Extrusion International USA 5-2021

31 Extrusion International 5/2021 „ Neutrex, a leading global manufacturer of Purgex™ Purging Compounds for the plastics industry, has announced the ap- pointment of Jason Pizcazotowski as President, replacing com- pany Founder and President Arthur P. Haag. Haag will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board. Pizcazotowski will be based at company headquarters in Hous- ton where he will lead Neutrex’s workforce in all aspects of the business including product development, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and customer service. “Since the moment I met Jason, I knew he possessed the lead- ership instincts to drive and motivate cross-functional business teams and deliver exemplary results,” said Haag. “I’ve watched himgrowprofessionally in previous leadership roles and believe hewill be instrumental in taking Neutrex to the next level of our growth strategy.” Pizcazotowski most recently served as International Sales Di- rector for Neutrex. During his 13 years in international sales, Pizcazotowski oversaw exponential growth in export sales and global expansion. He helped build Neutrex’s global busi- ness, creating a broad distribution network which has since expanded to more than 50 countries. He was successful in en- listing strong distributors in key global regions and directed all Appointment of President Announced aspects of onboarding, train- ing, and development. During his work as Internation- al Sales Director, Neutrex was honored for its exporting ac- complishments with the Presi- dent’s “E” Award and “E Star” Award from the U.S. Depart- ment of Commerce. “I am thrilled to assume this role and deeply grateful for the con fi dence placed in me by the company,” said Pizcazotowski. Established in 1992, Neutrex specializes in the development, manufacture, andworldwide distributionof the Purgex®brand of chemically-engineered commercial purging compounds used to clean injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding ma- chines. Neutrex Inc. www.purgexonline.com „ The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoforming Divi- sion has presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to James Alongi, president of MAACMachinery. James Alongi has been a member of the SPE Thermoforming Division for nearly 25 years. The Division’s Executive Committee presented the award to him on September 21, during SPE’s Thermoforming Awards Dinner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. James entered theplastics industry in1997as President ofMAAC Machinery. He quickly learned the thermoformingbusiness, and workingcloselyhiswithhisbrother, Paul Alongi, developedbusi- ness practices that improved ef fi ciencies and allowed the company to expand and fl our- ish. Under James’s leadership, MAAChasbecometheworld’s largest thermoforming ma- chinery manufacturer, focus- ing exclusively on cut-sheet applications. The company is an innovator and leader in the thermoforming industry. MAAC has been a long-time supporter of SPE and the Ther- moforming Division as a direct result of James’s involvement. Lifetime Achievement Award Presented An active and current member of the Division’s Asset Alloca- tion Review Committee (AARC), James has facilitated the de- livery of MAAC ASP thermoformers to universities around the country. These machines allow students to learn the thermo- forming process using equipment that is versatile enough to perform all of the basic techniques. As an active member of the SPE Thermoforming Division Board of Directors, James has served SPE in many different areas. He is a longtime member of the Machinery Technical Committee, and has also served as conference chair, technical program chair and session moderator. He currently serves as Finance Committee Chair, and has also assisted with the de- velopment of technical articles for SPE Thermoforming Quar- terly magazine. “James Alongi is the man behind the scenes who handles the details and makes the ideas work,” said Steve Zamprelli, SPE Thermoforming Division Chair. “His commitment to service – in his leadership roles at MAAC and in the SPE Thermoforming Division – has directly impacted the SPE Thermoforming Divi- sion andour industry as awhole. James’s quiet but determined leadership and willingness to help in any capacity makes him not only a role model, but an inspiration to us all.” THE SPE THERMOFORMING DIVISION https://thermoformingdivision.com JamesAlongi JasonPizcazotowski, President ofNeutrex