Andy Routsis, the founder of Routsis Training Inc., died unexpectedly on Nov. 4. He was 63.
"Andy was a leader in the industry for over 40 years, providing training and guidance to companies of all sizes around the world through Routsis Training," Andy's brother David said in a Nov. 8 statement sent by the company. "He enjoyed working, helping and forging great relationships with all and working with his team to provide our industry leading training and information products."
Steve Murphy will step in to lead Routsis Training, according to the company. He had been a regional manager for the Dracut, Mass.-based company.
"Steve has over 40 years of experience in the industry and has worked with Andy and the team at Routsis Training for many years. The company will continue Andy's legacy of providing great training and information to the plastics industry. Andy will be greatly missed," David Routsis said in the statement.
Andy Routsis "passed peacefully but unexpectedly in his sleep," the statement said. He had been in Indianapolis for the annual MAPP Benchmarking Summit.
Andy Routsis has been in plastics since the late 1970s, and was a frequent speaker at industry events. In a 2018 Plastics News story, he talked about the history of Routsis Training:
"It began in 1982 as I was frustrated with the lack of knowledge that existed in our industry. Companies were throwing away thousands and wasting lots of time. I took many training seminars and looked at every commercial training option (such as videotapes). And I came to the conclusion that our industry needed better information and training materials that were practical and useful.
"Initially, I produced videotapes and then moved to the interactive CD-ROM platform. Now internet is the best way to deliver consistent training as it can be accessed from a computer, iPad or smartphone. Utilizing this technology and following up with practical hands-on exercises shortens the learning curve and allows a participant to get the most from their equipment," he said.
Routsis had a bachelor's degree in plastics engineering from UMass Lowell. He was an adjunct professor at the college from 1995-2015, according to his LinkedIn page.
Calling hours are scheduled for 10-11 a.m. on Nov. 17 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell, Mass, with funeral services starting at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Andrew's name to the Holy Trinity Church or to UMass Lowell by visiting www.uml.edu/givenow and indicating the gift is for the Andy Routsis Endowed Fund.