Survival instinct

摘要

"The greatest challenge in 2002 has been to remain profitable, while suffering a sudden 50 per cent increase in raw materials prices," says president and chief executive officer at the Chicago-based Skolnik Industries, Howard Skolnik. "Of all the new product developments and changes, this single factor affected every department at Skolnik as we had to streamline our operation for maximum efficiencies." Echoing Skolnik's comments, Berenfield Containers vice-president Greg Berenfield tells a similar story. "The US steel market has been volatile through 2002 with the implementation of Section 201 steel tariffs," he says. "By working closely with our suppliers, we have been fortunate in maintaining a relatively constant stream of supply, but the pricing volatility is of key concern to us and our customers." The Mason-based company has had no choice but to pass a portion of the price rise on to customers. "We have made our case to the customer base concerning the necessity of the price increases, which they understand," Berenfield explains.