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IAPD Source Guide 2021-2022
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021
THE 2021-2022 IAPD SOURCE GUIDE
Table
of
Contents
DEPARTMENTS

COVID, Crises and Creativity: Coping and Thriving Together

Strong Relationships Will Get Us Through the Tough Times

New Products on the Market

Performance Plastics in Action

Acrylic Donation from Curbell Plastics Helps Eagle Scout

Congratulations 2021 IAPD Environmental Excellence Award Recipients

Recent IAPD University Graduates

Industry Movers and Shakers

Industry Trends and Forecast

IAPD Manufacturers’ Rep Cards

Services and Equipment

Performance Plastics October/November 2021 cover
Cover art by Mackenzie Diekmann, IAPD Design and Multimedia Manager

Performance Plastics: A Publication of The International Association of Plastics Distribution is published bimonthly by the International Association of Plastics Distribution® (IAPD), 6734 W. 121st Street, Overland Park, KS 66209 USA. IAPD members receive this bimonthly magazine as part of their membership dues. Subscription for non-members is $90. Third class postage paid at Shawnee Mission, Kansas, additional mailing offices and foreign mailing in accordance with Publications Agreement No. 40683057. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to IAPD, 6734 W. 121st Street, Overland Park, KS 66209 USA.

This is the official publication of the International Association of Plastics Distribution and carries news and announcements concerning the IAPD. The association and Performance Plastics: A Publication of The International Association of Plastics Distribution are not responsible for content or opinions other than those relating to association activities.

® Registered, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by the International Association of Plastics Distribution. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in any form whatsoever is forbidden without express permission of registered trademark owner.

Performance Plastics: A Publication of The International Association of Plastics Distribution is printed on paper with 10 percent post-consumer recycled content.

IAPD • phone (913) 345-1005 • fax (913) 345-1006 • www.iapd.org

President’sMessage
covid, crises and creativity: coping and thriving together
This article is excerpted from Craig Saunder’s outgoing president’s speech, delivered at the 65th Annual IAPD Convention in Louisville, KY, USA on August 18, 2021.

by Craig Saunders
Outgoing IAPD President

W

hat a couple of years it’s been. And I thought last year was challenging.

Even though it sounds like an exaggeration, the world has truly changed since the last time I addressed you from this stage. The last two years have been disruptive in ways we would have never expected before the pandemic.

As I think about the performance plastics industry and what we have all been through, I’ve recognized some “universal truths” that apply to the industry as well as, perhaps, most of us.

President’sMessage
Strong relationships will get us through the tough times

This article is excerpted from Deborah Ragsdale’s incoming president’s speech, delivered at the 65th Annual IAPD Convention in Louisville, KY, USA on August 18, 2021.

by Deborah Ragsdale
Incoming IAPD President
I

am thrilled to be here with you today. Becoming the president of IAPD is one of the greatest honors.

I would love to tell you little bit about myself and how my relationships have made me who I am today. I want to tell you all about what makes me, me, about my foundation, my lifelines and my outcomes.

I married the best man I ever met. His name was Lowell Wright. He was my best friend, my helpmate, the father to my children. Lowell had two beautiful children that I helped raise, Christy and Adam, and we had one child together, Kevin. We were self-employed in the restaurant business. After about 10 years of marriage, we met two little girls at church who were foster children. They had two sisters in another foster home and soon we became a weekend visiting resource so they could spend time together. During this time a relationship was born, one of love and caring, one that led to the adoption of all four children, and led to a forever home for all of us.

Product
News
Articles reporting on plastic products are prepared from information furnished by members of the IAPD and non-member magazine advertisers. The information provided is deemed reliable but is not verified. It should not be assumed that the publisher has reviewed or tested any of the products. For more information, contact companies by visiting their websites.
Series 19 Family
New electric actuator from Asahi/America, Inc.
Asahi/America, Inc. introduced the Series 19 electric actuator in smart and basic options. Compact and lightweight, the Series 19 is available in four operating configurations: on/off, modulating, failsafe and modulating failsafe and three sizes to meet valve torque requirements. The multi-voltage general purpose unit operates at a 75 percent duty cycle for more frequent cycling of the valve. Compatible with most PLCs, the Series 19 is suitable for OEMs and skid manufacturers where space is at a premium, but power cannot be sacrificed.
Application
Showcase
Regent Lighting
© Regent Lighting
Perfect workplace lighting thanks to ACRYLITE®
Office work is very tiring under unfavorable lighting conditions, as anybody who has worked from home without ergonomic office equipment can attest to. It is almost impossible to concentrate if a table lamp causes glare, only illuminates half the desk, is in the way or blocks your view of a monitor.

Swiss lighting manufacturer Regent Lighting developed the JOKER table luminaire with the goal of bringing a professional luminaire to market that provides pleasant lighting for those working from home — in close collaboration with Jungbecker, a company from Olpe, Germany, that specializes in plastic optics. Their material of choice for the optics is ACRYLITE®, the brand polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) from Röhm in the Americas.

