Directors
James A. Alongi
MAAC Machinery • 590 Tower Boulevard, Carol Stream, IL 60188
Tel: 630-665-1700 • Fax: 630-665-7799
Email: jalongi@maacmachinery.com • Web: www.maacmachinery.com
Jim Arnet
Hagans Plastic Co. • 121 W. Rock Island Rd., Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Tel: 972-974-3516
Email: jarnet@hagansus.com • Web: www.hagans.biz
Jim has been involved in the plastics industry for the past 27 years, dealing with both thermoforming and extrusion in both thin and thick gauge materials. Jim has extensive experience in both plastics and sales. Prior to joining Hagans in 2013, Jim was with KYDEX LLC. as the Central Region Sales Manager for five and a half years. Jim was the Western Regional Sales Manager with Primex Plastics for three years and before that he was with Reynolds Packaging (previously known as Ivex Packaging Corporation) for 15 years in many different roles, including sales management, export, and national accounts.
Jim is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BS degree in Industrial Distribution. A retired U.S. Army Officer, Jim, his wife Sherry of 32 years, and his family reside in Flower Mound, Texas.
Patrick Castro, Jr.
Electro – General Plastics Corp • 6200 Enterprise Pkwy, Grove City, OH 43123
Tel: 614-871-2915 ext #1001
Email: patrick@electro-generalplastics.com • https://electro-generalplastics.com
While balancing studies, Patrick’s commitment to service led him to enlist in the Army Reserves where he imbibed invaluable lessons in discipline, teamwork, and leadership. Simultaneously, he embarked on a career at Electro-General Plastics, initially working part-time while attending college.
In 1997, Patrick’s dedication and exceptional performance propelled him from a production worker to a salesperson, playing a pivotal role in new product development. His passion for innovation and strategic vision fueled the company’s growth and success.
In 2006, Patrick spearheaded the acquisition of Mid Tenn Plastics in Cookeville, TN, expanding Electro-General Plastics’ footprint and exemplifying his entrepreneurial spirit.
As CEO of Electro-General Plastics, Corp since 2010, Patrick steers the third-generation family business into the future while preserving its heritage and values. Under his leadership, the company thrives, positioning itself for sustained success and future growth. His recent appointment to the SPE Thermoforming Division Board signifies his dedication to contributing his expertise and experience to the broader industry landscape. He looks forward to leveraging his decades of experience to drive innovation, collaboration, and growth within the organization and beyond.
Robert L. Browning
McConnell Co. • P.O. Box 450633, Atlanta, GA 31145
Tel: 770-939-4497 • Fax: 770-938-0393
Email: robert@thermoformingmc.com
Currently, a Partner with the McConnell Co. Inc., one of the premier thermoforming consulting firms, Robert has also had his own design consulting firm, Isosceles, Inc., since 1984. With degrees in Business Management and Industrial Design, he has successfully worked with companies such as John Deere, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, NASA, Disney, NCR, American Standard, Yamaha, and BMW, to define problems, develop alternatives, and implement solutions. At the present, he is an active member of the Industrial Design Society of America and is a Senior Member of the Society of Plastic Engineers.
Steve Clark
Monark Equipment • 4533 Garfield Road, P.O. Box 335, Auburn, MI 48611
Tel: 989-662-7250
Email: sclark@monark-equip.com • Web: www.monark-equip.com
T.P.S. initially launched in support of the after-market replacement parts needs for the thermoforming industry. Business rapidly grew to more advanced thermoforming equipment needs such as retro-kit systems and complete thermoforming equipment rebuilding services. The company eventually expanded to include newly designed and constructed thermoforming equipment.
I am currently the president/owner of Monark Equipment Technologies, which was started in 1996 as an extension of the work that began at T.P.S. The company focuses primarily on the custom equipment needs of the thermoforming industry. Monark is one of only a few equipment manufacturers that offers both cut sheet/heavy gauge and roll fed/thin gauge thermoforming equipment.
