The Plastics Pioneers Association Inc. inducted seven industry veterans as new members during the group's spring meeting April 28 to May 1 in San Diego.
They include:
Barbara Jo Arnold-Feret, key account director at Essentium Inc. in Pflugerville, Texas, is known for her expertise in 3-D printing. She belongs to many industry organizations, has published more than 40 papers and articles and has received a number of awards. She was featured in Plastics News' Women in Plastics special report in 2015. The Society of Plastics Engineers' Mold Making and Mold Design division named her Mold Designer of the Year in 2012.
Jill Brandts retired in March after more than 20 years with the Washington-based Plastics Industry Association, formerly the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. (SPI). During her time there she served in numerous positions, including director of member relations and grassroots advocacy, and executive director of both the Thermoforming Institute and the sheet producers division. She also was involved with the SPI Western Moldmakers division.
Troy Eubank, president of Western Plastics Pioneers, entered the plastics industry in 1975, working for his family's business, Modified Plastics Inc. of Santa Ana, Calif. Eubank helped launch two MPI units: Color Science Inc. and Plastics Analytical Laboratory, both also in Santa Ana.
Annette Lund retired in 2020 from Diversified Plastics Inc., where she gained a spectrum of experience during her more than 40-year tenure. She started in 1981 as a part-time receptionist for the Brooklyn Park, Minn., custom injection molder. Her responsibilities grew with the company as she progressed through a range of positions, from office manager to purchasing manager, then on to customer service, sales and marketing — until she was promoted to vice president some 20 years later. Lund also is an SPE member.
Garrett MacKenzie, the owner and editor of plastic411.com and Plastic411 Services Inc., has worked in injection molding since 1989. The former business provides consulting and training and the latter offers maintenance services and process training. He has written more than 50 pieces for various plastics industry publications and this year started a free training program at Hastings High School in Hastings, Mich., in which participants can receive college credits from Ferris State University.
Clyde Scherer has put to good use his doctorate in engineering technology-plastics from Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Ala. He has long worked in plastics manufacturing and education, having held in senior positions at Neward Enterprises Inc., Invetal Enterprises LLC., Miramar Consulting LLC and Third Millennium Metals LLC. He taught courses at California State Polytechnic University and launched the plastics program at Ohio's Edison State Community College. Scherer also began the baccalaureate plastics program at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio.
Tom Zimmerman is president of compounder Marval Industries Inc. of Mamaroneck, N.Y., and has been a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers since 1989. Despite his family's long history in plastics, he started his own agriculture business in high school. He studied agricultural engineering and horticulture at Cornell University and received a master's degree from North Carolina State University. By 1977, however, he began working at Marval, which had been co-founded by his father, Alan Zimmerman, in 1956. Alan Zimmerman died in 2017 at age 92, and was a member of the PPA. Tom's grandfather, Alexander Zimmerman, founded Karolith Corp. was inducted posthumously into the Plastics Hall of Fame in 2002.
PPA membership candidates must have at least 20 years in the plastics industry before they are inducted. The nonprofit group, based in McHenry, Ill., aims to preserve the industry's history and provide scholarships to support future leaders.