People & Places

People &

Places

Ann-Marie
Neideigh

Effective Monday, February 28, 2022, Ann-Marie Neideigh joined Plastics Solutions, Inc. She has more than 23 years of plastics industry experience, with manufacturers and distributors. Neideigh has spent the last 14 years as an outside sales representative in central and eastern Pennsylvania for two large regional plastics distributors. She has extensive knowledge of thermoplastic materials, applications and end users.

In her new role, Neideigh will join Russ Consentino in the mid-Atlantic portion of Plastics Solutions, Inc’s territorial responsibility. That territory includes the NY, NY, USA metro area, Long Island, NY, USA; Washington, D.C., USA; and the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

Jim Bullis Brendan Haas Pete Riddle

Thermwood announced several promotions for long-time employees.

Jim Bullis has been promoted to the vice president of sales position. In his new role, Bullis will oversee the sales and operations of the machining products division. He is a long-standing employee with more than 26 years of experience at Thermwood. He has held numerous positions, initially starting as a field service technician to trade show manager and over the last 19 years as an account manager.

Brendan Haas has been promoted to an account manager position within the machining products division. In his new role, he will be responsible for sales and dealer relationships over his designated area, which is approximately half of the United States. Haas initially started at Thermwood as a field service technician, and over the last three years has worked as an upgrade specialist in the retrofit department for technical services.

Pete Riddle has been promoted to upgrade service specialist in the retrofit department. In his new role, Riddle will be responsible for sales of upgrades, retrofits, refurbished machines and the advanced support program. Riddle is a long-standing employee with approximately 21 years of experience at Thermwood. He has held numerous positions, initially as a field service technician and then as programming support and for the last 11 years as training instructor.

Michael Stodden Dallas Bain Joseph Crawford
Brandon Whitaker John Knapke

Interstate Plastics announced several personnel changes

Michael Stodden joined Interstate Plastics’ executive management team as chief financial officer reporting to CEO Cole Klokkevold. Stodden will engage in corporate strategic planning along with other areas involving finance, taxation and personnel matters. His prior professional experience was with Buzz Oates Group of Companies as part of the executive team overseeing succession planning, estate taxes, income taxes and debt financing. Stodden attended Golden Gate University in San Francisco, CA, USA, where he graduated with a Masters’ degree in taxation. He received a degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from Chico State University. He is a licensed CPA. Stodden will work out of the Sacramento corporate office.

Dallas Bain has accepted the position of assistant branch manager for Interstate Plastics’ Austin, TX, USA location. Bain has been with Interstate Plastics for more than five years and has worked in many different roles. Because of this diverse experience, he has an exceptional understanding of how Interstate Plastics operates and goes to market. Bain has also been a significant contributor to sales and is consistently a top companywide business writer.

Joseph Crawford is Interstate Plastics’ new outside sales representative for the Birmingham, AL, USA location. He has worked in the plastics industry for the last three years in both inside and outside sales. Crawford enjoys cooking for large gatherings of friends and family. He is also a sports fanatic and is a huge fan of the New York Giants, Syracuse Orange basketball, the Yankees and NFL fantasy football.

Brandon Whitaker is Interstate Plastics’ new business development manager. He was previously branch manager and did outside business development for Calsak and Laird plastics. He has extensive knowledge and history in the Houston, TX, USA market as well as a relentless attitude to put the customer first. Interstate Plastics is happy to have him on board and believes he will be a highly valuable member of the team.

Interstate Plastics welcomed John Knapke as the new inside sales representative for the Sacramento, CA, USA office. He has been in the industrial sales business for the past 10 years, specifically in the metals and wood waste industry. He is originally from Ohio and is a long-time fan of the Cincinnati Bengals and Reds.

Randy
Glick

Randy Glick has been elected to the position of chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman of the board for Alro. An experienced leader, Glick started his career with Alro in 1981, working in corporate purchasing. He held various roles, including inside sales, administration management and general manager Alro Plastics. In 1993, he became corporate operations manager and in 2004, vice president-operations. In 2013, he was named senior vice president. Since 2016, Glick has served in his current position of executive vice president. In addition to the new roles, he will continue leading the corporate operations and Alro Plastics teams.

“Following my father, the founder of Alro and an icon in the industry, is not an easy task. I am proud to be elected as the new CEO and excited to carry on the duties of our family business and the legacy that he (Al Glick) started in 1948,” said Randy Glick.

