elcome to the 2025-2026 IAPD Membership Directory.

When I look through all the different types of companies that make up our membership, I think about the value that the association brings to each of you. The IAPD Board of Directors currently has a focus group studying membership trends and the value of IAPD, which was also the focus of our workshop at the recent Leadership Development Conference (LDC) in Dallas. While working on that, we thought it would be helpful to survey the current members of the board, committees, CIGs and task forces. We recently did this by asking a simple but powerful question:

Across all membership categories, your responses revealed consistent themes of connection, opportunity and growth.

t the IAPD – The Performance Plastics Association, we know that membership has to mean something. In an increasingly competitive and fast-moving industry, our IAPD Board of Directors, committees task forces and staff are committed to ensuring that your IAPD membership delivers real value, practical tools and strategic advantages that help you grow.

That’s why we’re proud to announce the launch of IAPD GPT — a cutting-edge sales intelligence and business coaching tool available exclusively to IAPD members at no additional cost. This AI-powered assistant represents a major leap forward in how our members can gather insights, prepare for sales meetings, connect with prospects and close deals — faster and smarter than ever before.

This isn’t just a value-added benefit. It’s a member-only advantage.

Röchling Industrial’s Polystone® G (HDPE) Grey is being used in pill slats for pharmaceutical machinery, supporting high-speed tablet sorting, counting, and packaging operations.

Pill slats, also known as tablet slats, are precision-machined plates with cavities designed to hold individual pills as they move through automated packaging lines. Polystone HDPE is selected for this application due to its FDA compliance, low coefficient of friction and good dimensional stability, which help protect tablets from damage and ensure accuracy in counting and placement.

These components play a critical role in ensuring efficiency and product integrity in pharmaceutical production environments. www.roechling.com/us/industrial.

CELTEC White is the latest addition to the CELTEC family, which includes five product variations offering different colors, textures and performance characteristics. The new sheet is engineered for digital printing, offering a refined white point to support vibrant, true-to-color graphics. It features consistent density, is available in multiple sizes and thicknesses and incorporates up to 30% recycled content from post-industrial and post-consumer sources.

Recommended applications include signage, point-of-purchase displays, dimensional letters, store fixtures, exhibits, kiosks, wayfinding and monument signs. The sheet is designed for ease of fabrication, painting and laminating. www.plaskolite.com.

n the world of rapidly changing regulations, who can I trust to keep me up-to-date? The IAPD Environmental Committee has come together to share with you their favorite trustworthy resources. The sites and sources discussed below are not an exhaustive list by any means, but certainly a great place to start.

• Transparency of data sources and methodology
• Regularly updated information
• Independence and lack of bias
• Alignment with recognized standards (e.g., GRI, SASB, TCFD)

e’ve all been there — sitting in a meeting that easily could’ve been handled over email. Time is one of the most valuable resources we have, especially in the fast-paced world of plastics sales. For manufacturers, distributors and reps alike, every meeting should be intentional, productive and rooted in strategy.

he talent landscape in the plastics distribution and manufacturing industry is changing rapidly. As seasoned professionals retire and the competition for skilled individuals from other industries intensifies, it is more important than ever for organizations to implement a proactive talent management strategy. Companies need a realistic and scalable method to assess their talent and prepare future leaders. The 9-box grid is a simple and effective solution.

achine shops will often ask distributors to provide pricing on plastic stock shapes that meet various external specifications. Examples include ASTM, ISO, MIL and SAE AMS specs. Responding to these inquiries with detailed and accurate quotations is a great way to build credibility with customers and grow sales. Additionally, supplying plastics that conform to the required specifications ensures that the correct materials will be put into service, reducing the chance of costly part failures.

Some documents such as MIL specs are available online at no charge. Others such as ASTM and SAE AMS specifications can be obtained from the publishing agency for a nominal fee. Material specifications are lengthy by design since they include granular detail about the properties and composition of the plastic. That being said, spending 20 minutes reviewing a spec is time well invested prior to sending a quotation to a customer.

lastic coatings — They’re not the most titillating subject at first glance. Coatings are not a commodity like acrylic, polycarbonate, nylon, Delrin or UHMW, so they’re not as easy to sell as common plastics. As a distributor you might be asking yourself, “So why would I bother learning about plastic coatings?” This article will open your eyes to the major categories of coatings, how easy they are to sell and the money to be made.

First and foremost, what do coatings do? Simply put, they change the surface of the substrate. A coated surface is more durable and longer lasting compared to an uncoated surface. Additionally, coated products are easy to clean with a variety of common cleaners. Coating a sheet of plastic transforms it from a commodity with a low gross profit to a niche item with a higher GP.

Vortex Tool Company, Inc. designs and manufactures a wide variety of standard and custom high-performance router and insert cutting tools for the woodworking and plastics industries, and provides retipping and sharpening services for all makes and models. www.vortextool.com, phone (800) 355-7708.