Optimistic Outlook

Jerome Van de Water, president of the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), reported in a February press release that, at year-end, 2002 saw a 2.5 percent decline in nominal dollars of the overall sales volume for cartons. Despite this decrease, 50 percent of survey respondents said they expect their 2003 profit margins to be greater than last year's, while another 32 percent anticipate their profit margins to at least remain the same.