Canada's Plastics Industry Maintains Steady Growth

Canada's healthy plastics industry grew by 8 percent in 2001 with processor shipments of CA$32.2 billion (US$20.7 billion). Total employment was 161,150 at 3,758 companies. The employment figure includes resin, machinery and mold, and tool and die employees.
        "The industry has been doing very well in most of the major sectors such as packaging and automotives," says Faris Shammas, director of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA). "Some specialized sectors like telecommunications have been affected by the economic slowdown. Office furniture applications are still experiencing uneven performance from month to month."
        Ontario is a plastics pacesetter, boasting 56 percent of manufacturers and 63 percent of shipments and employment.
        "Ontario juts into the heart of the northeastern U.S. giving it excellent proximity to markets," Shammas says. "Its highway and rail systems and telecommunication networks are among the best in the world."
        Plastics clusters abound in Ontario, with the greater Toronto area the biggest. Others are in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Windsor.

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