, CT), the US division of The Wittmann Group (Vienna, Austria), one of the plastics industry’s leading suppliers of molding machines, robots and auxiliary equipment.  He lives in the small town of Winsted, CT, and on Friday night he went down to the Winsted Town Park with a few other town residents.  He, and they, spent the night sleeping out in the 30 degree cold to raise awareness of, and raise money for, the local homeless shelter operated by the Winsted YMCA.

The Winsted YMCA Emergency Homeless Shelter has six rooms, with a combined 17 available beds, and offers a short-term respite for families, couples and individuals suffering through difficult times.

“It’s nice to give back in ways we can,” said Dave. ““We’ve raised over $8,000 so far, $1,000 alone by Boy Scouts who slept out in the park that night too.”

“In the morning, I grabbed a coffee and breakfast with the Winsted Fire Chief and resumed my life of someone with a home, heat, food, and clothes.  Most of us take this for granted, but we need to remember a lot of people are not that fortunate.” 

Dave is reluctant to ‘blow his own horn’ and prefers the focus of this blog not be on him, but on the many acts of kindness his company’s employees conduct throughout the year to help those in need. 

Wittmann Battenfeld contributes to local charities in many ways. Many of its employees get Christmas gifts for local families. They give to a fundraiser for Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, they give to several Cancer charities (including ‘Light the Night’ for the late PLASTICS President, Bill Carteaux, who just last week lost his battle with Leukemia), and so many more.   

 In this holiday season, the season of giving, I applaud Dave, and the many Wittmann Battenfeld employees who remember to reach out and help the less fortunate.   And I’m happy to say that most if not all of our other clients also provide their valuable time and resources to support charitable causes in their communities. 

As the old saying goes: it’s better to give than to receive.  Happy holidays everyone.

What do a new logo and branding, direct mail, literature, social media, a website, old friends and business colleagues, the holidays, and Southwest Florida have in common? 

Next Step Communications Inc. and The Hume Team, a husband-and-wife real estate firm serving Southwest Florida – specifically the communities of Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Naples!

First, some history:  I go way back with the Humes, starting in the 1980s when I worked with Bill at KONA Corporation (Gloucester, Mass.) and lived about a mile from Bill’s family’s Christmas Tree farm in West Newbury, Mass.   I even worked weekends for a couple winters back then helping out at the farm. 

After starting Next Step Communications Inc. in 1996, I continued providing marketing support to Bill when he served as President of Synventive Molding Solutions, and later as General Manager at Lydall Affinity.  Mitch and I also both worked with Bill’s wife Laurie for several years, supporting her in her role as General Manager at Vitronics Soltec.

Fast forward to 2018: Bill and Laurie decided to move on from their corporate life, so they sold their home in North Carolina and moved to Cape Coral, FL to enjoy the lifestyle and start a new real estate firm, appropriately named The Hume Team.   And who did they call to help get them started?  You guessed it.

I told Bill when he called that we had never really done any marketing for real estate firms, but we’d give it a shot.  We were happy to help Bill and Laurie, they’re great people and I have no doubt they’ll be very successful in their new venture.  In fact if anyone reading this is thinking of looking at real estate in Southwest Florida, I’d highly recommend you give the Hume Team a call. 

For starters, Next Step produced a Hume Team logo, and then a series of direct mail postcards that were bulk-mailed to thousands of Southwest Florida residents and shared on social media.  This helped spread the word that there was a new real estate team in town.  The postcards were fun, featuring some custom cartoon illustrations with a ‘Snowbird’ couple anxiously looking to relocate to Southwest Florida.  After a few mailings these images are already recognizable and will be synonymous with Hume Team branding going forward.

Next came a combined pocket folder/brochure that will be used for presenting proposals.  And finally, a new website, www.humeteam.com, produced on the Squarespace platform, was launched in early December.

Humeteam.com was our second website, and our first was our own, www.next-step.com, which we launched this past summer. Take a look and let us know what you think.  We don’t consider ourselves experts in website development or creation, but we are very comfortable with the Squarespace platform – comfortable enough that we’ve now added website creation as a service we can now provide in-house.  If you’re looking for an attractive, informational, and functional website without too many bells and whistles, contact us, we can probably help you out. 

Meanwhile, while the December temperatures in Kittery Point, Maine are in the 20’s, the Hume Team basks in the 80-degree heat in Cape Coral, FL, and ramps up for the busy winter season in Florida. 

“We are really happy with all the work Next Step has produced for us,” said Bill Hume.  “When Laurie and I made the move and decided to start up this new business, we both knew who to call to help us get our name out there.”