BSN Ezine May 2006

Sharing the Benefit of Experience - Issue 3

Welcome to the Business Support Network E-Zine. The Business Support Network is a British Plastics Federation initiative, bringing together an elite group of companies who all work in support of the plastics industry: Chosen by the Plastics Industry For the Plastics Industry Whether you need recruitment, financial or legal advice- the Business Support Network is here to help you.

Energy Solutions Seminar Conclusions The BPF Energy Solutions Workshop took place on the 21st April 2005 at the IPTME Facilities in Loughborough. The seminar took an in-depth look at the Energy scene, how prices are changes and how this will impact on the UK Plastics Industry. The seminar then went on to isolate the actions that UK Plastics Manufacturers can take and the support mechanisms available to save resource.

Environmental Management Seminar Conclusions On Wednesday 23rd February, the BPF held the inaugural "Practical Environmental Management in the Plastics Industry" seminar at the BPF Offices in London, in association with Envirowise. Feedback from delegates rated the seminar as "excellent". The seminar focused on the whether an Environmental Management System was necessary for plastics manufacturers, the benefits that could be derived and the practicalities of implementing. The seminar was opened by Peter Davis, Director General of the BPF who highlighted the importance of an effective EMS in responsible business development, these points were endorsed in Philip Law's opening presentation "Factors Driving Sustainable Business Management".

Good News for PTL PTL has been granted full CoVE status 7 months in advance of plan, and was the only organisation considered by the LSC in the West Midlands on this occasion to achieve approval without the requirement for a further development plan. Furthermore, following a survey of 3000 companies by the Workforce Foundation, sponsored by the DTI, PTL has been advised that its performance is in the top ten of those organisations surveyed. Click Here to download the PTL CoVE Press Release - oldlink https://www.bpf.co.uk/downloads/files/ptl_press_release.pdf Click Here to find out more about PTL - oldlink https://www.bpf.co.uk/bsn/Plastics_Industry_Training.cfm

Listgrove tackles industry skill shortages through new business structure Listgrove, the British Plastics Federation's recommended supplier of HR and recruitment services, is celebrating 30 years association with the UK and International Plastics markets. In response to ever increasing recruitment challenges arising from skill shortages and social economics, the company has appointed Business Managers with specific geographical remits for the UK and overseas markets. Click Here to read more - oldlink https://www.bpf.co.uk/downloads/files/Listgrove.pdf

Other Business Support Network News - IMSM have launched two new products: ISO/IEC 17799:2000: an internationally recognised standard offering a comprehensive set of controls comprising best practice in information security. OHSAS 18001: enabling an organization to control its health and safety risks and improve its performance. - Travers Smith Braithwaite have changed their name to "Travers Smith" - PICME have launched a new logo (shown on the right hand panel of the newsletter)

Sharing The Benefit Of Experience Issue 9

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Welcome to the Business Support Network E-Zine

The Business Support Network is a British Plastics Federation initiative, bringing together an elite group of companies who all work in support of the plastics industry.

To find out More about the BSN CLICK HERE

Business Planning and Budgeting for Success: The Plastics Industry 2007

The British Plastics Federation is organising a conference (sponsored by Cogent) looking into the key factors impacting on the budgets and performance of UK plastics businesses in 2007, taking place on Wednesday 21st June at Moat House Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent.

Timed to coincide with the initiation of your Business plans and their underpinning Budgets for 2007, this conference provides a guide to the key underlying assumptions and potential factors which could blow your progress off course.
Subjects covered will include:

Economic prospects and plastics industry competitiveness
Materials Pricing, Supply and Hedging Trends
Utilities Costs
Insurance Costs
Transport Costs
Employment and Workforce Trends
Money Management and Risk

Click here for more information.

Commercial Brief: Travers Smith

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has ruled that default charges made by credit card firms for late payment of bills are set at a level which breaches the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. These Regulations allow terms in consumer contracts to be challenged where, among other things, they require consumers to pay suppliers a disproportionate amount in compensation for breach of an agreement. The OFT accepted that when consumers failed to pay off their credit card bills on time, credit card providers incurred costs. However, it concluded that in most cases the average default charge of GBP22 would exceed the actual cost to the credit card firm by a substantial margin and was therefore disproportionate.

Click here for more information and more stories.

John Hall Associates Electricity and Environment Update

European Electricity Market Summary

European forward power prices continued to rise for the first half of April. Towards the end of the month the whole of Europe experienced a large drop in prices. The movement was greatest on Cal 2007 contracts bringing them below the value of the Cal 2008 contracts in most countries. The main driver was expectation of over allocation in the carbon market for phase one, phase two prices changed far less meaning Cal 2008 electricity prices were far less affected.

Click here to read more

Environment Market Summary

EU ETS was long by an estimated 63 million Allowances in 2005
This questions EU governments' ability to accurately set carbon caps.

Click here to read more.

Job Opportunities

Leeds University, part of the Polymer IRC is looking for 2 Research Fellows.

Research Fellows (2 Posts)

You will be responsible for the implementation and knowledge-transfer (KT) of the tools, working methods and results of the "Microscale Polymer Processing" project with the industrial members of the consortium. You will maintain a portfolio of several projects at any one time. Significant periods of time will be spent working within the industrial research centres, which are globally distributed, but mostly in Europe, as well as at the home institution of the University of Leeds, and at the other academic members of the consortium as appropriate. Senior applicants with project management experience will have the opportunity to assist in the administration of the project. Both posts are for a fixed term of up to three years, depending on starting salary.

Informal enquiries to Professor T C B McLeish; email [email protected] ; tel. +44 (0)113 343 3845.

To apply online please visit http://www.leeds.ac.uk and click on 'jobs'. Alternatively application packs are available from Miss Sally Bradley, Polymer IRC, School of Physics and Astronomy; tel +44 (0)113 343 3811; email [email protected]

Job ref 313072 Closing date 1 June 2006

Click here for more information.

Aon supporting Health and Safety

Business Support Network member Aon Ltd, is supporting and speaking at the upcoming BPF seminar - Driving Health and Safety Forward: A practical seminar on managing workplace transport risks on Tuesday 6th June 2006 at Polymer Training Limited,Telford.

Workplace Transport is becoming a major issue, 'every year 70 people are killed and 2000 more are seriously injured in incidents involving vehicles at work'. Furthermore, the issue is being spotlighted by the latest HSE Campaign, 'Vehicles at Work'. Despite these alarming figures there are a number of simple steps that companies can take to significantly reduce the risks associated with Workplace Transport.

Click here for more information.

Network Humming with the UK Polymer IRC

The Polymer IRC network from the UK Universities of Leeds, Bradford, Durham and Sheffield, is organising the free UK Polymer Showcase meeting to take place on 12th /13th September 2006 in Wakefield, Yorkshire. The two-day meeting, "Materials by Design", combines up to the minute talks on topical areas of polymer science and technology and soft nanotechnology with the opportunity for industrialists, science funders and scientists to mix nanotechnology with the opportunity for industrialists, science funders and scientists to mix together to discuss new developments and identify potential project partners.

Read press release in full.

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BSN Ezine May 2006

Sharing the Benefit of Experience - Issue 3

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