My work history at Brown Machine, T.P.S., and Monark has given me a diversity of exposure within the industry and allowed me to personally meet many of the great individuals that make our industry work on a variety of levels. I am diversely experienced on a variety of levels of thermoforming, and as an equipment-manufacturer, my expertise is grounded with my passion for the variety of older and newer thermoforming-equipment designs available in the industry today. I have also been involved with local educational institutions to help promote manufacturing and the thermoforming industry.
I reside in Sanford, Michigan, and I have been an SPE Thermoforming Division Board Member since 2015. I’ve enjoyed the work ethic and dedication of the volunteer board who promote the thermoforming industry here in the States and abroad. The experience has been eye-opening, and I would encourage others to reach out and get involved as well. Our ship sails best when we all paddle together! I would be honored to continue to participate with my fellow board members in support of the SPE Thermoforming Division Executive Committee, and the vision for growth of both SPE and the Industry.
Evan Gilham
Productive Plastics
Tel: 856-778-4300
Email: egilham@productivecompanies.com • Web: www.productiveplastics.com
Evan began attending and participating in board meetings in 2016. Before becoming a board member in 2018, he delivered a conference presentation on the principles of lean manufacturing and how it helped his company, Productive Plastics.
During his prior tenure as a board member, Evan served on the Division’s Executive Committee as communications chair and also chaired the promotions committee. After a brief absence from the board, Evan returned as a guest in June 2020. He actively participated in education committee meetings and co-presented the Division’s successful webinar, Replacing Steel with Thermoformed Plastics, in January 2021.
Additionally, Evan regularly attended monthly planning meetings for the 2021 SPE Thermoforming Conference Executive Forum. There, he moderated a round table discussion on thermoforming conversion opportunities during the Forum.
Juliet Goff
President/CEO, Kal Plastics • 2050 East 48th Street, Vernon, CA 90058
Tel: 323-581-6194, ext. 223
Email: juliet@kal-plastics.com • Web: www.kal-plastics.com
Her active involvement with the SPE Thermoforming Division started in 2008 at the Minneapolis Thermoforming Conference. There Kal Plastics was honored as a Gold Medal winner in the annual parts competition. Since then she has regularly attended the Thermoforming Division Board meetings and in 2010 she became a Director. Her Board assignment is recognition and the annual Thermoformer of the Year award.
She brings with her the collective experiences of having served on several Boards and non-profits throughout her career, in various leadership roles, including the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Vernon Chamber of Commerce, The City of Vernon Community Fund, The City of Vernon Housing Commission and the Parent Association at her daughter’s high school in Pasadena, CA. Currently she serves on the Executive Board for the Vernon Chamber of Commerce, is the Chair of the Vernon Housing Commission and is the Parent Association President at her daughter’s high school.
Brian Golden
GN Thermoforming Equipment • 400 Kidds Hill Road, Hyannis, MA 02601
Tel: 989-424-9477
Email: bgolden@gncanada.com • Web: www.gnplastics.com
Since 1983, Brian has earned a reputation for his breadth of knowledge and his hands-on approach to solving technical problems. He understands customer needs through his long career serving as both an equipment operator on the factory floor, as a service engineer and sales executive supporting many different customers on behalf of machine manufacturers.
Brian has served as Director of Innovation and Customer Satisfaction at SencorpWhite, where he was responsible for the research and development of product-line enhancements and new-machine developments for the thermoforming business unit. Before that, Golden served as the Vice President of Sales for the Sencorp division of the company, during which he was directly responsible for overseeing the sales activity for the Thermoforming product line.
GN Thermoforming Equipment is a subsidiary of BMG (Brown Machine Group), a world leader of forming, tooling, and automation solutions for the global packing industry.
During his tenure as a board member, Brian has actively participated in the machinery and promotions committees. He also served as conference co-chair of the 2021 SPE Thermoforming Conference in Grand Rapids.
