PPA Adds Five to 2018 Membership Roster in April

The Plastics Pioneers Association, McHenry, Ill.,  last month announced in April that five new members had been elected to join the organization. The new members, who were officially elected during the PPA’s spring meeting at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, Safety Harbor, Fla., are:

Jo Nell Kelly: A native Texan, Kelly went to the University of Texas in Richardson studying economics and political science, and in the late 1970s began her career with Cosden Oil & Chemical Co. (now Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA Inc.) as a credit analyst. In her career she has held positions in credit, logistics, pipeline, exploration and production, customer service and international shipping. In a span of 40 years with nine different companies—but without changing employers—she found her niche in distribution sales.

Given the task to develop distribution sales networks, Kelly attended a three-day AMA seminar on distribution and began building a network that continues to grow each year through new business development. In July, celebrated 41 years with Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc.

Kelly is involved in mentoring programs with Total, TWICE (Total Women’s Initiative for Communication & Exchange), and the Texas Executive Women’s Association.

Rick Nice: Nice was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and attended DePauw University, graduating with a BA in English in 1964. He served in the U. S. Air Force Reserves from 1964-1970.

Over his career he has worked at companies such as Union Carbide, Reed Plastics, General Polymers, Performance Polymers, Diamond Polymers, and A. Schulman. Rick is currently semi-retired and works as an independent consultant. Nice was also active in several plastics industry organizations. He was a member of SPE from 1969–2014 and served as president of the Chicago Section from 1989-1990.

Greg Osterholt: Osterholt’s career spans more than 25 years in plastics. Currently the Director of Sales & Marketing-Polypropylene for Phillips 66, he graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Business Administration and started his career in the Industrial Chemicals and Solvents Division for Ashland Chemical Company in 1980.

In 1992, Osterholt joined Huntsman Chemical, where he has served as the Central Regional Sales Manager for polypropylene based in Chicago; Injection Molding Market Manager in Woodbury, N.J.; Business Director for Polypropylene in Chesapeake, Va.; Sales Director for Polypropylene in both Chesapeake and Houston; and, Business Director for Polyethylene.

Gary Reed: Reed has been in the plastic industry for more than 40 years. He worked for Fina Oil and Chemical Company for 26 years in several capacities, including Plant Manager at facilities in New Jersey and California; Western Regional Sales Manager for Polypropylene and Polystyrene; Product Manager Polystyrene; and Business Unit Manager, Styrenics. He also served as General Manager of Fina’s U.S. Styrenics Business Unit, responsible for all manufacturing, sales, marketing, and profitability. and later added all shared services.

Reed left Fina in 1999 and went to work in Pittsburgh for Aristech Chemical as Senior Vice President of Polypropylene.

In his career Reed has served on various boards and committees for several firms and associations, including the Plastics Industry Association; the National Polystyrene Recycling Company (NPRC); and the American Plastics Council

Jay Smith: Smith graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1963, then joined the Fordem Co. rising to the position of president after just four years. In 1982, he helped negotiate the sale and merger of Fordem to create DRG Medical Packaging. Smith was named President of that company in 1989. In 1993 DRG was sold to Bowater Plc, and Smith retired to form JLS Investment Group, Inc.

In 1999 Smith and his children purchased Teel Plastics of Baraboo, Wis., where he is currently Chairman. Teel has won many accolades in the plastics industry, including Top 25 World Class Plastic Processor, winner of Wisconsin Manufacturing Safety Ward, and Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year.

Smith is also very active beyond the plastics industry. He was appointed to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents in 1995, elected President of the U of W System Board of Regents. Smith organized and co-chaired Wisconsin’s first three Statewide Economic Summits. He served for more than 30 years on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Madison, Affiliated Bank Corporation, and M&I Bank of Southern Wisconsin. Smith currently sits on the Boards of Sub-Zero Corp., Wisconsin Manufacture & Commerce, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, MadRep, Clack Corp., Waisman Center, Waisman Bio Manufacturing, McPherson Eye Research Institute & Thompson Investment Management.