Plastics Pioneers Inducts Seven New Members

The Plastics Pioneers Association (PPA) inducted seven industry veterans into the organization during its recent meeting in San Diego.

They are:

Barbara Jo Arnold-Feret : Well-known as an expert in 3D printing and additive manufacturing, she is currently key account director at Essentium, Inc. where she provides expertise in operations, project management, application engineering, plastic molding, thermoforming, casting, and machining.  She is active in many industry associations, including the Society of Plastics Engineers, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, Women in 3D Printing, and serves as a STEM Advisor for Keller ISD in her community.  

Jill Brandts worked for the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) from 1999 until her retirement in March 2022. She has held a variety of positions including executive director of the Thermoforming Institute, executive director of Sheet Producers, director for member relations & grassroots advocacy, and director of member relations. Prior to that, she worked at Storopack in Public Relations and Environment & Regulatory Affairs.

She also worked at the Thermoforming Institute and the Western Moldmaker Division in environmental & safety roles focused on the Western region. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

Troy Eubank has been in the plastics industry since 1975 and has spent his entire career with his family businesses: Modified Plastics, Color Science, and Plastics Analytical Laboratory. While attending college, he continued working for the family business and worked his way up to Vice President of Operations. He conceived and helped found the sister companies, Color Science, Inc. (CSI), and Plastics Analytical Laboratory (PAL), to further provide services to the plastics industry. Troy graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. He is also the current President of the Western Plastics Pioneers.

Annette Lund has been a plastics professional for over 42 years. She worked at Diversified Plastics, Inc. where she started as a part-time receptionist in 1981 and worked her way up to vice president in 2005. She held a variety of positions including office manager, purchasing manager, customer service manager, sales manager, sales & marketing manager, and ultimately vice president. Learning about the plastic injection molding industry along the way, Annette managed pricing models, and projections. She was responsible for territory development and built customer concentric sales models to delight customers. Annette has also been very involved in the industry and in her community. She is a member of SPE.

Garrett MacKenzie started his career in plastic injection molding in 1989 as an operator and has held many positions in industry and is currently the president and owner of Plastic411 Services, which specializes in maintenance services and process training in the plastic injection industry. He is also the Owner and Editor of plastic411.com and provides consultation and training for plastics injection molding.

He has provided process engineering expertise to many top companies, including Glock, Honda, Johnson Controls, and Rubbermaid. Garrett He has published 50+ articles in Plastics Today, Plastics Technology, and MoldMaking Technology magazines sharing his advice and expertise in injection molding. This year he started a plastics training program at Hastings High School in Hastings, Michigan. 

Clyde Scherer has been involved in many, wide-ranging aspects of the plastics industry, both on the manufacturing side and on the educational side. He worked in senior management of multiple plastics firms, including Invetal Enterprises, Miramar Consulting, Neward Enterprises, and Third Millennium Metals, LLC. Clyde’s history includes senior positions in the manufacturing management of injection molding and assembly of medical and automotive equipment used worldwide. He also taught university level courses while obtaining his doctorate in Engineering Technology-Plastics from Columbia Southern University. 

Tom Zimmerman is currently the president of Marval Industries, a full-service compounder in Mamaroneck, N.Y. offering polymer masterbatch, specialty compounding, resin distribution, and toll processing. He leads the company in developing new products for personal care, appliances, hardware, medical, displays, toy components, electrostatic dissipation, industrial components, and orthopedic braces. Tom’s late father, Alan Zimmerman, was a member of the PPA, and his grandfather, Alexander Zimmerman is a member of the Plastics Hall of Fame. Tom has been a member of SPE since 1989.

The Plastics Pioneers Association (PPA) is an organization of individuals with significant experience and accomplishments in the industry. We support scholarships, educational programs, a history center, and more to engage the next generation of people in the world of plastics