Get to Know the Refreshed Plastics Hall of Fame

Have you checked out the new Plastics Hall of Fame? Wait — before we go there— did you even know there was a Plastics Hall of Fame?

If not, the Plastics Hall of Fame was founded in 1972 by Sid Gross, then the editor-in-chief of Modern Plastics magazine, in conjunction with the Society of the Plastics Industry, now the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). Since then, separate ceremonies for living and posthumous inductees have been held every three years, coinciding with NPE. There are currently 216 inductees in the Plastics HoF, including 42 living. The Plastics HoF has always been virtual … don’t confuse it with museums such as the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

For years the Plastics Hall of Fame was managed by the Plastics Academy under the leadership of Jay Gardner — himself an inductee. Gardner, however, passed away last October, and some changes followed. The Hall is now managed by a board of directors headed by Dr. Maureen Steinwall, herself a Hall of Famer after a celebrated career as head of injection molder Steinwall Inc. of Minneapolis.

Dr. Steinwall has assembled a team of more than 20 volunteer who serve on one of three committees: Events, Communications, and Nominations. Committee and board members include a veritable Who’s Who of plastics, including Tim Womer, Gunther Hoyt, Ulrich Reifenhauser, Glenn Beall, Hideo Tanaka, Donna Davis, Bob Malloy, and Wylie Royce. I have the pleasure of serving as chairman of the Nominations Committee. Fellow plastics industry journalist Don Loepp, editor of Plastics News, is a member of the Communications Committee.

NPE2021 was canceled due to Covid-19, so the Plastics Hall of Fame held its induction ceremony this past May in Chicago. Among the inductees was Wylie H. Royce (center) of Royce Global, flanked by Dr. Maureen Steinwall (inducted in 2015) and Tim Womer (inducted in 2012). Dr. Steinwall and Womer are board members of the restructured Plastics Hall of Fame.

Photo: Plastics Hall of Fame

Moving forward, induction ceremonies will be held every 18 months, with the next ceremony to be held in Orlando, Fla., right before NPE2024. The board is also committed to making the Plastics HoF a more global entity.

Nominations for the Class of 2024 are being accepted now. On the Plastics HoF website (plasticshof.org), it says “The Plastics Hall of Fame ... is the ultimate recognition of a lifetime body of work of an individual whose dedication and exceptional achievements have contributed to the growth and prominence of the industry on a global scale.”

If you know someone who you believe qualifies, download the nomination form and start the process. You can submit it online as well.