Business 41-EOLUTILIP NO Ci1L0,1111S1 but they're still fun. These 'frozen moments' can be found at Sherwood Studios and there's lots of these goodies to choose from... sodas, cakes, ice cream cones and more! GIFTS ARE ALWAYS 30% OFF (most mfrs.) and we offer complimentary gift wrapping. Shop Sherwood.. it's worth it! 6644 Orchard Lake Road at Maple Road West Bloomfield 248 855-1600 Mon-Thur-Fri 10-9 Tue-Wed-Sat 10-6 Sun 12-5 Internet: www.sherwoodstudiosinc.com • E-mail: SherwoodWBOAOL.com 8tUd108 Tustmtrusa • ACC-MUM • QM Inside Orchard Mall • West Bloomfield, Michigan Orchard Lake Road, North of Maple M-626-0886 bathroom fixtures market — Plasson does not sell them abroad. The clum- sy shape and fragility of the items means that each tank must be packed (1 \ individually, making shipping prohib- itively expensive. And, since most countries have very particular stan- dards, Plasson could not sell its toilet cisterns overseas. In the 1970s, with the idea to export, Plasson again decided to expand its product line. From the kibbutz's experience, there was no efficient system for distributing clean water to chickens. Thirsty chickens would flap around the troughs, pre- venting others from getting their fill. Plasson's automatic drinkers for chickens and turkeys drip water into trays, making water distribution more efficient and sanitary. Today, Plasson has 30 percent of the U.S. market for —/ poultry drinkers. While the toilet cisterns and poul- try drinkers gave Plasson its founda- tion, the company's third develop- ment propelled the business into the ranks of an international plastics heavyweight. About 20 years ago, Plasson began to manufacture pipe fittings. Today, the company's 420 rf fittings and valves, which comprise 70 percent of sales, are used in irriga- tion systems, water and gas distribu- tion and industry and mining opera- tions. Inside a huge, hot factory, big tubs of imported polyethelene pellets are dropped into sealed vats. There, they are heated to the melting point. The liquid plastic is then funneled through the pipes, which channel the goo into moldings located at various stations along an assembly line. Once inside the molds, the plastic cools, and the automated machines spit out the pipe fittings, toilet tanks and chicken feeders. Dressed in the kibbutzim's trade- mark blue work shorts, company workers then x-ray the goods for faults, before wrapping and packag- ing them for local distribution and export. Although the 500-employee enterprise — 70 percent of whom are members of Ma'agan Michael — (1/ is in every way part of the kibbutz, the company's keen business sense has helped propel it onto the world stage. Via wholly owned subsidiaries in Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Australia and Brazil, as well as joint manufacturing ventures in India and PLACTIC page 146