Investment Tips

When Robin Williams’ character, Mork, in the 1978 TV hit “Mork & Mindy” signed off each episode with “Na no, na no” (Orkan for good-bye), maybe he was trying to be a predictor of something more significant. Maybe, even, it was déjà vu all over again, a take off from when Benjamin Braddock, Dustin Hoffman’s character in the 1967 movie classic “The Graduate,” told us more directly to invest in plastics.

Although it might be too late to get into plastics, with “Na no, na no,” more specifically, nanotechnology, the time could be right to get in the game. In the June 2006 issue of “National Geographics,” Jennifer Kahn wrote a fascinating article on nanotechnology, exploring its unique possibilities in the fields of medicine, energy, and information technology, among others.

Closer to home, nanotechnology is finding a lot of interest in the coating arena. In May, Industrial Nanotech, a company that specializes in nanotechnology product development, established of a new division to focus on “intelligent coating” technologies. Industrial Nanotech CEO Stuart Burchill said, “Intelligent coatings represent the future of the coatings industry. Industrial Nanotech plans to emerge at the forefront of this new and disruptive technology, which has the ability to potentially generate a substantial revenue stream for the company.”

Nanotechnology certainly has the attention of coating suppliers in the printing arena. In the future, smart coatings are sure to play a more active role in protecting and alerting participants all along the supply chain, extending all the way to the consumer.

In the meantime, just think of all the potential advice you may have missed over the years by not paying closer attention to “investment counselors” such as Mork. There’s no use checking out the reruns, that’s old news—just keep an open mind next time you watch TV or go to the movies.

Na no, na no.

We welcome your comments regarding any part of packagePRINTING. They can be addressed to Editor, packagePRINTING, 1500 Spring Garden St., Ste. 1200, Philadelphia, PA 19130, or to tpolischuk@napco.com.