Randy’s father, Al Glick, held the position of CEO and chairman of Alro Steel for the past 74 years. He started the company with his brother Robert on June 1, 1948. Al passed away on February 8, 2022, in Jackson, MI, USA, at age 95. He will be greatly missed by the more than 3,000 Alro teammates, their families and the community.

Tony
Martin

Palram Americas, Inc. announced the promotion of Tony Martin to the position of business unit manager. Martin will be responsible for the strategic direction and product portfolio for the industrial plastics and sign and display markets in the United States and Canada. He will lead a well-seasoned sales team consisting of Mike Swimm, Jon Hedges and Keith DeGroat, in addition to corresponding independent manufacturer representatives.

Martin’s extensive background with Palram began in inside sales more than 15 years ago. Since then, he successfully built distributor and end-user partnerships focused on mutual growth and was successful in launching new products and innovative solutions to the markets he served. His career advancement in key roles within the sales organization is a testament to Palram’s “promote from within” culture. With his strong leadership and in-depth knowledge of Palram’s customers, products and markets, Martin is well-positioned to support Palram Americas’ strategic growth initiatives now and into the future.

Bradly Davidofsky Anthony DeMarco
Brandon Hyler Chris Massucci
Andrew Oltmanns George Quiroz
Carolyn Sandoval Danny Young

Professional Plastics announced several new hires and one promotion.

Bradly Davidofsky joined Professional Plastics as territory manager in San Jose, CA, USA. Davidofsky has more than 10 years of outside sales experience, most recently for a contract manufacturer specializing in custom injection molding. His familiarity with the region and industry will be valuable assets in his new role, where he is responsible for nurturing and maintaining client relationships, growing current accounts and closing new opportunities in the Bay Area of Northern California.

Professional Plastics welcomed inside sales representative, Anthony DeMarco, in Buffalo, NY, USA. After working in industrial sales for five years, DeMarco is eager to expand his knowledge in the plastics industry. In his new role, he will assist current customers with material selection and application requirements and apply his sales experience to establish new business.

The Professional Plastics Rockford, IL, USA branch added Brandon Hyler, inside sales representative, to their team. Hyler is responsible for sourcing new sales opportunities, growing the branch’s existing client base and providing outstanding support to customers and prospects. He is a team player with previous experience in supply chain and inventory management that will serve him well in his new position.

Chris Massucci recently joined Professional Plastics as a corporate project manager. Located in Buffalo, NY, USA, Massucci will engage in all aspects of projects for a key account and work with various departments to ensure the successful execution of manufacturing, quality and delivery of the customer’s orders. With more than 20 years of mechanical design and project management experience, the company believes that Massucci is an ideal fit for this new role.

Andrew Oltmanns joined Professional Plastics as an inside sales representative in Tampa, FL, USA. Oltmanns will source new sales opportunities by generating leads, providing lead follow-up and communicating with new and existing customers. He has a wide-ranging background and his goal is to make a positive impact in the most productive and efficient way possible through teamwork, guidance and a strong work ethic.

After a successful six years, George Quiroz was promoted to branch manager. In his new position, he is responsible for overseeing all operations and sales activities for the Paragon Plastics branch in Santa Ana, CA, USA. Quiroz started with the company in sales and worked his way up to this new role. He is excited to join the management team and looks forward to growing the Paragon Plastics business.

Professional Plastics welcomed Carolyn Sandoval as an inside sales representative in the company’s Fullerton, CA, USA branch. Sandoval has five years of experience in the plastics industry. She began in an administrative role before transitioning to inside sales. She has her IAPD Level 1 certificate, a successful track record and is a great addition to the Fullerton inside sales team.

Danny Young recently joined Professional Plastics in Rockford, IL, USA. Young is the new quality manager at the branch, where he is responsible for establishing and managing all quality assurance and quality control activities at the location. He has worked in the quality management of plastics for more than 17 years and looks forward to growing the Rockford business with a continued focus on quality.

Gates Yager Alex San Miguel Parker Powell

A&C Plastics, Inc. announced the hiring of three new employees: Supply Chain Analyst Gates Yager and Sales Executives Alex San Miguel and Parker Powell. They have only been with the company for a short time but have already made big impacts in their own ways. San Miguel is “excited to face the challenge of the industry” while Powell feels A&C Plastics is a “great place to launch his career.” Yager is ready to “jump in” and make a splash, “especially with the supply chain difficulties throughout the world.”

