There's been a subtle shift in the dynamics of the cast polyurethane market over the last decade. There used to be a strong tendency for processors to compete against each other by offering price reductions for similar parts. While competition is needed, this trend didn't advance the cast polyurethane industry—margins suffered, innovation was stifled and customer loyalty was nonexistent.

In recent years, there's been a shift from this old paradigm to a newer business philosophy. Processors now take a more proactive approach to developing new applications and providing value-added solutions. Opportunities to replace competitive materials have become the norm. The key was the recognition that the true competition is not the processor down the street, but other materials which are used in place of cast polyurethanes. This new model will help increase the size of the market in which we participate, which is to everyone's benefit.

Products introduced during this time frame, such as Air Products' Airthane® prepolymers, Lonzacure® MCDEA curative and novel application-specific prepolymers, have all assisted with this transformation.

Ten years ago, the attitude appeared to be, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Today, the industry has shifted to a more enlightened attitude of, "If it ain't broke, I'll make it better."