© Regent Lighting
King Hy-Pact®
The Super Tough
Industrial Polymer Sheet
King Hy-Pact Pork Processing
King Hy-Pact Steak processing
King Hy-Pact logo
Our Innovation. Your Imagination.® | www.kingplastic.com | Made in U.S.A. American Flag illustration
King Hy-Pact® is the smart choice for many high abuse applications.
Gears, machine parts, sprockets, star wheels, wear strips and more.
King Hy-Pact Steak processing
King Hy-Pact®
The Super Tough
Industrial Polymer Sheet
King Hy-Pact logo
King Hy-Pact Pork Processing
Our Innovation. Your Imagination.® | www.kingplastic.com | Made in U.S.A. American Flag illustration
King Hy-Pact® is the smart choice for many high abuse applications.
Gears, machine parts, sprockets, star wheels, wear strips and more.
PlasticsInTheCommunity
Acrylic Donation from Curbell Plastics Helps Eagle Scout
C

urbell Plastics, Inc. made a small but important donation to a big project. There was just one challenge: the donation was for clear acrylic sheet during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Deitchman, then a Life Scout, needed to fulfill the Eagle Scout Service Project requirement to apply for Eagle Rank, the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). “This project signified that I learned to be a leader and worked well with other people, while also doing something to help the community in a fun and interesting way,” Deitchman explained. Interested in STEM, he approached the director of the A.J. Read Science Discovery Center at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta to ask if his Eagle Scout Project could serve the center in some capacity, to which the answer was yes.

EnvironmentalCorner
Congratulations 2021 IAPD Environmental Excellence Award Recipients
T

he International Association of Plastics Distribution (IAPD) was pleased to award the following companies of the annual Environmental Excellence Award during the 65th Annual IAPD Convention in Louisville, KY, USA in August: Curbell Plastics, Inc. received the gold award, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials received the silver award and Piedmont Plastics and Cope Plastics, Inc. tied for the bronze award. New this year is the Impact Award, which goes to a company or branch location that implemented a change that made a positive environmental impact. The first Impact Award went to Vycom for their TakeBack recycling program. The following companies were awarded honorable mentions: Cast Nylons Ltd, Polymer Industries, Polymershapes and Primex Plastics Corporation.

The awards celebrate the environmentally responsible practices of IAPD member companies, including recycling, conservation, community outreach, employee engagement and more. The award application assigns a point value to sustainability practices in each of these categories. Applicants also had the option to submit a short video showing their environmental initiatives to accrue additional points. Awards are determined based on a point system.

Any IAPD member company is eligible to apply for the IAPD Annual Environmental Excellence Awards. Applications are collected in the months prior to the convention.

In addition to the awards program, the IAPD GreenScene™ program honors all member companies that are engaging in environmentally friendly practices. IAPD GreenScene members are determined based on receiving at least 100 points on the GreenScene application.

Thermwood Model 90 Heavy Duty 5 Axis CNC for Three-Dimensional Applications
Three quarter view of Thermwood Model 90
Three-quarter view of Thermwood Model 90T
Scan QR Code to learn more about the Model 90
QR code
The Model 90 comes with either single (5’ x 5’, 5’ x 10‘, 10’ x 5’) or dual moving aluminum tables (5’ x 5‘, 5’ x 10’ and 5’ x 12’) as well as a 12 HP router and a 4-position automatic tool changing system as standard. Larger routers and additional automatic tool changers are available.
Used For:

  • Plastic Trimming
  • Molds
  • Patterns
  • Non-Ferrous Metal
The Thermwood 5 Axis Model 90 is a heavy duty, high-speed five axis CNC router specifically developed for three dimensional applications.

It is used for production trimming of thermoformed, composite and fiberglass parts as well as being utilized for machine patterns and molds directly from CAD data. This robust system offers a variety of options and features to tackle a multitude of different applications.

