Over the last decade, the worldwide extrusion blow molding machinery market has already been stressed by numerous business challenges, the most significant of which are:

• The annual double digit growth of preform based PET bottle production
• Extensive industry consolidation of both bottle producers and machinery builders. 

The latest and possibly biggest challenge is an economic one: low cost EBM machinery from Asia is gaining a lot of attention. Blow molders are intrigued by the prospect of fast returns on capital expenditures and are looking for any edge in the competitive bottle marketplace. Blow molders will most assuredly investigate these machines very closely, and some will even purchase and test these machines head-to-head against their established machinery technology. 

Extrusion blow molding is a business of output, quality, repeatability, and overall efficiency. The low cost machinery opportunity is intriguing, but ultimately the blow molding industrys standards of performance must be met to establish long-term EBM machinery market success. Simply put, machinery up-time is everything to the bottle producer in order to meet their delivery commitments and maintain customers. 

Looking forward, Bekum remains committed to EBM machinery innovation, quality, efficiency and to set the industry standard for after sales service and support. 

Remember price is soon forgotten, quality is long remembered!

Gary Carr
National Sales Director
October 6, 2006