Paul Ferland, 89, a co-founder and former president of Marland Mold Inc. in Pittsfield, Mass., died May 2 in Tucson after a short illness.
Ferland and his brothers-in-law founded the mold-making company in a garage in 1946. The company often is credited with inventing air ejection and ``floating core'' construction in the late 1940s.
Marland was sold to New Jersey-based VCA Corp. in 1968, and Ferland remained as president until 1974. Marland was acquired by Ethyl Corp. of Richmond, Va., and later spun off as part of Tredegar Industries Inc.'s tooling group. In 1992, employees purchased the company and renamed it Marland Mold Inc.
In 1974, Ferland and his brother formed Ferland Mold Co. Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla., relocating it in 1977 to Kernersville, N.C.
He retired in 1989 and in 2000 moved to Tucson with his wife, Gemma, who survives him.