Thermwood logo
www.thermwood.com
800-533-6901
Made in USA American flag
IAPD Certificate
Programs
IAPD University logo
The Plastics Levels I and II, Excellence in Sales, Sustainability and Pipe, Valves and Fittings (PVF) Certificate Programs give your employees the necessary tools to succeed in plastics distribution. The Plastics Certificate Programs provide a foundation of knowledge about how plastics are made, the Excellence in Sales Certificate Level I Program for inside and outside sales teaches sales forces how to find and keep the RIGHT customers and the Excellence in Sales Level II intermediate program concentrates on correctly defining real-world problems and devising effective solutions for them. The Sustainability certificate course introduces your employees to the sustainability benefits of performance plastics as well as the sustainability resources from IAPD. IAPD is pleased to announce the latest graduates of these programs:
People &
Places
Deborah Ragsdale
Stephen Frantz
Bryan Olin
Polymer Industries announced three recent promotions.
Deborah Ragsdale headshot
Deborah Ragsdale has been promoted to director of relations. She is well known throughout the performance plastics industry and is currently serving as president of the International Association of Plastics Distribution for the 2021-22 year. “Deborah has been with Polymer Industries for 32 years and has held many positions within our company. This latest position will give her an opportunity to do what she does best — build relationships. She will maintain communications with our employees, vendors and customers to further strengthen our position in the industry,” said Polymer Industries Vice President of Sales and Marketing Rohit Saigal.
Stephen Frantz headshot
Stephen Frantz has been promoted to national sales manager. He will continue to cover the Southern and Eastern territories, including eastern Canada, as he has for the past nine years. A successor for the Southern region will be named soon. Frantz has extensive knowledge of the performance plastics industry and one of his primary goals will be providing support and enhancing relationships with the company’s current distributor network. “We are confident that Stephen will continue to make significant contributions to the success of our company. He has natural leadership qualities and is known for possessing an incredible sense of humor. He has a tremendous amount of insight and extreme support from his team,” Saigal said.
Bryan Olin headshot
Bryan Olin has been named technical sales specialist. He previously headed business development and has 33 years of experience in the industry. He is involved in performance plastics projects with municipalities and special projects for Polymer Industries worldwide. He will focus on technical project development and management of these projects. Olin also serves on the IAPD Editorial Committee. Saigal said, “Bryan’s new role will allow him to provide technical expertise to organizations to better understand customer and application requirements and develop appropriate solutions.”
John D’Arcy headshot
John
D’Arcy
A&C Plastics, Inc. celebrated the 15th anniversary of their vice president of inside sales John D’Arcy. Since starting in sales in 2006, D’Arcy has climbed the ranks within the company. He is an invaluable member of the A&C family, bringing his positive attitude to work all day, every day. In addition, he was instrumental in helping the development and maintenance of A&C’s new building. D’Arcy is a great mentor to his team and coworkers. A&C Plastics greatly appreciates D’Arcy and his dedication to the company and looks forward to many more years with him.
PlasticsWatch
1
United States predicted to dominate performance plastics

The market for North America engineering plastics is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 4 percent over the next five years, according to North America Engineering Plastics Market — Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact and Forecasts (2021-2026), a report by Research and Markets. The report indicates that the use of engineering plastics instead of traditional materials will be a major factor driving market growth, as will the use of plastics in green vehicles.

According to the report, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most used of the engineering plastics. Due to its broad mechanical and electrical properties, PET is often used to replace metals in motor housings, switches, sensors and other electrical applications. PET and polyolefins are the most widely used materials in the plastic packaging industry. Some of the major properties of PET as a packaging material are recyclability, strength and versatility, which drive the demand for these products.

REP BUSINESS
Exchange
Cartier Wilson Business Card
Martino Marketing Group Business Card
The Tandem Group Business Card
KBA Inc Business Card
Alexander Industrial Sales, Inc. Business Card
Harker & Associates Business Card
Grupo Espinosa Business Card
Plastic Solutions Inc. Business Card
Cartier Wilson Business Card
Martino Marketing Group Business Card
The Tandem Group Business Card
KBA Inc Business Card
Alexander Industrial Sales, Inc. Business Card
Harker & Associates Business Card
Grupo Espinosa Business Card
Plastic Solutions Inc. Business Card
Fabrication
SERVICES SHOWCASE
Fabrication Services Showcase con­tains paid listings of companies with fabrication services, products and machinery that cater to the plastics distribution industry. IAPD does not endorse or make recommendations in regard to the companies supplying their services. For details and pricing information to include your company in this Fabrication Ser­v­ices Show­case, contact Dave Blackhurst, IAPD’s director of membership and sales, at (913) 345-1008 or email dblackhurst@iapd.org.
CNC Equipment
Stiles Machinery logo
Sawing, trimming, drilling, polishing, measuring or 3D processing — no matter what techniques are involved, Stiles has the CNC technology to get it done. Their machining solutions can be custom-configured to your specific needs. From productivity and high precision, to energy and material savings, Stiles provides proven CNC options for plastics processing. For more information, contact info@stilesmachinery.com or visit www.stilesmachinery.com.
Picture of Logo
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.
Fabrication
SERVICES SHOWCASE
Fabrication Services Showcase con­tains paid listings of companies with fabrication services, products and machinery that cater to the plastics distribution industry. IAPD does not endorse or make recommendations in regard to the companies supplying their services. For details and pricing information to include your company in this Fabrication Ser­v­ices Show­case, contact Dave Blackhurst, IAPD’s director of membership and sales, at (913) 345-1008 or email dblackhurst@iapd.org.
CNC Equipment
Stiles Machinery logo
Sawing, trimming, drilling, polishing, measuring or 3D processing — no matter what techniques are involved, Stiles has the CNC technology to get it done. Their machining solutions can be custom-configured to your specific needs. From productivity and high precision, to energy and material savings, Stiles provides proven CNC options for plastics processing. For more information, contact info@stilesmachinery.com or visit www.stilesmachinery.com.
Picture of Logo
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.
Performance Plastics logo
Thanks for reading our October/November 2021 issue!