CHICAGO (June 4, 5:15 p.m. EDT) — The Plastics Academy announced May 25 that Frank Popoff, Dow Chemical Co. chairman, will receive the Daniel W. Fox Lifetime Achievement Award at the Plastics Hall of Fame induction ceremony during NPE 2000.
John Kretzschmar, president of the academy, said the award, given every three years at NPE, is voted on by the academy's board of directors.
"Look at what Dow's done in the past years, especially as Popoff was chairman," Kretzschmar said. "It's an impressive record."
The award is considered the highest honor in the plastics industry, Kretzschmar said. It is named for Fox, who invented Lexan polycarbonate and other resins during his tenure at GE Plastics. Fox died in 1989.
Popoff joined Dow in 1959, at first on a technical service assignment, and later moving through positions in sales, marketing and business management.
He then served in Dow Europe from 1976-85 in several top positions, including president.
When he returned to Midland, Mich., Popoff was named president and chief executive officer and later chairman. In 1995 he relinquished the titles president and CEO to William Stavropoulos.
Popoff plans to retire in November, and Stavropoulos will become chairman.
"Lifetime achievement is impressive, and you don't give it away for what happened last year or this year," Kretzschmar said. "In his long career with Dow, he made some impressive contributions to the industry."
Past recipients of the award include Bill Joyce from Union Carbide Corp. and Glen Hiner from Owens Corning. The award will be presented June 22 at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
