PPA names five new members

McHenry, Ill. — The Plastics Pioneers Association named five new members: Jo Nell Kelly, Rick Nice, Greg Osterholt, Gary Reed and Jay Smith.

PPA members have at least 20 years of experience in the plastics industry. The group's objective is to ensure the preservation of the industry's history and support its future through industrywide educational programs.

The new members were elected at PPA's spring meeting at Safety Harbor, Fla., April 18-22.

Kelly studied economics and political science at the University of Texas at Richardson. In the late 1970s, she began her career as a credit analyst with Cosden Oil & Chemical Co., now Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA Inc. In her 40-year career, she has held positions in credit, logistics, pipeline, exploration and production, customer service and international shipping.

She found her niche in distribution sales, and developing sales networks. In July, she will mark 41 years with Total Petrochemicals.

Kelly is involved in mentoring programs with Total's Twice (Total Women's Initiative for Communication & Exchange) and the Texas Executive Women's Association.

Nice earned a bachelors degree in English from DePauw University in 1964. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves from 1964 to 1970.

During his career,he has worked at a range of companies including s Union Carbide Corp., Reed Plastics, General Polymers Thermoplastic Materials, Performance Polymers Inc., Diamond Polymers and A. Schulman Inc.

Nice is currently semi-retired and works as an independent consultant. He was active in the Society of Plastics Engineers as a member from 1969-2014, and president of the Chicago section from 1989-1990.

Osterholt has a 25-plus year plastics career. Currently he is the director of sales and marketing for polypropylene for Phillips 66 Co. He graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration and started his career in 1980 in Ashland Chemical Co.'s solvents division.

In 1992, Osterholt joined Huntsman Corp., where he served in a range of positions, including central regional sales manager for PP, injection molding market manager, business director for PP, sales director for PP and business director for polyethylene.

Reed has been in the plastics industry for more than 40 years. He worked for Fina Oil and Chemical Co. for 26 years in several positions, including plant manager at facilities in New Jersey and California; western regional sales manager for polypropylene and polystyrene, product manager of polystyrene and business unit manager for styrenics He also served as general manager of Fina's U.S. styrenics business unit.

Reed left Fina in 1999 and went to work in Pittsburgh for Aristech Chemical Corp. as senior vice president of polypropylene.

In his career, Reed has served on various boards and committees for several firms and trade associations, including the Plastics Industry Association, the National Polystyrene Recycling Co. and the American Plastics Council

Smith graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1963, then joined Fordem Co. rising to the position of president in just four years. In 1982, he helped negotiate the sale and merger of Fordem to create DRG Medical Packaging, where he was named president in 1989.

In 1993, DRG was sold to Bowater plc and Smith retired to form JLS Investment Group Inc.

In 1999, Smith and his children bought custom extruder Teel Plastics Inc. in Baraboo, Wis., where he is currently chairman. Teel has won many honors, including Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year.