Our grandparents and great grandparents grew up in an environment of hand-me-downs. From a used sweater, to a well worn couch, and even to appliances, the older passed to the younger as they outgrew or no longer needed a product. By the time a product was discarded, it had truly reached “end-of –life” and the buyer had certainly gotten his money’s worth. The modern generations rejoice in buying NEW things and reject the idea of used products. The need to live at the cutting edge, especially in the technology sector can easily be seen by the rate that new products are introduced into the markets. Used products have gotten a bad rap and are considered inferior.

Remanufacturing is a relatively young business, but it can be as confusing as a Floridian presidential election. It is just now becoming popular among industrialists, consumers and environmentalists.  Like recycling, remanufacturing will soon become a household word and PRC Industries is leading the way.  This is the first in a series of articles that will take a look at the broad scope of the remanufacturing industry. In follow up issues, we will study the impact of remanufacturing on the consumer and the manufacturer.