Flexibles Fly High, Aim Higher

As growth rates get more comfortable and application areas open up, flexible packaging converters remain keen on expansion.

By Susan Friedman

Could flexible packaging be on the cusp of a growth comfort zone? The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA)'s finalized economic statistics for 1997 reveal 5.2 percent growth that pushed shipment values to $17.1 billion—the second highest growth rate recorded in the last five years. Projections for the years following '97 indicate shipment values will ultimately near $19 billion in 2000.