Jay Gardiner, a Plastics Hall of Fame member known for volunteering for numerous plastics industry causes, died Oct. 15 after a battle with cancer. He was 70.
Bekum America leader Stark retiring after more than 50 years in the industry
Plastics Hall of Famer Martin Stark has retired as chairman of Bekum America Corp. after 50 years in the industry, mostly with the U.S. operations of the German extrusion blow…
Dave Schultz – Plastics Pioneer Wins William C. (Bill) Zekan Award
Dave Schultz, member of the Akron, Ohio Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers, was awarded the William C. (Bill) Zekan Award for his outstanding service to the Section during…
Vince Witherup carried the torch for the U.S. plastics industry around the world as an executive at Franklin, PA-based auxiliary equipment maker Conair Group Inc., and as an ambassador for…
Wylie Royce is executive vice president of colorant and specialty chemicals company Royce Global, and a partner and director of Royce International, a supplier and manufacturer of epoxy resins, hardeners,…
Salvatore Monte, president and co-owner of Kenrich Petrochemicals Inc., holds 31 U.S. patents; has authored numerous technical papers, journal articles and book chapters, as well as authored a popular reference…
Bob Jackson, founder of Jackson Machinery is a veteran in the blow molding machinery industry. His plastics career began in 1968 at Peninsular Machinery Co. in Detroit, with stints at…
Maureen Steinwall hardly needs an introduction, as her career in the plastics industry began when at age 30 she told her father, the founder and owner of Steinwall Inc., “a…
Congratulations to three of our esteemed members of the Plastics Pioneers Association for their membership into the Plastics Hall of Fame. A total of 10 new members to the Plastics…
Aline Alroy is Vice President of Sales for High-Technology Corp. She was greatly influenced by her father, a scientist and inventor who developed the screen changer, a device that took…
Courtney Asztalos is an accomplished artist in various processes—photography, sound, installation, video, drawing, artist books, and collage. She is also the curator for the Plastics Collection at Syracuse University Library…
PPA Member Alexander (Sandy) Guthrie Profiled in Plastics Machinery Magazine
Alexander (Sandy) Guthrie grew up in a family business that was a pioneer in plastic extrusion. His father founded Sterling Extruder Corp. in 1959 where Guthrie worked summers, joining the…
Stan Glover's early fascination with the world beyond his hometown in the Finger Lakes region of New York led him on a path that is benefiting plastics machinery and processors…
Many of the members of the Plastics Pioneers Association continue to have careers in the plastics industry and contribute to the success of others. Kenneth E. Pawlak, inducted into the…
Rodney (Rod) Roth, one of the founders of R&D Plastics LLC (Hillsboro, OR), passed away on March 25th at the age of 77 after a long battle with cancer. He…
PPA’s Charles Sears Induction into Plastics Hall of Fame
The Plastics Pioneers Association (PPA) is proud to announce that Charles (Charlie) Sears has been posthumously inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame. Charlie became a member of the PPA…
Plastic Molding Technology is building value through sustainable practices. Going green is good business for plastic injection molding, and our commitment to sustainability is supported by an integrated approach across…
This presentation was given by Bekum at the PPA General Membership meeting in Minnesota. A related story is shown in the July 24th Plastics News posting.
Shaffer restarts consulting company with focus on sustainability
Plastics industry veteran Rick Shaffer has restarted his consulting firm InterTech Rx LC in Chandler, Ariz. Shaffer was most recently managing director of the western region of Westfall Technik Inc.,…
Bekum assembles its workforce through apprenticeships
The average age of workers on the floor at Bekum America Corp.'s manufacturing facility has gone down. The German maker of extrusion blow molding machinery credits the workforce age drop…
Written by Don Rosato The 20th century will be remembered 500 years from now as the century when humans began the exploration of space. The Apollo 11 space mission launched…
Albuquerque Finds Plastic an Excellent Material for Historical Markers
By Clare Goldsberry While in Albuquerque for the Spring 2019 PPA meeting, a local TV news segment focused on the problem of people stealing the large, brass historical markers around…
PPA Works Hard to Keep the History of Plastics and the Industry Alive
By Clare Goldsberry Keeping the history of plastics and the plastics industry alive for future generations is an important mission for the Plastics Pioneers Association. It is so true that…
