Two plastic industry veterans, Ralph Vasami and Allen Weidman, will be part of a new plastics industry division formed by industrial association management firm Kellen Co.
The division will coordinate technical, regulatory, public affairs and crisis communications for companies and associations in the worldwide plastics industry.
Vasami, a vice president at Kellen, will head the new unit. He is a former president of Fiberlux Inc., a vinyl window and door component extruder in Holmes, N.Y.
Weidman left the Washington-based Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. in October 2007 and joined Kellen in April. He had been executive director of SPI's fluoropolymers division for nearly 17 years and also headed SPI's Alliance of Plastics Processors for six years before joining Kellen.
New York-based Kellen currently manages a variety of plastics groups including the PET Resin Association, Composite Lumber Manufacturers Association, Global Acetate Manufacturers Association and the European Manufacturers of Expanded Polystyrene.
Kellen's new division will provide resources for companies to deal with issues. Kellen has offices in Europe, North America and Asia. The firm also has experience dealing with the European Union's emerging REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) regulations and international trade issues.