CPIA presents 2006 CanPlast, Leader of the Year awards

At a luncheon held on May 4, 2006 in Toronto the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) named the winners of its four 2006 CanPlast awards and presented its Leader of the Year award to John Emmerson of Amherst, N.S.-based PolyCello and his two sons Bryan and Stephen Emmerson.(see page 14)

This is only the second time the CPIA has awarded the Leader of the Year award to more than one person; in 1980 the Metivier brothers, Louis and Luc, were collectively recognized.

In contrast, four CanPlast awards have been given out each year since 1977 to individuals who have contributed towards the improvement of the Canadian plastics industry and have actively participated in industry groups.

One of this year’s CanPlast award winners, Keith Malvern, has been involved in the CPIA’s board since 1993, and he has served as a director of the CPIA and its Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC) from 1993 to 2005. He also chaired the CPIA’s Competitiveness Committee from 1997 to 2002, and served on the board of the CPIA’s Plastic Film Manufacturers Advisory Council (PFMAC). Malvern entered the plastics industry in 1982 as polyethylene marketing manager for Esso in Toronto. In 1985 he transferred to Exxon Mobil Chemical in Houston, Tex., but returned to Toronto in 1993 to work in Exxon’s North American reaction injection molding (RIM) business. Malvern retired in 2005.

Walter Conrad, another of this year’s winners, also participated actively in the plastics industry. In 1973 he left DuPont after 13 years and worked for Industry Canada as a Sector Development Officer until his recent retirement. At Industry Canada he promoted numerous Canadian industries as well as plastics, but during the last five years of his career he took on additional regional responsibilities for the plastics sector in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

“For those involved in the composites industry, especially in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, Conrad was the friendly face of Industry Canada. His retirement sparked an immediate need to recognize his years of support,” the CPIA said.

Also one of this year’s recipients was the first ever graduate from the Plastic Technology program at Ahuntsic College in Montreal. Louis Gouron is vice-president, sales and marketing at Les Plastiques Balcan, a plastics processor based in Saint-Leonard, Que.

From 2003 to 2005 Gouron was the president of CPIA Quebec’s Board, and has also served on the board of PFMAC and on the CPIA’s national board since 2003.

The final CanPlast recipient was Rodney Rourke, vice-president of raw materials and technology with Oakville, Ont.-based PCL Packaging Corp., who has actively participated in several councils of the CPIA over the past 28 years.

A member of the PFMAC, Rourke participated in the PFMAC’s VOC (volatile organic compounds) Reduction Committee, its Recycling Committee, and was one of its executives. He also represents PCL on EPIC and has been active in CPIA’s Energy Committee.