NC LAUNCHED CENTER IN 1970S
The center's roots date back to the mid-1970s, when North Carolina launched a support program for NC manufacturers wanting to use plastics in their products. That program has evolved into the not-for-profit Polymers Center - a partnership of the NC Industrial Extension Service, UNC Charlotte and NC State University. The center also has close ties to several state and national plastics associations.

Executive Director Dennis Hayford and his staff of a half-dozen industry veterans have nearly 200 years of combined experience in many aspects of the plastics industry. They have worked for companies ranging from GE to Union Carbide to Dow Chemical and have even founded their own companies. Hayford has twice served on the international council of the Society of Plastics Engineers.

The center's staff use that knowledge to instruct, trouble-shoot manufacturing problems and help companies develop new uses for plastics. (You can view examples of the sophisticated equipment at the center website, polymers-center.org.)

MANY CLASSES HELD HERE, TOO

Education is a key component of the center's work. The center often hosts important programs, such as an upcoming OSHA-led program on workplace safety, and an international forum on "Advances in Plastics Processing," which also has been held this summer in Brazil and Mexico.

The center's ability to help area companies prosper has earned it high praise. For example, the center has provided technical advice to Huntersville-based Microban International, whose anti-bacterial materials protect users of hundreds of consumer, industrial and medical products ranging from footwear to bathroom fixtures to aircraft interiors.

The Polymers Center has been "a gold-standard partner for Microban International," says Tom Kotterer, vice president for global operations, in a testimonial on the center website.
"We have expanded the breadth and depth of our product range four-fold over the last several years, and they have been there with us every step of the way," Kotterer adds. "Their expertise, unique problem-solving ability, high standard of quality and safety and hyper focus on customer satisfaction are a model for us all."