Jan Schafer Director of Market Research

Jan is a market research professional who loves learning and adding value to the businesses of Gardner’s advertisers, audience, and the company itself. Her curiosity, business knowledge, client service and shameless resourcefulness combine to enable Jan to lead research in manufacturing from objective-setting (do not even try to bypass it…) to delivering data-based recommendations (can’t dodge those either…) Jan attributes her capabilities to education in psychology and business administration followed by a healthy dose of ‘mixing it up.’ Her experience includes tending bar (more useful than you might expect,) early years (okay, 15!) at Procter & Gamble, developing her own consulting business, and leading supply-side research before landing the perfect gig at Gardner.

economics

Plastics Processing Activity Contracted in July

Plastics processing GBI contracted for the third month in a row.

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economics

Processing Takes a Dip in June

Plastics activity took a relatively big downturn in June, ending at a low for the year and lower than the same month a year ago.  

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economics

Processing Activity Dips in May

Plastics processing took a downturn in May, the first appreciable dip since November 2023.  

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economics

Processing Activity Nears Expansion Level

Plastics processing kept pushing along in April, landing less than one point shy of expansion.   

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economics

Processing Making Slow, Steady Progress

Plastics processing activity didn’t make its way into expansion territory in March, but seems headed in that direction.  

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economics

February Index Dips a Tiny Bit

Index holds steady as optimism about future business conditions continues to increase among processors.  

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Plastics Processing 'Jumps' into New Year

While still in contraction mode, the index came in at highest level since March 2023.  

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economics

Plastics Processing Pattern Prevails With an Uptick in December

Like December 2022, the December 2023 index represents increased activity following dips in November.  

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economics

Plastics Processing Activity Drops in November

The drop in plastics activity appears to be driven by a return to accelerated contraction for three closely connected components — new orders, production and backlog.

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economics

Contraction in Processing Slows in October

The Gardner Business Index for plastics processing activity jumped a bit in October, though it still contracted as it has since July 2022.

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economics

Plastics Processing Activity Continues to Contract

September’s survey results mark a third month of a very similar GBI.

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economics

Plastics Processing Activity Held Steady in August

Monthly index indicates overall plastics processing activity stayed on its path of contraction.

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