People, Places & Things

Plastifab Industries announced Angelo Cianci has been promoted to head Technical Development along with Research and Development of Processing. Marcel Chery has been promoted to Production Manager, Michael Pistilli has been hired to develop sales and market opportunities for the Quebec Province. Plastifab also announced it has received ISO 9000 approval effective October 2008.

Lehigh Valley Plastics, Inc. announced the promotion of Curt Hill to the position of National Sales Manager.

W. W. Grainger, Inc. announced Michael A. Pulick, Senior Vice President for Customer Service, was promoted to Senior Vice President and President, Grainger Industrial Supply. Pulick, is replacing Y. C. Chen, who will stay on in a special advisory role with the company. At the same time, D.G. Macpherson will be taking on additional responsibility as the head of a new function. Grainger will also establish a global supply chain function under Macpherson. This new function will provide global planning, coordination and specialized expertise to the supply chain organizations in all of Grainger’s business units. The initial focus will be on global supply chain architecture, procurement and supply chain talent management. Reporting to Macpherson in his new role will be Joseph J. Stachowicz, President, Grainger Global Sourcing.

Plastomer Technologies announced the selection of Rich Witmer as Director of Sales and Marketing. In addition, Brian Burns has been promoted to Operations Manager. Burns will be responsible for the company’s tapes, fibers and machining product lines sold under the Plastolon® and Amicon® brand names. And Brent Millard was promoted to a new position, Total Customer Value Manager. Millard will ensure the implementation of lean manufacturing principles and techniques throughout the Plastomer Technologies product lines.

Manfacturer’s Rep News

C.J Garvey and Associates will represent Plastifab Industries in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Colorado beginning January 2009.

ZL engineering plastics, inc. announced it has hired ThreeFour Solutions as Manufacturer’s Representatives. The group will supplement efforts to sell ZL’s stock shapes to plastic distributors in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona.

MMG is pleased to announced the addition of Optiglass PC to their Principal offering. Optiglass PC LLC is a Polycarbonate Sheet and Film supplier bringing a wide variety of products including high optic uncoated sheet, Mar-resistant sheet and UV-resistant clear sheet. All PC90 sheets are extruded and manufactured proudly in the United States.

Obituary

James E. Forrest Sr., a well-known and respected saw blade designer and owner of Forrest Manufacturing Inc., died November 5, 2008, in Pompton Plains, N.J. He was 80 years old.

For over 40 years, Forrest ran Forrest Manufacturing Inc., a New Jersey-based manufacturer of high quality saw blades founded in 1946 by his father, Albert Walter Forrest. He initially supervised the sharpening operation before assuming management of the entire company.

In the mid 1970s, Forrest introduced standardized large-run saw blade manufacturing and also designed some of the company’s most successful and popular saw blades. Among them are No-Melt blade, designed for cool, melt-free cuts on plastic sheets and extrusions.