South Philly Review
How do Flyers stack up to division rivals?
The Flyers have high expectations entering the 2020-21 National Hockey League season. Pictured here, Flyers forward Michael Raffl takes part in a practice last season. Photo/Mark Zimmaro
We’re off to the races as the NHL season begins, with this year looking more like a sprint than a marathon as teams hope to complete an abbreviated 56-game regular season. The postseason “play-in round” is gone so we’re back to only 16 teams making the playoffs. Each of the four newly aligned divisions will send four teams to the playoffs so the math is simple: Finish fourth or better in your division to punch a postseason ticket. Also of note, regular season games will be contested only between teams from the same division. With so much riding on how the Flyers stack up against the other East Division teams, we’ll grade the Flyers on how they stack up with their rivals in several key categories.
Investment firm buys three plastics processors
Carlson
A Michigan-based private equity firm has started a strategy to buy U.S. plastics processors and has already purchased three companies.
Northville, Mich.-based Orchard Creek Capital LLC started with Classic Die Inc. in Grand Rapids, Mich., and in the past two months has added Tool Technology Corp. in Inman, S.C., and Advantage Plastics of New York Inc. in Winter Haven, Fla.
Orchard Creek is headed by President Jon Carlson, who has a background in financial management in manufacturing, including 10 years at Ford Motor Co. We believe that the plastics industry has a number of attractive elements. The industry has been steadily growing over many years, as the technology supporting plastics provides an expanding set of technical capabilities, Carlson said.
ATTLEBORO â Heating bills are piling up as the temperature goes down, but thereâs less help for those in need this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jon Carlson, CEO of Self Help Inc., the agency that provides cash for heating fuel or electric bills from Nov. 1 through April 30, described the situation as âdireâ because of more demand and less money.
The money his agency doles out comes from the federal government.
The maximum benefit for those who qualify for assistance this year is $875, 33 percent less than last yearâs $1,300. The funds are used for âdeliverableâ fuels such as oil or kerosene.