Gates Yager

Alex San Miguel

Parker Powell

IAPD is pleased to introduce two new members. Grimco Inc. is IAPD’s newest Distributor member. Grimco focuses on quality wholesale sign supply products and providing excellent service to the sign industry. Founded in 1875, Grimco now has more than 65 locations throughout North America and recently expanded into the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.grimco.com. RITMO America is IAPD’s newest Associated Products and Services (APS) member. The company provides plastic welding equipment designed and built according to international standards and directives (UNI, ISO, CEE). Their product range includes butt fusion, electrofusion and extrusion equipment as well as accessories and instruments for pipe cutting and weld preparation such as the band saws. For more information, visit www.ritmoamerica.com.

Daniel Kane Shay Blinkiewicz

Curbell Plastics, Inc. has promoted two talented, long-time sales employees. Daniel Kane has been promoted to business manager III and is now responsible for Curbell Plastics Virginia and Pittsburgh, PA, USA locations. He will manage inside and outside sales personnel, sales budgeting and execution, along with day-to-day administration. Shay Blinkiewicz has been promoted to inside sales manager for Pittsburgh, PA, USA and will assist Kane by managing the inside sales team at that location.

Daniel Kane was formerly Business Manager II for Curbell Virginia. He now manages both the Virginia and Pittsburgh locations. He brings more than 20 years of materials experience to Curbell Plastics customers across Virginia, Washington D.C., North Carolina, Pittsburgh, eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, leading the teams that supply performance plastics to a broad range of businesses and entrepreneurs in these areas. This includes developers of aircraft and aerospace components, manufacturing and packaging equipment, various types of industrial machines and parts and scientific instruments.

Shay Blinkiewicz, formerly senior inside sales representative, was promoted to inside sales manager for Curbell Plastics Pittsburgh. She joined the company in 2010 and has provided value to customers and teammates ever since. In her roles at Curbell, Blinkiewicz has enjoyed the variety that industrial plastics sales offers. “Plastics are used in countless ways,” she shared. “It’s intriguing to see the various applications and to be a part of a solution for our customer’s needs.”

“I can’t say enough about these two individuals,” said Eddie Howe, regional director of Curbell Plastics, Inc. “Watching Shay grow in her role at Curbell has been one of the highlights of my career and I couldn’t be happier that Dan will be overseeing our Pittsburgh location (his original hometown) along with Curbell Virginia where he currently resides.”

Braskem has invested in Nexus Circular LLC, an advanced recycling company that converts landfill-bound plastics into circular feedstocks used in the production of sustainable virgin plastics. Braskem America CEO Mark Nikolich stated, “At Braskem we have a clear, long-term vision which is committed to a carbon neutral circular economy where nothing is wasted and everything is transformed. A critical element of achieving this vision is investing in pathways that advance the circular conversion of hard-to-recycle plastic waste to valuable new materials, diverting it from landfills and improving our environmental footprint. Nexus shares our vision for accelerating the commercialization of advanced recycling with their own proprietary innovations and we couldn’t be more excited to be a new investor in their journey.”

Using a proprietary advanced recycling technology, Nexus converts hard-to-recycle plastics, especially landfill-bound plastic films, into its circular feedstocks which can then be converted back into virgin plastics (fully circular). Nexus has optimized the technology to create a highly efficient and economic system providing cost-effective, superior quality and environmentally friendly products for its partners and customers.

The investment in Nexus is one component of Braskem’s strategy to drive plastics circularity, which includes projects aimed at recycling infrastructure, mechanical recycling and advanced recycling. In addition to the expansion of Braskem’s recycled product portfolio in 2021, Braskem is also a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition and Cyclyx.

AmeriLux International has acquired EZ PVC, a designer and distributor of PVC components for the building and construction market. EZ PVC’s products are prevalent in agricultural, vehicle wash and plant growth applications across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. AmeriLux acquired EZ PVC’s operations and assets in Las Vegas, NV, USA and Tampa, FL, USA.

“What started as a supply chain relationship quickly developed into a friendship and this acquisition just made sense for all parties. EZ PVC’s products strengthen our product offering for our customers and expand our geographic footprint in the United States,” said Kurt Voss, AmeriLux CEO. “As a value-adding distributor and fabricator, we take pride in partnering with premier manufacturers for our customers. We believe this acquisition enhances this position for our customers as we are not only offering another premium product, but also welcoming a talented group of people. I look forward to the EZ PVC Team being part of our AmeriLux Family of Companies.”

