Sons take over at Shuman

Shuman Plastics Inc. (Buffalo, NY) has completed a leadership transition that places responsibilities formerly held by chairman Charles E. Shuman with his sons, Ken Shuman as president, and Dan Shuman as executive VP. Charles Shuman's retirement comes after 60 years of service to the company and its customers.

Shuman Plastics was founded in 1947 by Charles' father, Philip, and brother, Hyman, and the company's early roots are traced to a scrap operation in Buffalo, NY. Charles joined the operation in 1949 and after serving his country in the U.S. Army during the early 1950s, he returned to help his father and brother run the business. In 1955, the company purchased its first truckload of plastic material to resell, the start of what is known today as Shuman Plastics.

Today, Shuman Plastics is a supplier of raw materials and provider of specialized services to the thermoplastics industry worldwide. Among his many career accomplishments, Charles Shuman takes special pride in the company's pioneering of high-performance purging products more than 25 years ago. The Dyna-Purge Div. of Shuman Plastics produces thermoplastic purging compounds to clean injection molding, extrusion, blowmolding, compounding, and blown film production equipment. The company's purging compounds are used for resin, color, and formulation changes; for routine and preventive maintenance; and prior to machine shutdown and startup. Dyna-Purge is a nonchemical, nonabrasive purging compound and the product line currently includes nearly a dozen different formulations with sales around the world.

Ken Shuman's role as president of Shuman Plastics is supported by nearly 22 years of experience with the company. He has held numerous positions including sales, marketing, and executive management. Executive VP Dan Shuman has been with the family business for more than 12 years and has worked in sales and sales management, as well as roles in plant operations and customer service. —[email protected]