Tagged: Ohio

The Greater Akron Polymer Cluster recently provided an “Exploring Polymers Workshop” to high school students in Barberton, Ohio. Representatives from RDAbbott, NovationSi, and FocusCFO® presented the two-part series to Honors Chemistry students at Barberton High School.

We’ve teamed up to share the latest advancements and technologies in silicone and plastic injection molding. This free Open House will take place November 2, 2023, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (ET) at RDAbbott’s facility in Barberton, Ohio. We hope you seize this opportunity to hear from industry-leading experts and gain hands-on experience for optimizing your manufacturing.

RDAbbott and NovationSi recently gave a group of Ohio middle schoolers a firsthand look at American manufacturing in action. On July 12th, approximately fifteen students from Barberton Middle School toured the 127,000+ sq. ft. facility in Barberton, Ohio, which is NovationSi’s headquarters and RDAbbott’s Northeast hub. The students learned how LSR and HCR differ, as well as how they’re made, tested, colored, and cured.

Rubber News recently featured our commitment to making the right connections as part of an interview with Jerry McCall, RDAbbott’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. The article reflects our core values of putting people and the service of others first. NovationSi, RDAbbott’s manufacturing subsidiary, will play a key role on multiple levels.

Join us August 15 – 18 in Barberton, Ohio, for “Manufacturing with Silicone Rubber,” a comprehensive workshop hosted by RDAbbott from a fabricator’s point-of-view. Attendees of this four-day workshop will learn practical techniques, testing methods, and insights, plus equipment troubleshooting tips for processing silicone rubber, from industry professionals through a combination of classroom instruction and interactive workshops.

NovationSi, the manufacturing subsidiary for RDAbbott, has named Brian Swanton as Director of Process Engineering. Swanton holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technology University and has over 28 years of silicone experience, including extensive service with Dow and Dupont. Swanton holds multiple patents and has developed or scaled up at least forty products, which now represent a minimum of $100M in annual sales.

NovationSi, the manufacturing subsidiary for RDAbbott, has named Steve Hersey Plant Manager. Prior to joining NovationSi, Hersey was the General Manager for HEXPOL Compounding in Akron, Ohio. While at HEXPOL, he managed substantial volume growth over four years and sales revenue experienced exponential growth during his tenure. Hersey brings a veteran approach to silicone manufacturing as he began his HEXPOL career as a Lead Operator and later served as a Production Supervisor. He has also owned a construction business and worked as an Operations Lead for Portage Precision Polymers before it was acquired by HEXPOL.

RDAbbott plans to attend the 2023 Spring Technical Meeting of the Rubber Division, ACS, a division of the American Chemical Society. This year’s event is scheduled for April 25 through April 27 at the Marriott Cleveland East in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, near the popular Beachwood area.

RDAbbott and NovationSi have released a holiday video that transforms a classic Christmas poem into a tale from today’s rubber industry. “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” an eighteenth-century poem that is credited to various authors, features a cast of RDAbbott and NovationSi employees from the companies’ Garden Grove, California, and Barberton, Ohio Service Centers.

To help you get into the holiday spirit, RDAbbott and NovationSi have released its annual holiday video—a light-hearted parody of the classic Christmas poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” This holiday production captures scenes of silicone-molded ornaments being made and hung, holiday cookies being tested, salespeople celebrating year-end bookings, Santa on a forklift, and more.