Roger Jean
Simona PMC • Toledo, OH 45840
Tel: 567-208-9758
Email: roger.jean@simona-group.com • Web: www.simona-pmc.com
Prior to joining the PMC team in 2009, he held positions including Marketing Manager and National Sales Manager at Wilbert Plastic Services, and Market Development Manager at Solvay Engineered Polymers. Roger and his family reside in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Travis Kieffer
Plastics Unlimited, Inc. • 303 1st St. N.W., Preston, Iowa 52069
Tel: 563-689-4752
Email: TravisK@plasticsunlimited.com
Travis attended Iowa State College and is grateful for the scholarship he received from the SPE Thermoforming Division in 2008 and strongly believes it is a program that should continue to help other students reach their potential and continue the path forward in the plastics industry. After graduating from Iowa State University in 2012 with an Industrial Engineering Degree, Travis started working in the R & D Department and helped improve the production system. During this time, Plastics Unlimited was invited to speak at the 2012 SPE Thermoforming Conference on their patented Toolless Engineered Composite process. Travis represented the company as one of the speakers for this presentation. Since then, he has been promoted to the COO position and manages the day-to-day operations of the company as well as being involved with the R & D department. He continues to use his training from Iowa State to help improve production speed and capabilities within Plastics Unlimited.
Dennis Lemmon
OMG Thermoforming Inc. • 13407 Avenue D, Arlington, TX 76011
Tel: (419) 212-1562
Email: dennis.lemmon@omgusa.net
He previously worked for Cascade Engineering in Research and Development, as well as a tooling engineer.
Dennis grew up around manufacturing as his father owned an injection molding company, Northwest Molded Plastics. Dennis worked there from a young age and eventually started running the company at age 21. He received his associate’s degree from Northwest State Community College in 2012 and attended Penn College for a hands-on workshop in thermoforming.
He has utilized thermoforming in many ways, including thermoforming thin sheet paint film and using them as inserts into an injection mold, in-mold-coating for injection molding, distortion print forming, foil transferring, tooling, and processing injection and thermoforming. Dennis has worked with major material companies in developing and testing new materials for injection and thermoforming. He has also worked with acoustical sound barrier materials and compression molding. Dennis was also hand-selected to learn robotics and computer numerical control systems at Fanuc.
Ian Munnoch
MSA Components, Inc. • N7908 Dahlk Rd., New Glarus, WI 53574
Tel: 812-322-5080
Email: imunnoch@msacomponents.com • Web: www.msacomponents.com
Gordy Murphy
LINDAR Corporation
Tel: 218-829-3457
Email: gordy@lindarcorp.com • Web: https://lindarcorp.com
In his current role as Director of Operations at LINDAR Corporation, Gordy is directly responsible for overseeing the engineering, capital planning implementation, information systems, and technical aspects to support the ongoing growth of the company.
Gordy’s industry knowledge combined with his can-do attitude has contributed to the success of LINDAR Corporation today.
During the recent Grand Rapids SPE Thermoforming Conference, Gordy served as a round table moderator and shared his expertise on ERP systems during the Executive Forum. He has attended SPE Thermoforming Division Board Meetings and actively participated in committee meetings for the past two years.
Eric Short
Simona PMC • 2040 Industrial Drive, Findlay, OH 45840
Tel: 567-525-4924
Email: eric.short@simona-pmc.com • Web: www.simona-pmc.com
Eric brings over 30 years of commercial & technical experience in the plastics industry. Prior to joining PMC in 2011, he held a variety of positions in sales, marketing, engineering, and product management at polyolefin compounders Solvay Engineered Polymers, LyondellBasell, and Mytex Polymers.
In addition to his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from GMI (now Kettering University), Short holds an MBA from Oakland University.
Eric is also a board director of the SPE Thermoforming Division.
