Hagan, Lattanner honored by SPE Thermoforming Division

Cleveland — Dennis Hagan and Eric Lattanner have been recognized for their efforts and impact by the Thermoforming Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers.

Both received their awards Oct. 25 at the SPE Thermoforming Conference in Cleveland.

Hagan was named the division's Thermoformer of the Year. He's been in the industry for 50 years, since his father opened Hagans Plastics in Grand Prairie, Texas, in 1973. In a news release, SPE officials said that Hagan "took on all tasks, and as his experience grew, so did his level of input into company decisions."

"When Hagans Plastics earned a contract to produce the interiors of the command-and-control aircraft, Dennis got his first shot at thermoforming aerospace parts. … This Cold War era point of entry would later become an integral part of his future."

Recognizing that CNC machines made more consistently cut parts, Hagan led Hagans Plastics' first CNC machine purchase in 1990. "Dennis took the initiative to learn what he needed to know, and off Hagans went," officials said.

Hagans Plastics continued to grow and Dennis became the firm's owner and president in 1996. His desire to operate the best equipment, technology and well-trained staff enabled the firm to make high-quality parts.

In the mid-1990s, Hagans Plastics expanded its plant to keep up with increased business volume. Additional thermoforming and CNC machines were purchased to meet increased demand for high-quality parts. As the business grew and evolved, the company added a state-of-the-art quality room and department.

Officials said that Hagan's "can-do attitude" is reflected in Hagans Plastics' vast customer base.

"Whether he is making parts that fly into space on the space shuttle or the costume head of Chuck E. Cheese, his expectations for quality have never wavered," they said.

Hagan is active in the local community and offers internships to area high school students. Hagans Plastics also donated a thermoforming machine and other equipment to the local high school training program. The firm has been a longtime supporter of SPE, and Dennis Hagan continues to support his staff's participation in division programs. In honor of its 50 years in business, the Mayor of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, recently presented Hagan with a proclamation recognizing Hagans Plastics.

Division chair Ed Probst said that Hagan's 50 years in thermoforming "is a truly remarkable accomplishment. He has worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of thermoformed parts and has proved that this technology continues to have tremendous capabilities."

Lattanner received the division's Lifetime Achievement Award. He's business development manager of Spartech LLC in Maryland Heights. Mo., and has been involved in thermoforming for more than 40 years.

Lattaner joined the Royalite Division of Uniroyal in Mishawaka, Ind., in 1978 as a customer service representative and has remained with the firm his entire career through multiple acquisitions and spin-offs, including Polycast, Spartech, PolyOne and several additional iterations of Spartech.

Division officials said that Lattanner "has consistently ensured that customers' requirements were met for existing products and customers' wishes for new products were reviewed and coordinated with stakeholders all along the supply chain."

They added that he "was pivotal in communicating and coordinating requirements with R&D, production planning and every facet of manufacturing. He also made sure that customers were able to properly use extruded sheet products and solve any forming problems that might occur."

Lattaner's efforts established decades-long relationships with many internationally known customers. These included seats for Bombardier light rail passenger cars, components for General Electric locomotives, overhead luggage compartments and wall and window panels for Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers and Royalex plastic sheet for every major canoe manufacturer, as well as for Walt Disney World to produce canoes for their water rides.

"We are fortunate and grateful to have people such as Eric who have helped to make thermoforming the vibrant industry that it is today," former division chair Steve Zamprelli said.