“As I grew my relationship with AmeriLux, I just felt more and more culturally aligned with Kurt and his team,” said Bruce Johnston, owner of EZ PVC. “While we have had an incredible track record of success, this acquisition makes sense for the future growth of EZ PVC and the EZ PVC family of employees.”

Arkema acquired Ashland’s Performance Adhesives business, a maker of high-performance adhesives in the United States. This operation marks a major step in Arkema’s strengthening of its Adhesive Solutions segment and aligns with the company’s strategy to become a pure specialty materials player by 2024.

With its wide range of technologies and familiar brands, Ashland Performance Adhesives is a major player in pressure-sensitive adhesives, in particular in decorative, protection and signage films for automotive and buildings. It also holds leading positions in structural adhesives and offers a range of adhesives for flexible packaging.

“We are very happy to welcome Ashland Performance Adhesives’ teams within Arkema. I am convinced that Bostik will benefit from this deal to accelerate its development in attractive and high-growth applications. Our strengthened Adhesive Solutions segment will play a key role in implementing our ambition to be a leader in innovative materials for a more sustainable world,” stated Arkema’s Chairman and CEO Thierry Le Hénaff.

AAG launched a new CNC waterjet website, wardjet.com, offering waterjet cutting solutions to assist customers with automation. The site includes a new look and instant access to WARDJet products, options, software and support. Highlights of the site include information about specific industries served and customer projects. The project section helps distinguish between abrasive and water-only machines. A news and events section includes information about new products, articles and events.

Lubrizol Advanced Materials has named RVT Process Equipment a licensed Corzan^® CPVC manufacturing partner. With experience in process engineering since 1976, RVT specializes in design and fabrication of equipment for mass and heat transfer processes for chemical, petrochemical, refinery and environmental applications. Different tower packings are their specialty, many of which are molded parts made from Corzan CPVC.

When RVT began manufacturing their CPVC Hiflow^® Ring in North America, they specifically wanted to use Corzan CPVC. It has name-recognition among the large portion of their customers in the chlor alkali and specialty chemical industries, as many of them already use Corzan CPVC piping in their plants and Corzan CPVC liners in their towers.

Cope Plastics, Inc. President and CEO Jane Saale was named a 2022 Titan 100, a program that recognizes St. Louis, MO, USA’s Top 100 CEOs and C-level executives who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision and passion. Collectively, the 2022 Titan 100 and their companies employ more than 38,000 individuals and generate more than US$15.7 billion dollars in annual revenues.

“The Titan 100 are shaping the future of St. Louis’ business community by building a distinguished reputation that is unrivaled and preeminent in their field. We proudly recognize the Titan 100 for their successes and contributions. We know that they will have a profound impact that makes an extraordinary difference for their customers and clients across the nation,” according to Titan CEO Jaime Zawmon.

Jane Saale has led Cope Plastics, Inc. from US$60 million to US$100 million plus in approximately 15 years. She is fully knowledgeable about the business, including customers, vendors and competitors. She started with the company as a sales representative and quickly moved into outside sales, then into finance. Her degree from Eastern Illinois University is in business administration. Her knowledge of the products, suppliers, customers and the financial aspect of the company has only enhanced her position as president and CEO. She is a level-headed leader focused on the bigger picture, but listens to her employees, responds and then acts.

Josh
Goldberg

Asahi/America, Inc. announced the addition of Josh Goldberg to its team. Goldberg is the business development manager for industrial and environmental piping systems in the western United States. He has more than 20 years of polymer formulation and product development experience and 10 years in market analysis and technical product sales. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and Master of Science degree in polymer chemistry from University of Oregon.

Stiles Machinery announced a strategic partnership between HOMAG and Heesemann for the manufacturing and distribution of sanding machines. Stiles Machinery remains the exclusive North American distribution partner for Heesemann. This partnership has grown into extensive cooperation between HOMAG and Heesemann to further leverage the strengths of both parties in sanding technology, Heesemann’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities and HOMAG’s distribution, service and support.

The scope of HOMAG’s product portfolio has grown considerably while demand from many customer segments and growth areas requires bundling of resources in research and development and production. For this reason, Heesemann will manufacture the end-to-end sanding solutions for all HOMAG customer segments moving forward. Stiles Machinery will continue to support all HOMAG and BÜTFERING sanding machines currently in operation in the North American market without interruption. This includes the continued availability of spare and replacement parts.

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