Dan Sproles
Sproles Business Consulting LLC • 5210 Canton Street, South Bend, IN 46614
Tel: 574-747-7997
Email: dan@sprolesbusinessconsulting.com • Web: www.sprolesbusinessconsulting.com
Dan has 42 years of experience in extrusion with extensive expertise in various materials and equipment. He has also led training sessions and conducted troubleshooting exercises on extrusion equipment. On the thermoforming side of the business, Dan has hands-on experience with single-sheet, twin-sheet, and pressure thermoformed products, as well as tooling and processes.
In May 2018, Dan started his own plastics consulting and business development company. In May 2018, he was appointed to the SPE Thermoforming Division Board of Directors. Since then, Dan has actively contributed to the Division by holding the positions of Student RC Car Race Chair, Education Committee Chair, and Co-Chair of the SPE Thermoforming Conference Parts Competition.
Renee Vinsick
Primex Plastics Corporation • 1235 North F Street, Richmond, IN 47374
Tel: (765) 966-7774
Renee is currently participating on the Education Committee and has been involved in the plastics industry for over 30 years. She has worked with thermoforming, machining, injection molding and rotational molding. She has demonstrated leadership skills in plastics and sales. Prior to joining Primex Plastics in 2024, Renee was National Sales Manager at Total Plastics for over 4 years building and developing their custom machined parts program. Concentrating on heavy equipment, agriculture, medical and mass transit industries. She was also with Lehigh Valley Plastics as a Territory Manager concentrating on machining, fabrication and injection molded parts for similar industries.
Renee is spearheading growth in several new and existing market spaces for Primex and will be supporting the national sales team with strategic market development initiatives. She hopes her passion for growth and expansion into new industries will promote opportunities in the thermoforming industry. Renee is constantly involved with developing new products for target markets, she can see endless opportunities working with new industries and introducing Primex Plastics innovative product lines. The thermoforming industry has expanded their capabilities servicing all industries and she is looking forward to bringing this support to our thermoforming community.
Renee’s passion within the thermoforming industry is to continually work within the market bringing new opportunities to facilitate growth in all industries our thermoformers serve. She has and will always encourage membership into the SPE organization.
James M. “Jay” Waddell
Plastic Concepts & Innovations, LLC
Tel: (843) 324-7116
Email: jwaddell@plasticoncepts.com
He is a member of the board of directors for the Society of Plastics Engineers and serves as the Treasurer of the Society.
He has been a member of the board of directors for the Thermoforming Division of the SPE for the past 36 years. He was the chairman for several SPE Thermoforming Conferences and has been a speaker and moderator at many others.
Mr. Waddell earned his BA at the Citadel and continued his graduate studies in business there.
Brian Winton
VP/Sales, PTi • 2655 White Oak Circle, Aurora, IL 60502
Tel: 630-585-5800 • Cell: 331-452-7452
Email: bwinton@ptiextruders.com
Brian Winton is the VP of Sales for Processing Technologies International (PTi). Brian has over 38 years of experience in domestic and international capital equipment sales, marketing and project management. He began his career in the thermoforming industry in 1985 and continued into extrusion and plastic recycling. Brian has worked primarily for equipment manufacturers in manager, director and vice president capacities, with past technical sales and marketing teams including John Brown Plastics Machinery, Modern Machinery, Lyle Industries, and The Brown Machine Group.
Brian has extensive process and industry knowledge, and started his career managing turnkey projects for sheet extrusion and thermoforming operations. This included designing and properly sizing ancillary features, downstream equipment and plant utilities, while coordinating comprehensive installation and training services. Brian works closely with his customers to clearly understand their current and future needs. He also collaborates with suppliers and other engineering sources to technically define and promote the latest cutting-edge solutions.
Brian is highly involved in the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoforming Division and has served as a board member since 2002. He continues to serve on the R&D Committee and has previously served as ANTEC Technical Program Chair and Conference Chair.