For someone who just won a lifetime achievement award, PVC industry veteran Dick Mason is going to be busy in 2022.
Mason, adviser to the president of Houston-based PVC maker Shintech Inc., was given the Vinyl Institute Lifetime Achievement Award at the group's 2021 annual conference, Vinyl360. He was named 2022 VI chairman at the same event.
"[Mason] is a cornerstone of the PVC industry and has demonstrated a lifetime of doing what is right for the industry," Ned Monroe, VI president and CEO, said in a news release. "The global PVC industry is indebted to his leadership on critical industry issues."
Monroe added that Mason "continues to make it a priority to get to know and actively engage with employees and with the communities where Shintech operates."
Mason and his wife, Susan, "are on a first-name basis with many of the local residents" and Mason "continues to set the gold standard when it comes to community relations." The award was established to recognize outstanding service to the vinyl industry over a person's career.
Mason is involved in community advisory panels (CAPs) in Texas and Louisiana. VI officials said that Mason "has seen firsthand how the Louisiana CAP has evolved over the last two decades into a meaningful partner in community development and local hiring."
Mason has been with Shintech since 1987. The firm, a unit of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. of Japan, has manufacturing facilities in Freeport, Texas, and Addis and Plaquemine, La. In addition to serving as principal financial officer, Mason has been involved in Shintech's relations with federal, state and local governments.
From 1965-68, Mason served in the U.S. Army, including two years with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam. From 1969-96, he served in the Army Reserve. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Silver Star, the Air Medal and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.
True to his active nature, Mason also was elected 2022 VI chairman at the annual meeting. In this role, he'll lead the VI's executive committee.
"Our membership recognizes the critical role that Dick will have in leading and advancing the vinyl industry," Monroe said. "He will assist in legislative and regulatory policy positions that will not only grow the PVC industry but also protect our product reputation and ensure the continued implementation of our strategic priorities."