media release

Date: October 18, 2017
Contact: Courtney Karr, Marketing and Education Manager, +913.345.1005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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IAPD Announces 2017 Education Circle of Champions Award Recipients

Overland Park, KS —The International Association of Plastics Distribution (IAPD), the international trade association comprised of companies engaged in the distribution and manufacturer of performance plastics, has announced the following member companies as the 2017 Education Circle of Champions Award recipients:

Gold Award Recipients Cope Plastics, Inc. Curbell Plastics, Inc. Laird Plastics, Inc. Piedmont Plastics Polymershapes, LLC Redwood Plastics and Rubber
Silver Award Recipients Midland Plastics, Inc. Plastifab Industries, Inc.
Bronze Level Recipients Asahi/America, Inc. CartierWilson LLC

These 10 companies were selected for their commitment to continuing plastics education and sales training through IAPD's certificate programs and education resources. They were recognized in a special video presentation during the opening general session of the 61st Annual IAPD Convention and Plastics Expo.

"Albert Einstein said it best, 'Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.' That's how IAPD University is organized. The IAPD Certificate Programs put information to practical use with applications from a variety of markets. The IAPD courses challenge one's technical knowledge, research skills and business acumen by evaluating their ability to help customers find real solutions," said IAPD Education Committee Chair Mark Steele. "I'm pleased with the growing number of Education Circle of Champions award winners. It shows our members' commitment to put customers' interests first by investing in training and education for their employees."

The Education Circle of Champions has three award levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The criteria are demanding, so it is significant that six companies achieved the Gold Level and two companies achieved the Silver Level and another two companies the Bronze Level.

"I am very pleased with the number of award recipients this year," said IAPD CEO Susan E. Avery, CAE. "It speaks to our member's understanding and commitment to education and training not only as a competitive advantage for their company, but for the performance plastics industry as a whole."

Companies earn points by participating in any number of training and education activities, including:

Establishment of a new company-wide training program.
Companies with existing training programs can earn points by establishing a new program in addition to current programs or by upgrading/replacing a program.
Establishment of a new internship program (headquarter or branch level or company wide). This option can be met at a company where no internship program existed previously.
Establishment of relationships with schools/universities and/or conducting university/student outreach to promote the plastics industry.

The eligibility period for the 2018 Education Circle of Champions Award is open from August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018.

About IAPD

The International Association of Plastics Distribution (IAPD), established in 1956, brings together performance plastics distributors, fabricators, manufacturers, manufacturers’ representatives, recyclers and service providers in an environment which encourages a free flow of ideas and information that help members build their businesses. Every program and service we provide is designed with the simple goal of helping our members increase profitability. Membership in IAPD is an affordable business investment. IAPD provides training, connections with customers and suppliers and information about developments that impact the industry.

This release and more are available in IAPD’s Press Room.

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