FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Barry Eisenberg
(202) 974-5210
Email: beisenbe@socplas.org

SPI’S ALLIANCE OF PLASTICS PROCESSORS HONORS INDUSTRY PIONEERS

Waanders, Hunerberg Recognized as 2006 Inductees

WASHINGTON (April 24, 2006) – The Alliance of Plastics Processors (APP) of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) inducted two outstanding members of the structural polymer industry into its Pioneers Club during APP’s annual conference held in Columbus, OH earlier this month. Now in its fifth 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 2006 inductees are:

• John Waanders, the founding president of DeKalb Molded Plastics, retired in 1989. Mr. Waanders, a graduate of the University of Michigan, began his career as assistant chief engineer with Michigan Plastic Products, a JSJ Company. After leaving the Michigan Plastic Products for a short time, he was requested back as chief engineer and was responsible for introducing structural foam to the company. In 1973, John became the founding president of Dekalb, purchased the company’s first four machines and transferred two molding machines. He relocated Dekalb to Butler, Indiana in 1978 and the company was involved mainly in the pool panel business with Fort Wayne Pools. However, Mr. Waanders, a pioneer in structural foam, was responsible for DeKalb’s eventual involvement with IBM. He was awarded the SPI Structural Plastics Division’s Industry Recognition Award in 1996, which is presented annually in recognition of significant contributions to the development and growth of the industry.


• Ed Hunerberg has been active in the structural foam business for more than two decades, initially with Springfield Cast Products where he was involved with structural molding. When Springfield was purchased by Uniloy, Mr. Hunerberg was promoted to structural foam business manager. As manager of the structural foam division of the company (now Uniloy-Milacron), he has continued to make significant contributions to the industry. Mr. Hunerberg has been involved in SPI’s Structural Foam Conference for over 20 years, serving as a member of the executive committee and the conference committee, as well as being a competition judge, making paper presentations and encouraging others to do the same. A true champion of the industry, he is also active in conference activities by soliciting parts, hosting an annual hospitality dinner, financially sponsoring conference activities, and exhibiting year after year.

Criteria for induction in the Pioneers Club includes participation in the industry for approximately 50 years, a contribution to the structural polymer industry, nomination by an APP member company and past participation in APP conferences.

Members of the SPI Alliance of Plastic Processors, formerly the 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.

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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 1.3 million workers and provides nearly $345 billion in annual shipments.

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