Planning more important than ever: world uncertainties and surprises can put raw materials in a spin.

Kansas City - As the calendar turns the corner to the second half of the Twentieth Century, political and economic uncertainties loom large for all business interests. Whether the scope is national or international, whether the focus is technical, marketing and/or regulatory, new pages are being written every day as to how to grow the business, how to retain current business and how to save the business or the company.

With raging bulls on the stock market, minding the mines in Bosnia and keeping score as the mergers and acquisitions continue to trigger tremors in the workforce, the old expression, "Just when I thought I had seen it all, I get surprised," rings true. …