Industry leaders named as the latest members of the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc.'s Structural Plastics Division Pioneers Club represent a cross-section of the business: molder, mold maker and machinery supplier.
The Pioneers Club, created in 2002, honors members who have made a significant contribution to the industry and SPD.
New members named during the division's March 20-23 conference in Lake Buena Vista are:
* Peter Bemis, executive vice president for Bemis Manufacturing Co. of Sheboygan Falls, Wis., which molds components using everything from coinjection to reaction injection molding.
* Russ LaBelle, president of Wilmington Machinery Co. of Wilmington N.C., a maker of industrial blow molding and injection molding machinery, with an emphasis on specialized equipment used in multimaterial processing, structural foam and gas-assisted molding.
* Jim and Karen Meinert, who currently operate consulting business Meinert Market Services LLC in Saukville, Wis. Jim Meinert is a former executive with Snider Mold Co. of Mequon, Wis.
The division also honored David Shallenberg, molding team leader for FM Corp. of Rogers, Ark., and current division chairman, with its Industry Recognition Award.