Rodon Group's Irving Glickman, 100
HATFIELD, PA. — Irving Glickman, the founder of injection molder Rodon Group LLC, died Nov. 19 in Abington, Pa. He was 100.
Glickman earned a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in 1934. He majored in biology, planning to go on to medical or dental school. But to earn a living, he became a chemist at an uncle's rubber factory.
During World War II, he worked at Quaker Rubber, developing synthetic rubber for the war effort. Glickman and a partner, Leon Coltman, started Rodon in 1956, with four Stokes injection presses in his garage. In 1987, Rodon built the current factory in Hatfield, a suburb of Philadelphia. Today, it runs 106 presses.
In 1991, his son, Joel Glickman, invented K'Nex plastic construction toy. Rodon molds many K'Nex parts, and does custom molding. Together they employ 170.
JSW Plastics Machinery's Amaya, 47
CORONA, CALIF. — Takehiro Amaya, president of JSW Plastics Machinery Inc., died of a heart attack Nov. 17. He was 47.
Amaya became president of JSW in Corona, the U.S. headquarters of Tokyo-based Japan Steel Works Ltd., in 2010, succeeding longtime president Fumio Hirayama.
A JSW letter notified customers of Amaya's passing. The firm expects to name a new president within a few months.
Currently, Hirayama is acting president of the U.S. operation.
Amaya leaves a wife and a daughter.