(Good) Signs of the Times

What does this mean for package printers and converters?

For starters, more growth. "Packaging is certainly part of an economy that is reflecting the same good consumer sentiment," says John McDeVitt, corporate economist at 3M. "Due to the strong demand and increased capacity utilization within paper, we have seen some price increases, particularly for linerboard, which is of course reflecting how strong the economy really is."Not everything is going to mirror the '97 economy, however. While growth is expected to continue, most of that growth is forecast for the first six months, with conditions gradually cooling.