With a broad range of uses for its goods, plastics and rubber product manufacturing impacts markets in a variety of industries. The industry is highly fragmented — made up of hundreds of niches, each defined by the specialty products it produces. Demand for plastics and rubber product manufacturing depends on the general health of the economy. The most influential factors affecting production cost and product availability are fluctuating prices for crude oil and natural gas. Despite susceptibility to price and cost volatility, increasing trends towards recyclable goods and eco-friendly production processes open the door for growth opportunities through innovation.