What plastics processors and OEMs are telling us about 2026

This episode is a discussion about the annual PMM Machinery Buying Survey, with editor Ron Shinn, managing editor Lynne Sherwin and senior staff reporter Karen Hanna. Here are some key points:  Survey respondents were surprisingly positive, with 73 percent saying they plan to buy primary processing equipment in 2026. Some machinery OEMs and analysts aren't quite so optimistic. Tariffs are having a mixed effect and are still causing confusion.  Manufacturing wages across the board are rising, and processors are going to have to pay more for workers, even as the lack of skilled labor is driving more automation. The trend to keep machinery running longer is continuing, and machinery OEMs are responding by beefing up their service departments.