Contact: Paula Weis
(202) 974-5282

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPI STRUCTURAL PLASTICS DIVISION HONORS INDUSTRY PIONEERS

WASHINGTON, DC (March 30, 2004) - The Structural Plastics Division of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) inducted three outstanding members of the structural polymer industry into its Pioneers Club during the Division's annual conference in Charlotte, NC, earlier this month. Now in its third year, the Pioneers Club was established to honor those persons whose knowledge and commitment has had a lasting impact on the structural polymers industry. The 2004 inductees were:

• Larrie Currie, who began his career as a precision machinist after serving three years in the U.S. Army. For 11 years, Mr. Currie worked in tooling and design for Projection Products of Newton, NC. Along with three partners, he co-founded FAME Plastics in Statesville, NC, in 1980. In his role as Vice President of Tooling, Mr. Currie was instrumental in growing the company to one of the largest custom injection molding businesses in the nation. During his tenure with FAME, the company established a reputation throughout the industry for their structural foam processing knowledge and technology. Mack Molding Co. purchased FAME Plastics in 1990, and Mr. Currie stayed onboard for 13 years as Tooling Manager. Throughout his career, he built countless molds for a long list of OEM's and became renowned for his persistence in solving molding problems and increasing efficiencies of mold operation. There are few - if any - injection rocesses or mold designs that Mr. Currie hasn't worked with.



• John Heasman started in plastics 44 years ago as a sandwich molder at Rolinex, a custom molding company. He later moved to the Guinness Group before joining Peerless Molding in 1982 as Sales Director. It was with Peerless that Mr. Heasman began to work in the field of gas injection. In 1984, Peerless created its Cinpres division, specializing in the gas injection process. Mr. Heasman was part of the initial team that spent the next ten years defining and refining gas injection technology and building a worldwide market for the process. In 1992, he founded the North American division of Cinpres, running the branch until his retirement in 2000. Mr. Heasman returned to take on management of the North American operation in 2003, and announced that he will be re-retiring shortly after the 2004 Structural Plastics Conference in Charlotte.



• Ciro Petrucelli began his career with Springfield Mold Works in 1966, and in 1972, attended the very first Structural Foam Conference presented by the Urethane Division of SPI. During his career, Mr. Petrucelli was an active leader in SPI's Structural Foam Group, serving as chairman of the Assistant Parts Competition and as Director-at-Large on the group's Executive Board. In 1977, he was elected Vice Chairman of the newly formed Structural Foam Division of SPI and had several leadership roles with the group over the years. Mr. Petrucelli was the recipient of the 1983 Annual Industry Recognition Award and, in 1987, became President and owner of Springfield Mold Works Inc., Westfield, MA. He has attended 30 of 31 Structural Plastics Division Annual Conferences. In 1990, his company received the Fabulous Fifty Recognition Award from the Greater Springfield, MA, Chamber of Commerce, for its contributions to economic growth in the Greater Springfield area.

Criteria for induction included participation in the industry for approximately 50 years, a contribution to the structural polymer industry, nomination by a Structural Plastics Division member company and past participation in Division conferences. The Division plans to induct at least three new members annually into the Pioneers Club.

Members of the SPI Structural Plastics Division represent a cross-section of the U.S. plastics industry. Their principal products are in applications that enclose, support, or bear a load, such as housings for computer equipment, automotive components, recreational products, materials transport, consumer electronics, construction, telecommunications and medical equipment. For more information, visit the Web at www.plasticparts.org.

Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., is the trade association representing one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States. SPI's members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw materials suppliers. The U.S. plastics industry employs 1.4 million workers and provides nearly $310 billion in annual shipments. For more information, visit SPI on the Web at www.plasticsindustry.org.

Back to Top

More About SPI:   Vision and Mission . Membership . Business Units . Regional Offices . News and Publications . Calendar of Events . Terms and Conditions of Use