WOOSTER, OHIO-Milan Krajcik, an expert in injection molding who helped Rubbermaid Inc. make the transition from rubber to plastics, died Sept. 21 at his home in Wooster. He was 79. A native of Canton, Ohio, Krajcik began working at Rubbermaid after World War II. He was an authority on technical matters who played a key role in buying injection molding machines and sourcing plastic resins. Rubbermaid molded its first plastic product, a dishpan, in the mid-1950s.
For much of his career, Krajcik worked at Rubbermaid's Wooster headquarters. He also helped start the Rubbermaid Party Plan molding factory in Chillicothe, Ohio, an attempt to compete against Tupperware in the home products market. He worked at a LaGrange, Ga., plant that made automotive aftermarket products. Both the Chillicothe and LaGrange plants later were closed by Rubbermaid. He retired in the late 1970s.
Krajcik won the Purple Heart during World War II as a member of the U.S. Army.
He was a Mason for more than 40 years.
